Wildfires: Apply for Taxpayer Relief Provisions

It may not be the first concern, but Canadians affected by wildfires may worry at some point about the tax consequences of lost records or missed filing deadlines – the next one on June 16 for those filing T1 returns with proprietorship income. Fortunately, the CRA offers Taxpayer Relief Provisions when there are circumstances beyond a taxpayer’s control, including natural disasters, serious illness or death in the family, or errors made by the CRA, which may trigger penalties and interest due to late or incomplete tax filings. Here’s what you need to know.

We are excited to see you online on May 18, 2022 for the next Virtual CE Summit on Retirement and Estate Planning. Be sure to register by April 20 for early bird tuition fees for you and your team.  The CE Summits are a blended learning event.  What does this mean?  It’s just an outstanding comprehensive learning opportunity for you in multiple components:

This Monday March 21, 2022, CRA released the electronic version of T4002 - Self-employed Business, Professional, Commission, Farming, and Fishing Income for the 2021 tax filing year.  The paper version won’t be available until late April.  The Guide covers pandemic support measures for the self-employed, including CEWS, CERS, CRHP, and government loans.

In an effort to assist Ukrainians who are fleeing the war and wish to come to Canada, the government has streamlined the process for entry. Through the “Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel” program, applications are expected to be processed in as little as two weeks. They will allow approved applicants to stay in Canada for up to three years. Once here, they can apply for permanent residency. Applicants will be allowed to work or study while in Canada.  There are interesting tax consequences for that.

In the market for a Tesla?  Now would be a good time to purchase the luxury model, as  Canada now has a new tax act:  The Select Luxury Items Tax Act, slated to come into effect September 1, 2022 if proposals released March 11, 2022 are passed into law.   The proposed 173 pages of legislation for Canada’s new luxury tax, first introduced in the April 2021 federal budget, targets buyers of luxury cars and aircraft with a retail price tag of $100,000 or more and boats valued at $250,000 or more.  Here are the reasons why you need to pay attention:

Throughout the calendar years 2012 - 2015, a Toronto man named Perry Fousteris and representatives of Fousteris’ corporation defrauded international investors by encouraging international investors to purchase shares of corporation’s owned by Fousteris. This fraud attracted the attention of the CRA, as well as penalties, interest and jail time.  Here is what happened:

When a business hires an employee, it is important for that employee to be “formally” hired, that is with a role description, a rate of pay or salary level and a statement of expectations that define the relationship between the employer and employee,  all well documented and filed in case of audit from the CRA. This is particularly important post-COVID, as CRA will be auditing the Canada Emergency Wage Supplement (CEWS) payments businesses received, right up to the end of 2023.   But it is also very important if you have hired family members.