Changes to Paper Filing Disempowering

Last tax season, only 7% of all Canadian tax filers filed on paper. The CRA is pushing for zero. It continues to steer the holdouts to digitized filing by adding lots of obstacles. Most recently, it is removing almost all the schedules from the tax return package it mails. This seems unfair to people who paper file because they can’t afford a computer and internet, distrust the security of online filing and those who are neither tax or computer literate. Here’s what they are up against:

Canadians have become real red wine connoisseurs, but we still like our home grown beer, too. According to Statistics Canada, alcohol sales throughout the country in 2013 rose 2.2% from 2012, but a change in what Canadians are buying at the liquor store is noticeable.

When the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) errs, can they correct, reassess and require payment even if this is unfair? Apparently yes, based on a recent court case.

Canada is devastated at the loss of its great Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, who few would argue was a truly wonderful soul.

Many people have taken advantage of the real estate market drop in the U.S. and have purchased U.S. real estate for personal use or as a rental property, but many do so not realizing what owning this kind of property means from a tax perspective.

Child care expenses are claimable on form T778 by Canadian residents for services provided by any of the following in Canada (although deemed residents may qualify as well).

If you are disabled and incur expenses of an attendant or other disability supports purchased to enable you to earn employment or self-employment income or to pursue education, then you can claim the costs of disability supports on Line 215 so long as the expenses were not reimbursed.