The CRA TSlip Saga: An Update

This tax season has been particularly challenging for both taxpayers and tax professionals. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) provides tax information slips—such as T3, T4, T5, and their variations—through secure online portals: My Account and Represent a Client (RAC). This year, there were lots of problems with these portals, and now, it appears, CRA is not being quite transparent about when the slips were actually visible to clients and that doesn’t seem fair. Here’s an update on where we stand now.

On June 5, the Prime Minister announced two new response benefits to help Canadians through the pandemic. But the promised Disability Tax Credit (DTC) top-up payments and help for the provinces in a “Safe-Restart” Agreement have been delayed as other parties opposed the passing of the bill. Here’s what was proposed:

According to the most recent tax filing statistics, the majority of Canadians chose to abide by the extended June 1 tax filing deadline even though late filing penalties and interest won’t apply until September 1. But that doesn’t mean that tax season is over – there are some important filing deadlines on the horizon, and that matters because CRA is officially resuming audit activity.

A federal fiscal update has finally been scheduled for July 8, although the government is planning only a “snapshot” of the current state of affairs, and no fiscal projections, leaving lots of questions. What will be the future repercussions of this year’s emergency relief benefits?  Will taxes increase in 2021? What planning should take place today?  How can the CERB be used to help?

The role of the tax specialist is an essential service as families must file tax returns to qualify for important social benefits amidst a devastating and stressful global event: the COVID Pandemic.  Worse, stressed families face onerous self-assessment procedures for government programs like CERB and the various business loans and wage subsidies. To get the best after-tax results for these families, highly trained tax services specialists must understand investment, retirement, business and estate planning strategies. Only a Knowledge Bureau Education provides all of these elements in its online designation programs.

Knowledge Bureau is pleased to announce the publication of a new certificate course, Personal Pension Planning For Corporate Owner-Managers, by JP Laporte, CEO, INTEGRIS Pension Management Corp and Mark Taucar, CFA, Porfolio Manager, Accilent Capital Management Inc.  It’s a must for any advisor who is working with owner-managers or professionals in this challenging pandemic environment.

In the fray of the pandemic, tax filing deadlines have come and gone, with the most recent being the June 1 personal tax filing deadline.  Governments have been committed to keeping tax benefits flowing based on the 2018 return and will even waive late filing penalties and interest for failure to file.  But a big reckoning is coming at midnight on September 1.