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. 

In the recently decided case of Mallon v. MNR, the Tax Court of Canada provided further insight into the determination of the status of relationships: employee or independent contractor under the Income Tax Act (the Act).

It’s February, and that means that the Groundhog and Cupid vie for our attention. They seem to personify the challenge Canadians have with their fiscal balancing act: the ongoing lure to demonstrate love through wallets, with the fiscal obligations to spend and plan for our futures responsibility. 

Earning her DFA-Tax Services Specialist designation in 2007, Margaret Hodgson has been an active alumna of Knowledge Bureau ever since, regularly attending our live Distinguished Advisor Workshops and making the annual trip to the Distinguished Advisor Conference.

Self-reported pension sources can include amounts received from foreign pension sources. Depending on the terms of the tax treaty between Canada and the country in question, some or all of that income may be deductible.

I have a 13 year old son for whom I just opened an RESP in 2013. How much would I have to annually contribute to the RESP in order to catch up and maximize on the savings grant that the government contributes before my son turns 18?

Maximize your tax refund by ensuring you have claimed every credit possible. Check out this week’s Jacks on Tax Tip: Line 128 Support Payments...