Podcast: Automatic Tax Filing - Will It Work?

Last week Taxpayers' Ombudsperson François Boileau  tabled his annual report:  In Pursuit of Better Service: Taxpayers Deserve More.  once again, it was nothing short of scathing, as CRA received its highest number of complaints in the last three years.  Calling our “completely nuts” Income Tax Act a potential barrier, he is nonetheless pushing for automatic tax filing as a potential solution.  A new episode of Real Tax News with Evelyn Jacks & Friends available next week, will feature guest Gillian Petit, Ph.D. - author of a great report, Welcome News for Lower-Income Canadians, but There’s More to Do - which takes a deeper dive.  Consider the following:

Both BC and Alberta tabled their provincial budgets on February 28, while NWT and Nunuvut have already released theirs, February 8 and 23 respectively.  Key insights these documents provide regarding important tax changes for the 2023 appear below, together with the schedule of other provincial and territorial budget releases.

Taxpayers who turned 65 in 2022 will have some new tax filing nuances when preparing the 2022 tax return this spring.  Here’s what you need to know:

The first ‘record’ of accounting dates back as early as the Mesopotamian civilization, where simple documentation was maintained in the books. Around the 15th century, an Italian monk named Luca Pacioli, considered the father of accounting, developed the double-entry bookkeeping system, which changed the accounting landscape completely. The evolution of bookkeeping has a come a long way from the 15th century when accounting ledgers were completed by hand, compared to today’s digitized process.

CIBC’s latest annual Financial Priorities poll holds some disturbing revelations.  When survey respondents were asked how they are determining how much money they will need to retire: A shocking 33% indicated they are using their “best guess” and only 14% indicated they are arriving at a number with the help of an advisor.

With high inflation rates, currently 5.9% on average across the country – all Canadians are feeling the pinch. One could argue that those earning an income that varies significantly year-to-year are being hit even harder.

Did you move during 2022 to take a new job or start a new business or even to go to school?  If so you may be eligible to claim a host moving expenses on your tax return.  But the time to get your receipts together is now!