Wildfires: Apply for Taxpayer Relief Provisions

It may not be the first concern, but Canadians affected by wildfires may worry at some point about the tax consequences of lost records or missed filing deadlines – the next one on June 16 for those filing T1 returns with proprietorship income. Fortunately, the CRA offers Taxpayer Relief Provisions when there are circumstances beyond a taxpayer’s control, including natural disasters, serious illness or death in the family, or errors made by the CRA, which may trigger penalties and interest due to late or incomplete tax filings. Here’s what you need to know.

Individual income tax filing statistics for the 2018 tax year to July 2 show that more than 28.5 million Canadians have filed this season. That’s down from the nearly 30 million last year. So are average tax refunds, which now sit at $1,706 compared to $1,765. It’s an important opportunity for tax specialists to review prior filed returns and find out why, while also discussing several new tax changes occurring in 2019.

The CRA launched their “Serving Canadians Better” consultation on April 23, 2019, closing it to commentary on June 18, 2019, in the height of tax season. It wasn’t the best time to hear from tax filing pros, but the feedback proved interesting, nonetheless. Turns out Canadians really want three big improvements from their tax department.

Should corporate owner-managers be removing corporate assets before year-end in defense of the passive investment income rules? How has retirement income planning changed based on new tax laws? Those are just some of the questions you’ll learn answers to at the November CE Summits, featuring special guest tax expert, Larry Frostiak.

Investing in assets that have the potential to accrue in value can come with both risks and rewards. From a tax point of view, a capital gain on those assets has two distinct advantages: there is no taxation on accrued values until disposition (actual or deemed), and only one half of the gains are added to taxable income. Here’s why it’s important to fully understand the advantages:

It’s hot off the press and available online! Back by popular demand is Knowledge Bureau’s All Course Catalogue to provide you with everything you need to know about our education programs all in one convenient place, with all the details you need to make the right educational decision for your professional development and team training.

With Canada’s competitiveness in question, and many wondering if our complex tax system puts us at a global economic disadvantage, a new report from the Fraser Institute answers an important question. Does increasing income tax rates for high net worth taxpayers help or hinder Canada’s fiscal outlook?