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.

An often under-claimed and misunderstood tax deduction is the claim for babysitting or child care expenses. Make the claim on auxiliary tax form T778 and generally you will do so on the return of the spouse with the lowest net income. However, there are cases where the higher earner can make the claim. Here are the rules:

Taxpayers who moved in 2018 can take advantage of expense claims for lucrative tax breaks when filing their tax returns this year. However, there are some tricky rules that apply to eligible and ineligible moving expenses that must be considered in order to remain audit-proof with the CRA.

Medical expenses are among the most commonly overlooked tax provisions. Most people have out-of-pocket costs not covered by a medical plan, so It’s important to pay attention to to claim them, as they can be used to reduce taxes payable. Use this checklist of twelve often-missed allowable medical expenses to your benefit, or that of your clients.

The height of tax season is drawing close. Make a great decision and commit to your off-season education plan now. Train your staff for next year too. Making sure you mark early registration deadlines will save you money. Ask for group discounts when 2 or more enrol  Here are the key deadline dates:

Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Chris Bockstael, of OneLife Wealth Management Inc, graduated with an MFA™ – Retirement and Succession Services Specialist designation, based on recommendations from colleagues who indicated that Knowledge Bureau courses were particularly pertinent to financial planning.

With a little under two weeks until the April 30 filing deadline for individuals, tax filing season is in full swing. However, there is another upcoming date to think about: the June 17 filing deadline for proprietors. If there is a balance due, it’s best for all taxpayers to file and pay by April 30 in order to avoid interest costs.