Changes to Paper Filing Disempowering

Last tax season, only 7% of all Canadian tax filers filed on paper. The CRA is pushing for zero. It continues to steer the holdouts to digitized filing by adding lots of obstacles. Most recently, it is removing almost all the schedules from the tax return package it mails. This seems unfair to people who paper file because they can’t afford a computer and internet, distrust the security of online filing and those who are neither tax or computer literate. Here’s what they are up against:

December is just around the corner and it’s high time to finalize the estimation of 2013 taxes payable income in order to determine the correct amount of the final tax instalments (December 15 for all taxpayers except farmers, who must submit one instalment on December 31).

The Supporting Small Businesses Act recently passed a second reading in the Ontario Legislature. Also known as Bill 105, the object of the legislation is to provide relief from the Employer Health Tax to small businesses, charities and not-for-profit entities.

On October 31, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced changes to the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) claim form, which incorporates changes announced in the 2012 and 2013 budgets.

With all the political shenanigans of late (both federal and local), the respect – or lack thereof – of the taxpayers’ dollars emerges on front page news daily. If this is particularly irksome to you, you might be interested in a little history of taxation in Canada. 

Those involved in criminal tax evasion cases are advised to bear civil tax consequences in mind when negotiating plea bargains and making admissions because the Tax Court of Canada (TCC) may admit evidence that may be otherwise inadmissible, if unchallenged in prior criminal proceedings.

If you adopt a child, you may claim a credit for the adoption expenses in the year that the adoption becomes final. This amount may be claimed by either spouse.