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:

In answer to the question posed in Knowledge Bureau’s May opinion poll, professional financial advisors from across Canada agreed by an overwhelming majority—78% to 22%—that top marginal tax rates close to, or over, 50% are not fair.

Despite recent reports that Millennials are worried about facing tougher financial times in their retirement, a little information can go a long way for this well-educated generation.

Two federal family tax credits have disappeared in 2017: the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit and the Children’s Arts Amount. Is there anything families can do to shore up tax savings in light of this unfortunate news?

Midnight June 15 is the tax filing deadline for unincorporated business owners and their spouses, and the official end of tax season for those weary folks in the tax preparation industry! Don’t let this important deadline get lost in your pre-summer planning.

“Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.” —André Gide

Tax, financial planning and wealth management competencies are required to help clients fund their goals for income and capital accumulation derived from investments in these turbulent times. Adding tax efficiency can help returns take off from the doldrums in the markets. But are you prepared to do so with confidence?