CRA Shut Down: Communicate Proactively Before Long Weekend

Did you know that Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will be undergoing a digital migration on the September long weekend, starting Friday August 29 at 8:00 p.m. and ending Tuesday at 6:00 am September 2, with the proviso that this possibly could last til September 3? What could go wrong? Plenty.

As long as there are businesses, there will be a need for bookkeepers. According to the Department of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)*, the outlook for employment opportunities for Bookkeepers over the next three years looks promising for those looking to join the industry or continue in it, especially in the Maritimes, Quebec and Manitoba.  Here are the top 10 reasons to consider a career in Bookkeeping:

We recently had the opportunity to speak to Melanie Adams about her experience taking Advising Family Business as part of her second designation with Knowledge Bureau. She previously earned her DFA – Tax Services Specialist™ designation and is now working toward her MFA™ - Business Services Specialist designation. Here’s what Melanie had to say: 

There are tax advantages that encourage giving back to the less fortunate this holiday season. It’s a tax gift that keeps on giving. But giving has taken on an interesting trend: not all donations made by charity-minded Canadians are monetary. In fact, Statistics Canada reports that 94% make in-kind donations each year, which includes items like clothing, toys, household goods, or food.

Make increasing your clients’ tax and financial literacy your focus in honour of Financial Literacy Month and share these essential tax moves and audit-busters that help build a healthy relationship with the CRA. These tax tips have been excerpted from Evelyn Jacks’ Essential Tax Facts 2019 Edition, which has been fully updated with the behind-the-lines information your clients need to know when filing their 2019 taxes. In fact, you may wish to give Canadians the gift of financial literacy this this month – and shipping is free!

Seasonal workers beware: if you collected Employment Insurance (EI) benefits during your off season, there’s a chance you could have to pay back some of the benefits you received. For the 2019 tax year, the base amount for EI repayment is $66,375. That means if net income exceeds this threshold, an EI repayment may be necessary. But, with savvy planning you can avoid this unpleasant surprise.

This year's DAC delegates provide some great feedback – and some of the bold thinking and bright insights they took away from the highly successful conference that took place November 10-13 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. These are some of the reasons why you should consider attending the DAC Acuity 2020 event next year in Niagara Falls, October 28- 30.