Since 2011, Canada Revenue Agency has recognized the special circumstances of parents who share parenting time of a child by allowing parents to share benefits. The CRA determines who qualifies, based on an interpretation of shared parenting as meaning a child generally lives with a parent between 40% and 60% of the time. However, recent Federal Court of Appeal decisions go against the CRA’s practice. Based on the Court’s more narrow interpretation of shared parenting – which it interprets as a child residing with the parent between 45% and 55% of the time – some parents who share parenting time may...

Canada Revenue Agency has confirmed that a small number of Canadians have been affected by the recent data breach at the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency. The Canadian taxpayers affected by the breach are those with financial accounts in Bulgaria as well as Bulgarian taxpayers with financial accounts in Canada. Canada Revenue Agency reassures the public that the CRA’s systems are not compromised because of this breach. The CRA has coordinated with the Bulgarian National Revenue agency to confirm the identities of the Canadian taxpayers affected and will be notifying them in writing. Please take note that the CRA will not be...

The Minister of National Revenue has recently announced the expansion of the CRA’s Liaison Officer Service for small businesses. Launched in 2014, the Liaison Officer Service is an education-based approach to help small businesses meet their tax obligations by providing them with free in-person support and guidance. It has helped more than 35,500 small businesses since it started, helping small businesses understand their tax obligations through support and education. The expansion will allow small corporations to book free in-person visits and group seminars with one of over 130 liaison officers nationwide. Previously, only unincorporated businesses and self-employed individuals could ask for...

E-commerce everywhere is expanding rapidly. More and more people are purchasing goods and services online. It is for this reason that the focus of one of the Auditor General’s reports is Taxation of E-commerce. The report aims to find out if the government agencies involved such as the CRA, Canada Border Services Agency and the Department of Finance Canada, are able to fulfill their roles and responsibilities to ensure that the sales tax system remain neutral and that the GST/HST tax base is protected. These government agencies must ensure that everyone who must remit sales taxes does so and that the...