As of April 8, 2021 there has been no extension to the personal income tax filing deadline of April 30, 2021 (or June 15, 2021 for self-employed individuals). We at GSE are here to assist you in the completion of your tax returns and offer a variety of contactless options in order to facilitate the safe preparation of your returns. If you would like to learn more about these options, please contact a member of our team to determine an option that works best for your personal circumstances.
Blog | Graham Scott Enns
Congratulations Bill Luyks!
GSE would like to celebrate the success of a hard-working colleague! Bill Luyks, CPA, CA, who is a partner in our Aylmer office, has been recognized by Jackson McCully as an Outstanding Brock Co-op Supervisor!
Jackson has been a co-op with GSE for all of his co-op terms and has nominated Bill for providing him with a great co-op experience over this time. Bill is a helpful mentor, who supports staff with their career goals by providing them with opportunities to learn and develop new skills. Bill is well known for taking time out of his busy schedule to discuss workload, provide feedback, and catch up on personal news.
Bill’s strong mentorship and support have helped to reinforce Jackson’s goal of becoming a Chartered Professional Accountant as well as his successful transition into public accounting.
We wish to congratulate Bill and all other recipients on this well-deserved award!
Check out all of the recipients here: Co-op Recognition and Awards – Co-op, Career and Experiential Education (brocku.ca)
Congratulations Angel!
Last up in our series of announcements, Graham Scott Enns LLP would like to recognize the promotion of Angel Schaap to Manager effective January 1, 2021!
Angel joined GSE in 2016, bringing with her several years of solid work experience in public accounting which she has been able to successfully apply to the great work she does for all clients that she services. Her promotion to Manager will give her an opportunity to apply her knowledge and skills to some of the larger clients that the Aylmer office services.
“Angel strives to get to know her clients, connect with them, and understand their business, in order to give the highest quality service possible. Although Angel has several large clients in the manufacturing sector, she also services various other areas including not-for-profits, owner managed companies, personal tax returns and some agricultural based clients. Angel very much enjoys learning and is always there to support our other staff when needed. We appreciate Angel’s hard work and dedication, and we welcome her to the Aylmer management group. Congratulations Angel!”
Mike Stover, CPA, CA
Partner
We want to congratulate Angel on this exciting new opportunity and wish her the best of luck in her new role as Manager! Congratulations Angel!
Congratulations Derek!
As part of our series of exciting announcements, Graham Scott Enns LLP would like to announce the promotion of Derek Biggar, CPA, CA to the role of Manager effective January 1, 2021!
Derek has been with GSE since he was a co-op student in 2014 and has shown tremendous growth over the past 7 years since his start with GSE. The Partners and staff are excited to acknowledge how far Derek has come and welcome him to the Aylmer Management Team!
“Derek’s knowledgeable and reliable nature is greatly appreciated by our clients. He provides professional service to a variety of our clients across various industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, not-for-profit, smaller owner-managed businesses, and personal taxation. Within our Firm, Derek is a valued contributor to our Training & Development and Assurance committees, and is a supportive mentor to junior staff members. Derek is a great addition to our Aylmer management team. Well done Derek!”
Megan Siemens, CPA, CA
Partner
We wish to congratulate Derek on this exciting new stage of his career, and we encourage everyone to take this opportunity to celebrate Derek’s accomplishments! Congratulations Derek!
Congratulations Mike!
Over the next few days, we would like to announce some exciting new updates to the Graham Scott Enns LLP team!
We want to start off by recognizing the promotion of our newest Senior Manager, Mike Helder, CPA, CA, effective January 1, 2021. Mike has worked at GSE since 2010 and was promoted to Manager in 2016. His new role as a Senior Manager is a clear example of Mike’s hard work and dedication to the growth and development of the Firm. The Partners and staff of GSE are proud to recognize Mike’s accomplishments over the years and are excited for his progression into this new role within the Firm.
“Mike’s well-rounded knowledge and experience allow him to serve clients across a variety of industries. He is particularly interested in agriculture, but also serves many other owner-managed businesses including those in the manufacturing and service industries along with organizations in the not-for profit sector. Within our firm, Mike has grown to become a key member of the Aylmer management team; actively involved in scheduling, training, and all other facets of the business. He truly is irreplaceable. Congratulations on your promotion Mike! Keep up the great work!”
Bill Luyks, CPA, CA
Partner
We wish to congratulate Mike on this exciting new opportunity and wish him the best of luck as he takes on this new role! Congratulations Mike!
Conducting Virtual Engagements Safely
By Jennifer Buchanan, CPA, CA
Over the past year, our firm and our clients have learned a lot about conducting virtual engagements. We have prepared electronic files for internal purposes for several years, and even prior to the pandemic had begun transmitting documents electronically in a safe and secure manner with those clients who desired it. However, it was an adjustment to work with all our clients in an entirely virtual environment. Many clients adopted and continue to adopt our secure portal (Login to your GSE Portal) as a method of transporting documents to and from the firm, including the ability to execute documents using DocuSign in a secure manner. We have the full capability to provide final client deliverables electronically but are also happy to continue to provide paper deliverables where desired in a safe manner.
In 2020, we also introduced video conference software to our communications mix allowing us to meet with our clients in a safe manner. It is hard to predict what the future holds, but we are ready and prepared to serve our clients virtually and wanted to share some of the things we have learned.
- Communication
Two-way, year-round communication has always been important to the client service we provide. During the pandemic, we kept in close contact with our clients as they faced new struggles, opportunities, and interpreted the details of the many new COVID-19 related subsidies and grants. We encourage our clients to reach out throughout the year – we would love to know how things are going for you and if there is any way we can help, we will!
