Time’s Up: CRA’s 100 Day Mandate for Improvement

After years of frustration on the part of tax professionals and taxpayers alike, the Finance Minister ordered the Canada Revenue Agency to clean up its act in 100 days. Specifically, the improvement plan was to run from September 2 through December 11. Finance Minister and Minister of National Revenue, Francoise-Phillippe Champagne instructed CRA to fix “unacceptable wait times and service delays.” Time’s up this week and CRA has released an update on progress. What gets measured, gets done. Let’s see what CRA’s metrics show. 

Did you know 2023 is an extremely important Milestone Year for CE/CPD Credits in the financial services industry? Knowledge Bureau designates need 15 CE Credits by June 30 to relicense; IIROC Cycle 9 ends on December 31, 2023 and Insurance Council licensing CE credits are due at various times throughout the year.  That’s why Knowledge Bureau is offering 5 new and exciting CE options to meet your professional development needs in 2023:

The price of lettuce in Canada – up over 35% in a year – is still an eyebrow raiser, despite the easing of the inflation rate in January to 5.9%, according to Statistics Canada.  What does that have to do with Asset Management?  Simply that 2023 is proving to be a tough financial year and advisors need to up their game to manage the concerns of anxious taxpayers and investors who are tapping into portfolios to pay for inflation and recent interest rate hikes, and coming up soon – their tax bills.

It’s been a fantastic two months here at Knowledge Bureau celebrating the big 2-0...our 20th anniversary! With so much on the horizon this year you will want to get involved! 

Did you know that employed commissioned salespeople can write off more tax deductions than other employees?  In fact, expense deductibility differs only slightly from that of the self employed. Yet, to get past a tax auditor, there are special nuances:  employers must be prepared to verify unreimbursed, out-of-pocket costs were required and there are some specific restrictions. Details follow.

Last year, those who owed the CRA owed a lot – over $7,000. Soon, the prescribed interest rates charged by CRA are going up and that could really increase the cost of carrying debt. Tax debtors can save more money by paying up before April 1. Here’s why

Is it reportable or not?  Many taxpayers are confused about the various government support programs they have been entitled to in 2022 and 2023.  As a general rule, if a support payment is taxable, there will be a T4A or T4E showing the amount to be reported as income.  But if any of the amounts itemized below -  inflation support measures – were received, they won’t be reportable.