Tag Archives: tax filing

With 2 weeks to go, two in five have yet to file their taxes for 2016

Posted By |

While the tax-filing deadline has already passed in the United States (it was yesterday, April 18th this year), Canadians still have roughly two weeks left to go before the May 1st tax-filing deadline for the calendar year 2016.

Today, a survey from H&R Block Canada found two in five Canadians still haven’t filed their taxes this year. I had to shake my head because the survey arrived in my inbox shortly after I received emails from the Canada Revenue Agency advising me that returns for my wife and I had been processed, with (small) refunds deposited into our bank account.

Actually, those expecting refunds don’t get hurt too much by procrastination, although the time value of money tells you the sooner you file and get your refund, the sooner it can be properly invested, or be applied to eliminate high-interest debt.

But I worry about the 40% who still haven’t filed, especially about the subset of that group who expects to have to pay the CRA. (30% of H&R Block clients have to pay, versus 70% who get refunds).  It’s bad enough owing money and you don’t want to compound matters by having penalties and interest get tacked on on top of the outstanding balance.

Majority are between Procrastinators and Eager Beavers

H&R Block claims its survey has a bit of good news as it relates to attitudes towards filing: the majority consider themselves to fall under the In-Betweener category (55%), i.e.  those who file a few weeks before the deadline. Almost a quarter (23%) are Procrastinators who file at the very last second. Category 3 are  Eager Beavers (19%), who file well in advance of the deadline. (That would be me, although even Eager Beavers have to wait until the first week of April if they have non-registered investments: some of those T-3 slips don’t arrive until the end of March).

Eager is perhaps too strong a word. I hate filing taxes as much as anyone but I look at the annual ordeal as comparable to dentistry. If you have a toothache you want to address the pain head on, as soon as possible. And there’s nothing like the feeling of relief you get from hitting the Send button on a tax return, assuming you NetFile.

Most Canadians are anxious about tax filing, although H&R Block says one in four actually “get excited about filing and the prospect of receiving a hefty refund.” But the majority associate negative feelings with it:  Reasons range from finding tax preparation a complicated process (21%) to the inconvenience factor (19%) of filing a tax return or just the feeling of overall anxiety it evokes (11%).

The major excuses for not filing:

• They haven’t organized all of the necessary paperwork yet (34%) – with millennials being the most susceptible at 45% to state that as the main reason for not having filed

• They always file on the last week before the deadline (18%)

• They had not yet received all of the necessary paperwork (17%) to file

• They haven’t had time (11%) to file

Even so, 86% plan on filing their taxes before the May 1st deadline. Between now and April 27th, you can download the H&R Block Tax Software 100% free of charge (including all upgrades and support). See here for details.

 

 

Tax Deductions and Tax Credits: What’s the Difference?

Posted By |

Canadian taxpayers have until May 1, 2017 to file their 2016 taxes. However, before the calendar turns over to a new year many Canadians want to know how best to maximize their tax refund or minimize what they owe the government.

The two main ways to reduce taxes owing are through tax deductions and tax credits. What’s the difference between a deduction and a credit? Let’s explore:

Tax Deductions

A deduction reduces your taxable income. The value of a deduction depends on your marginal tax rate. So, if your income is more than $200,000, you are taxed at the federal rate of 33 per cent and a $1,000 deduction would save you $330 in federal tax. On the other hand, if you were earning $30,000, you are taxed at the federal rate of only 15 per cent and a deduction of $1,000 would only save you $150 in federal tax.

An example of a tax deduction is your RRSP contribution.

Deductions checklist

  • RRSP contributions
  • Union or professional dues
  • Child care expenses
  • Moving expenses
  • Support payments
  • Employment expenses (w/ T2200)
  • Carrying charges or interest expense to earn business or investment income

Tax Credits

There are two types of tax credits: refundable and non-refundable. A non-refundable tax credit is applied directly against your tax payable. So if you have tax owing of $500 and get a tax credit of $100, you now only owe $400. If you don’t owe any tax, non-refundable credits are of no benefit. For refundable tax credits such as the GST/HST credit, you will receive the credit even if you have no tax owing.

