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.

The April 19, 2021 Federal Budget is noteworthy for its length –731 pages in all –and its capacity to introduce billions of dollars of spending,while at the same time increasing tax complexity for individual filers. It also significantly enhances CRA’s digital footprint with new broad-based electronic filing measures. In introducing the measures, the government will focus on several key economicand social prioritiesincluding the national rollout of a $10-a-day childcareprogram and a $15 per hour minimum wage in the federally regulated private sector.

Unincorporated business owners, including gig workers, have until Tuesday June 15 to file their T1 returns without penalty. The government has made it clear that late filing penalties will be applied this year; that happens when you have a balance due as of the filing due date. However, will there be flexibility on interest charges? Yes, but not in every case and business owners must pay attention to this. 

Nearly 56% of Canadians have yet to file their tax returns, according to CRA’s April 12 processing statistics,  so there is a lot of work left to do for the tax filing community.  We’re also seeing some new trends:  with over 13 million returns processed, average refund are down and so are average balances owing.

Be sure to ask your self-employed clients for the details behind all the new tax provisions they may need to address on their 2020 tax returns. Here are seven issues you will want to discuss:

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