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. 

The Department of Finance is seeking the input from Canadians on how to protect consumers in all areas of the marketplace.

The 2013 Federal Budget announced the phase-out of the Federal Labour Sponsored Venture Capital Funds Tax Credit (LSFTC) which will affect claims for taxation years 2015 and 2016.

It was a pleasure to participate in a live tax chat with Canadians from coast to coast before the holidays in an event hosted by MoneySense magazine. One of the interesting questions asked concerned the length of time contributors have to recover overpaid Canada Pension Plan premiums. 

With insurance and tax regulations becoming increasingly complex, some have been arguing for years that “strict liability offences” should provide a bit of relief for those who have trusted their affairs to professionals when regulations are complex and burdensome.

The allowable claim for the regular donation credit is calculated as follows, based on your qualified gifts which can include cash, publicly traded securities and mutual funds, life insurance policies, personal use property, capital property, depreciable assets, cultural and ecological gifts.

Knowledge Bureau now features 8 free trials for its online certificate course line-up, allowing professional advisors the opportunity to earn 2 CE/CPD credits per course trial. The free trials are a great way to preview course selections for you and your team.