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:

The Canada Caregiver Credit, or CCC, is by far the most complicated provision on the 2017 tax return. In this last article of our series, we’ll give you some true-to-life examples of how to claim it for your loved ones who may be suffering an infirmity.

What should we anticipate in this year’s federal budget? Evelyn Jacks weighs in on the anticipated changes – and who will be affected by them - with signals already clearly evident from recently released Finance Canada documents.

Canada has 1,673,785 aboriginal people, representing 4.9 percent of the population. According to our census, this population has grown 42.5 percent in the period 2006-16 and the average age of the aboriginal people, at 32.1 years, is close to a decade younger than the rest of Canada. There are unique tax filing concerns for these Canadians, requiring specialized knowledge.

According to a study by the Environics Institute, less than half of Canadian Millennials have enough money to live the kind of life they desire. While they are focused on finding meaningful work that will offer them balance, flexibility and the opportunity to give back - what’s missing is the money. However, the financial services may provide a solution.

Tax reform is all the rage in Canada and the US. With the next Federal budget around the corner, mark your calendar now to join top experts in Canada-US reforms during our Spring CE Summits. The knowledge value proposition is incomparable for advisors working with high net worth clients and those with family members or properties abroad.

Within today’s rapidly emerging new economy, many employers are enticing new talent with employee stock option plans: the opportunity to purchase shares in their corporations at some future date, at today’s lower price. But there are tax consequences. What do employees need to know?