Continue Reading…

Retired Money: How tax filing changes in Semi-Retirement

Posted By |

Here is my latest MoneySense Retired Money column: Tax filing advice for retirees.

It relates my personal experience of filing this year’s tax returns for the 2016 calendar year.

There is quite a difference between the key tax documents when you’re a full-time employee and the ones you receive when you’re fully retired. And in semi-retirement, it’s an interesting combination of both. Instead of T-4 slips from full-time employers, and RRSP receipts that help you minimize the high tax rates of employment, the semi-retiree now may be receiving T4A slips that tell you (and the Government) how much pension income you received in the prior calendar year and how much (if any) tax was withheld at source.

And the mirror image of the RRSP receipt in retirement or semi-retirement is the T4RSP slip, which tells you how much money you withdrew from your RRSP and how much (if any) tax was withheld at source.

The article also links to an earlier Retired Money column on “Topping up to Bracket,” which describes how you really want if at all possible to tap into the roughly $20,000 “Tax-free” zone made up of the Basic Personal Amount ($11,474 in 2016, which rises to $11,635 in 2017), another $2,000 for the Pension Credit and for those who are 65, the $7,125 Age Credit.

Age Credit escapes the axe … for now

As I noted in my Budget blog last night and this morning, despite fears that the Age Credit might be the victim of the Liberal zeal to jettison costly tax credits, evidently the fear of offending the 5.2 million seniors affected stayed the hand of Finance Minister Bill Morneau. While it is income-tested, for modest-income seniors I view the Age Credit as essentially making Old Age Security (OAS) benefits tax-free, assuming they are commenced also at the magical age 65. Continue Reading…

Top secret tax saving tips for shrewd investors

Posted By |

By David J. Rotfleisch

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

While the most common tax savings tips such as contributing to an RRSP are well publicized, there are tricks that are not well known except by tax professionals.

So, here are obscure ways that we, as long-time Canadian tax lawyers, recommend for you, or people you know, to save on your taxes. After all, you have to make it to spend it.

Reduce Source Deduction Amounts

If you have income tax deductions that result in a large tax refund when you file your 2016 income tax return, then you can submit a form TD-1 form early in 2017 to reduce the amount of source deductions withheld by your employer from each subsequent paycheque.

This will mean money in your pocket every week instead of in 2018 when you file your 2017 tax return.

First Time Donor Tax Credit

2017 is the last year that you can benefit from an additional 25% tax credit for charitable donations made by a Canadian taxpayer who has never claimed a charitable donation in the past. So, if you’ve never made a charitable donation this is your chance to top it off at CRA’s expense.

Medical Expense claims for Spouse or Dependent

You can claim all medical expenses paid not only for yourself but also for your spouse and dependents, even if they have their own income and file their own tax returns.

Continue Reading…

5 Ways to maximize your returns next Tax Season

Posted By |

By Caroline Battista, H&R Block

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

It’s probably not the first time you’ve heard the saying ‘a little preparation goes a long way’. And that is especially true when it comes to filing your taxes – I can attest to that after years of counselling clients and ensuring they get what’s theirs each tax season.

Below are five ways to help you ease the burden with some simple end-of-year preparation tax tips that will help you maximize your returns and get ready for the upcoming tax season.

1.) Keep a calendar with key dates

Because timing is everything, keep a calendar with key tax filing dates. The deadline for filing your 2016 personal tax return is May 1, 2017 and June 15, 2017 for the self-employed. You can begin preparing your return once your T4s and other slips arrive. Also, try to keep up with important dates that can increase your chances of receiving a larger refund. For example, by scheduling health-related treatments before the end of the year you can maximize your medical expense deduction. Continue Reading…