Tag Archives: tax preparation

Managing Tax Season Anxiety

Posted By |

 

By Devin Partida

Special to Financial Independence Hub

Tax season can be stressful for most people. Though there are many tools and services to help you manage your finances, they don’t do anything to help your mental state. The truth is much of that stress can be of your own making. Thankfully, there are ways to manage that anxiety and get your taxes done.

To help manage your tax season anxiety, knowing why tax season makes people so stressed might be helpful. A big part of that stress is the simple fact that it has to do with money. Although they say money can’t buy you everything, studies have shown financial troubles can directly affect your mental health.

Is it any wonder? People’s worth is often judged by how much money they earn — not to mention money can affect how high your standard of living is. You are happy when you gain more money and become stressed out when you lose it.

Financial stress has become a more significant part of the world in the last few years. Events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have caused global financial difficulties, making it harder for the average person to save.

Fear of the government also causes stress during tax season. While most people are upstanding citizens, the idea of the government swooping in and taking everything you have just because you missed a payment or filled out the wrong form is as prevalent as it is irrational.

How to reduce Stress during Tax Season

The key to overcoming tax season stress is to adjust your mental state. Doing your taxes is the same as any other task you have to complete. Here are some things to remember to make doing your taxes less stressful.

Address Misconceptions about the Government

Contrary to popular belief, the government will not throw you in jail for missing tax payments. In fact, the U.S. and Canadian governments will try to help you make your payments — though there are penalties for not paying on time.

The government also cannot immediately take your property if you’re late in your tax payments.

They can place a lien on your property that they can lift if you set up and commit to a long-term payment plan. The government will also be more lenient if you have a lower income, though they can still audit you.

If you’re living in Canada, there are ways to work with the Canada Revenue Agency so they can accommodate your financial needs. The CRA also encourages you to file your taxes online — it’s easier and faster to process.

Stop Procrastination

Filing your taxes is probably not many people’s definition of fun. However, constantly putting it off can cause even more stress as the due date gets closer and closer. Good time management habits can help you reduce stress and get your taxes done.

A common solution is to break down filing your taxes into smaller tasks and space them throughout the month. This can make your taxes less daunting by letting you finish in increments while giving you more time to do other things.

Use Online Tools

Online tools like TurboTax can make doing your taxes much more manageable. These tools streamline the process, making it quicker to get the job done. In addition, some tax collection organizations like the IRS have partnered with certain companies to offer free e-filing. The IRS free-file system allows you to file with them free of charge.

Filing your taxes online comes with other benefits, such as receiving refunds faster and record-keeping services. Most online tools come with 24/7 support you can contact in case you need help.

Take the Stress out of Tax Season

Stress during tax season is a common problem, but one you can overcome. Practice good working habits to prevent procrastination and get it over with. Remember that the government is not out to get you. Fire up that TurboTax and get to it.

Devin Partida is the Editor-in-Chief of ReHack.com, and a personal finance writer. Though she is interested in all kinds of topics, she has steadily increased her knowledge of the intersection of finance and technology. Devin’s work has been featured on Entrepreneur, Due and Nasdaq.

How the CRA and IRS cooperate in taxing dual citizens

Posted By |

By Peter Muto

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

Canada and the United States have very different tax regimes, and if you live and work in Canada but happen to be an American citizen, you better pay attention. It is estimated that up to two million Americans currently reside in Canada either as full-time or part-time residents. Full-timers who hold jobs in this country, effectively U.S. citizens and green card holders, sometimes start thinking of themselves as being Canadian. But as far as the IRS is concerned, that is a big mistake.

Unbeknownst to many, the IRS in the U.S. and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in Canada can assist each other in collecting taxes from their respective citizens, and this also goes for those with dual citizenship. The fact is tax debts can be enforceable in a foreign jurisdiction. Canada currently has collection-assistance provisions in treaties with such countries as Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Spain. And the United States.

A recent case concerning an American who was ordered to pay a big penalty in U.S. district court demonstrates this all too well.

How one Canadian resident fell afoul of the IRS

The man, Donald Dewees, teaches at the University of Toronto. He lives and works in Canada, and dutifully pays his Canadian income tax. But, as mentioned at the outset, Canada and the U.S. have very different tax regimes. The biggest difference is that in this country the federal government taxes people based on residency, but the U.S. imposes tax obligations on all its citizens regardless where they live, even if they have no U.S. income.

According to the rules, Dewees is supposed to file with the IRS a document called an FBAR: the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, which is known as Form FinCEN 114. He has to do that annually. What is this for? One situation it applies in is when an American citizen or green card holder has financial interest in, or signature authority over, one or more foreign accounts as long as the aggregate value is more than US$10,000 at any time during the reporting period. So, even though the person may not hold an American bank account and may not even earn American source income, they still have to file this report with the IRS every year.

Voluntary Disclosure Programs

In this case, back in 2009 Dewees entered what is known as the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP). He did that so he would be compliant with his U.S. tax obligations. So far, so good. This program is similar to Canada’s Voluntary Disclosure Program, which allows a taxpayer to pay fixed penalties. In this way you know right away how much you owe. Also, when you are in the U.S. OVDP, criminal charges will never be laid against you.

However, here is where DeWees veered off course. After entering the OVDP program, he wanted to know how much he owed in penalties and the amount was about US$185,000. So he withdrew from the OVDP program.

After that the IRS got involved. The IRS assessed a penalty for failing to file form 5471, which is required when you own a controlling interest in a foreign company; in this case a non-U.S. company. The minimum penalty is US$10,000 and that is for every year of non-compliance. For Dewees, that meant 12 years and 12 X $10,000 is US$120,000. That is the total for which he was assessed.

Continue Reading…

Men and women approach taxes & investing differently

Posted By |

By Gennaro De Luca

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

Anyone who is in financial services, and especially wealth management, knows there are big differences between men and women in terms of how they invest. But what isn’t as well known is that there are also big differences between men and women when they do their tax returns.

I started working at a bank at the age of 19, have been in financial services since 1990, and have spent the past 18 years in wealth management. But I also have a company that specializes in doing tax returns for small businesses, families and students. All this experience has provided a lot of insight into how men and women differ when it comes to financial matters.

Let’s first look at tax returns. Nine times out of ten it is the woman who takes the bull by the horns to get the family’s taxes done. Women tend to be more involved and are much more apt to ask questions of their accountant or tax preparer. Men may not ask any questions at all; they just hand over their documents and see you later.

What kind of questions am I talking about? Women want to know things like this:

  • What kind of tax credits are we eligible for?
  • Are there any government benefits we are eligible for?

That latter point is especially important for women who have small children. Indeed, many young families are really squeezed nowadays, so every opportunity for a tax break is vital.

Here is a perfect example from a client that illustrates what I mean. The woman is a teacher who could claim certain expenses for driving her car to work. Her husband is not a teacher, but does work for an employer. She asked us if her husband is also eligible for this same deduction because, like her, he drives a car for his employer and has lots of expenses.

As it turned out, he was eligible for what is known as a T2200, which is a declaration of conditions of employment –- effectively work-related expenses –- and in his case it meant deductions of $10,475, which resulted in a tax saving of over $3,000 on his tax return. But if his wife had never asked the question, none of this would have been claimed.

Men are more resistant to change

Another difference with doing taxes concerns technology. Today more than 80% of tax returns in Canada are done digitally, 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…