Time’s Up: CRA’s 100 Day Mandate for Improvement

After years of frustration on the part of tax professionals and taxpayers alike, the Finance Minister ordered the Canada Revenue Agency to clean up its act in 100 days. Specifically, the improvement plan was to run from September 2 through December 11. Finance Minister and Minister of National Revenue, Francoise-Phillippe Champagne instructed CRA to fix “unacceptable wait times and service delays.” Time’s up this week and CRA has released an update on progress. What gets measured, gets done. Let’s see what CRA’s metrics show. 

GST and HST changes were announced related to exemption of certain health care services, nil consideration elections for closely related persons, and registration compliance.

Previously announced changes that will be implemented this year affect auto expense deductions, labour-sponsored venture capital coporations, and GST/HST exemptions for hospital parking.

As critical as it is to understand what income is taxable in order to avoid expensive penalties, it is just as important to know what income is tax exempt.

I pay monthly for an options trading service that gives me options trade ideas that I execute in my non-registered account. Can I put the total annual cost of the service as an investment cost on my tax return?

The new Registration of Tax Preparers Program, proposed to come into effect in two years, will keep track of errors associated with a particular registrant in an effort of improve compliance. CRA is seeking input on this change in its relationship with professionals.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) recently released a new booklet that explains how to take business deductions from the income of a daycare. It’s an important issue for those who work taking care of children from their personal home as opposed to those who work taking care of children in the home of the parents.