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:

Two new important pieces of information from the CRA impact the registered investment strategies of Canadian taxpayers. The forecasted TFSA contribution limits for 2019, and the long-awaited Income Tax Folio S3-F10-C3, Advantages – RRSPs, RESPs, RRIFs, RDSPs and TFSAs issued on October 1.

The new NAFTA deal—now called USMCA—will no doubt make positive contributions to the Canadian economy and investors will appreciate the improvement in market uncertainty. But, there are also some points of concern, including impacts to specific sectors and looming interest rate hikes. Plus, a duty-free limit increase that improves ease of holiday shopping, but could have economic repercussions.

A new report from the C.D. Howe Institute answers the common question: should the rich pay more tax? While recent tax rate changes brought in $1.2 Billion federally (far less than the $3 Billion anticipated) the data points to several negative impacts, with consequences to all taxpayers, when the rates applied to Canada’s top income earners go up.

It’s almost unanimous among tax and financial advisors who strongly believe that Canada needs tax reform to create a fair, simple and certain tax system for people of all income levels.

There is a very bright future for the tax preparer who makes a great decision to become the Tax Services Specialist of the future. But, to offer the best advice in that regard, tax specialists must have more than precise technical skills.

Knowledge Bureau is pleased to announce that Kristin Ramlal, B. Comm (Hons.), PFP, CIM, FCSI, Securities Specialist and Qtrade Advisor with Great-West Life and London Life, has been selected as the 2018 winner of the DAC Young Advisor Award. The award will be presented at the Opening Ceremonies of the Distinguished Advisor Conference (DAC) in Quebec City, November 11 - 14.