We try our best to provide timely information to our clients – we utilize our blog and social media to share important updates, such as new government funding and changes to CRA deadlines. We also reach out specifically to clients in advance of year-end to identify the who/what/when/how of year-end engagements.
- Virtual Capabilities
Prior to the pandemic, our Firm was already utilizing a secure Portal to allow clients to upload documents, and in 2020 we had many more sign-up to use this resource. The Portal is more secure than unencrypted email document exchange and allows for files to be shared in an organized and timely manner.
When face-to-face meetings are not recommended due to Public Health guidelines, we are ready with video conferencing capabilities. With the video conference facilities in place, we enjoyed being able to see our clients and share documents on-screen, but also look forward to doing so in person.
- Alternatives to Virtual
We understand that not all our clients have the technology or interest to fully embrace virtual interactions. As Public Health measures have allowed, we have been able to offer secure physical drop-boxes at our offices and have been able to welcome clients into our meeting rooms. We will continue to try our best to meet the needs of our clients while following the recommendations from Public Health.
- Planning
For the safety of both our clients and our firm members, each engagement is carefully planned to ensure we meet client needs and deadlines, while working within Public Health guidelines. This takes careful planning to ensure clients are aware of document requirements and physical documents arrive in time. We aim to reach out in advance of our engagements to determine preferences and make the needed preparations.
- Safety
For the safety of both our clients and firm members we have implemented many initiatives including:
- Work from home for all firm members where able. Mask and distancing requirements for those who work onsite.
- Lockdown of office facilities during times of Provincial lockdown.
- Screening all firm members attending the offices even when not required by Provincial mandate.
- Reconfigured reception and meeting rooms including physical barriers, screening of visitors, requirements to limit the number of visitors for meetings, mask requirements for all visitors, stringent cleaning systems as well as accommodation for vulnerable individuals.
- Screening and implementation of safety measures for firm members when attending client locations above and beyond minimum Provincial requirements, when allowed by firm policy.
- Flexibility
COVID-19 has presented many logistic challenges for all industries. We have worked with clients to design alternative procedures to complete work historically performed in-person. We use new and exciting technology to share our screens, and have clients share their screens to help facilitate discussions. We recognize the importance of understanding client needs and limitations and working together on solutions – the new way of doing things may be better and we are open to that discussion!
If you have questions about how your upcoming year-end engagement will be prepared in our current operating environment, please reach out to your Engagement Partner or Engagement Manager.
We will continue to post operating updates on our blog and social media.
One day we will happily offer a warm handshake and cup of coffee – until then know that we are prepared to help and have many ways of continuing to serve our clients.
Holiday Office Hours 2020
Our offices continue to be accessible by appointment only. We will be closed at noon on December 24th. We will be open on December 29th and 30th with normal business hours, and will close again at noon on the 31st. We will be reopening on January 4, 2021.
During the period from December 24th, 2020 to January 8th, 2021 there will be no access to our offices by visitors. Items can be dropped off at any time during business hours into the drop-box provided. For the St. Thomas office only, from December 24th, 2020 to January 1, 2021, please call during business hours, (519) 633-0700, to arrange with reception for dropping items off as the building will be closed to the public.
If you require any assistance, please call our administrative staff or any firm member at any time.
Seasons Greetings!
Manger Spotlight! Tina Neverly
Starting out in our Aylmer office in January 2012 and transferring to the St. Thomas branch in July 2017 to become a part of the Tax Group, Tina is on a level all her own. When asked about working with the GSE family she says,
“The partners at GSE are very kind and compassionate. Everyone cares for their clients, staff, and community.
After spending many years at a national firm, I am very happy with the decision to join GSE and look forward to furthering my career here.”
As one of our management team, Tina provides tax services, compliance services and is part of the team that develops and supports our staff in many unique ways. We are so lucky to have her here!
Manger Spotlight! Courtney Vachon
Courtney has been with GSE since March 2016. In her time with us she worked on many different types of engagements and provided support to many of our clients.
In her own words, working for GSE,
“Has been amazing. I feel proud to be part of the team at GSE and provide our clients with excellent service.”
Courtney has a fierce dedication to her clients and consistently strives for new heights while inspiring the multiple staff members she mentors.
We are so happy to have Courtney as part of the team here at GSE and we look forward to her being part of the team for many years to come!
Congratulations Blake!
Celebrating the success of a hard-working colleague, and watching their progress as they learn and grow, is one of the most rewarding journeys business teams take together. Today at Graham Scott Enns LLP, the Partners and staff are ecstatic to acknowledge how far Blake Gough has come in his own journey by announcing his immediate promotion to the role of Manager!
Through years of exemplary customer-service, dedication to hard-work, and with his passion for making the firm a better place to be, Blake has shown that he is an integral member of the GSE family and community, and one of our brightest up-and-coming stars. He has well-earned this new role.
“Blake Gough provides attentive professional service to many of our clients. He works seamlessly across a diverse range of industries including not-for-profit, municipalities, owner-managed smaller business, professional corporations, and personal tax clients. Within our Firm, Blake is actively involved in organizing staff social events and training junior staff members. Blake is a most welcome addition to our manager team. Congratulations Blake!”
Jennifer Buchanan
Partner
We wish to congratulate Blake at the start of this exciting new stage of his career, and we encourage everyone to take this opportunity to celebrate Blake’s accomplishments!