Bill C-31: Royal Asset and New CRA Powers Could Come Soon

Changes are coming to the Income Tax Act and both you and your clients will all be affected with new tax risks including longer tax audits. Bill C-31, which passed second reading in the House of Commons on June 3 and is now at committee stage, contains elements of previous Federal Budgets that will expand the CRA’s compliance and enforcement powers. Here’s what you need to know and pass along to your clients:

The Bank of Canada (the Bank) has warned Canadians that an unsolicited email scam has falsely claiming to originate from the Bank has been circulating.

Are you wealthy? How do you measure your answer? Many people don’t believe that word belongs to their situation until they sit down and actually map out their personal and family net worth – total assets less total debt. But wealth has a lot to do with your state of mind around financial decisions.

Canada announced in its 2013 federal budget that international tax evasion was at the top of the list of concerns for our nation and that capturing revenue from such sources would help alleviate the tax burdens on other citizens.

This is the first year I am required to withdraw some money from my RRIF account. However, that amount along with CPP and OAS will bump me up to almost $90K. I am probably not eligible to contribute to my spouse's RRSP, so are there any other ways to reduce my tax burden to CRA? 

Professional tax advisors should now be familiar with new EFILE procedures for 2014, which will begin on February 10, 2014. 

December 15 is just around the corner and that’s the time seniors and others who do not have tax deducted at source make their final quarterly tax instalment remittances.