Last night GSE staff and Partners attended the 30th Annual Community Living London Night of Heroes! It was an inspiring event full of fun and fashion to celebrate an incredible cause!
Although they could not hold the event in person, it was still fun to watch together virtually and support all of the Heroes!
This personal tax season, here are some things to remember to share with your accountant as you may be eligible for related tax credits.
The Canada Revenue Agency requires that all income is reported on your personal tax return. Here are some types of income that you want to remember to talk to your accountant about if they apply to you:
Other items to share:
If you are a GSE client, please complete a client questionnaire and bring it in with your personal tax return – it helps us to identify changes in your life that may impact your personal tax return.
The “2021 Personal Income Tax Return Checklist” also identifies further items to consider and share with your accountant.
Both documents can be found in our Client Document Library.
Was 2021 the year you became interested in cryptocurrency? Did you buy and sell to see if you could make some money? Perhaps you decided that mining cryptocurrency would be a good side gig. If you have been involved in cryptocurrency transactions, it is likely these could be taxable transactions.
Transactions involving cryptocurrency that result in income will result in either business income or capital gains, depending on the circumstances.
If you have costs associated with your cryptocurrency business, such as computer hardware used in mining, you should also track those costs and plan to claim them against the related income.
The Canada Revenue Agency’s guidance on cryptocurrency continues to evolve. Please reach out to your trusted tax advisor to discuss your situation in detail and ensure you are appropriately reporting income relating to cryptocurrency transactions.
For new and existing personal income tax clients, here are some reminders and new information regarding GSE’s personal income tax preparation process.
1. We continue to operate in accordance with the ever-changing Public Health Guidelines as well as our own COVID-19 office policies. We continue to provide multiple methods to accommodate the receipt of your income tax documents in a secure and safe manner.
a) Secure online Portal – Please upload supporting documents via our Secure client portal. We prefer PDF files and recommend the use of an app such as Microsoft Lens (available in your favourite app store) to help you convert image files to a PDF. When in doubt, submit what you have and we’ll reach out if the format is not compatible.
OR
b) ST THOMAS – Access to the office is by appointment only. Please drop off supporting documents to the secure drop box at the front of the County of Elgin building. This drop-box is emptied daily and allows us to have fewer clients in our reception area. If your item is too big for the drop-box, please walk inside and there is a reception area where you can leave your package. The drop-off hours are 8:30 – 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.
OR
c) AYLMER – Please drop off supporting documents to the secure drop box located directly outside of our regular main reception lobby door. This drop-box is emptied daily and allows us to have fewer clients in our reception area. If your item is too big for the drop-box, please refer to c) below. The drop-off hours are 8:30 – 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
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d) If you prefer, please call the office and one of our friendly administrative staff will arrange a time for you to come in and drop off your documents. If you need to meet with a GSE Firm Member to review your documents, please make an appointment in advance as well. All visits to the office are by appointment only.
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e) Some combination of the above! Perhaps you’ve physically dropped off your documents but located one more slip that you’d like to scan to your secure Portal – go for it.
2. We have a new Document Library on our website. Here you will find the following documents:
a) 2021 Personal Income Tax Return Checklist – please review this listing to determine if you are submitting all necessary documents to support your reported income, deductions and credits. Within the Checklist there is some helpful information about how some of COVID-19 government benefits will be treated on your personal return, as well as the impact of working from home.
b) T1 Brief Client Questions – Please complete these questions on an annual basis. Either print and drop them off with your personal taxes or upload your responses to the Portal. These questions help us to ensure we have accurate information about your current tax situation.
c) T1 Client Questions Form – We highly recommend this Form for new clients or returning clients with changing tax situations. Either print and drop it off with your personal taxes or upload your responses to the Portal.
d) Final Return & Estate Checklist – If you are assisting with the final tax return for someone who has recently passed away, please complete and return this checklist. It outlines some of the additional information we will require.
e) Authorization/Cancellation Request Form – For new clients to allow us to communicate with the Canada Revenue Agency on your behalf.
f) Decision tree to help you determine your tax deduction from working from home – Information to help you determine whether you qualify to claim home office expenses where you are required to work from home by your employer, or whether you can claim the tax deduction for working from home due to the Covid -19 pandemic and whether to use the detailed or simplified method of claim. Note that employees can only claim a reasonable portion of the following under the detailed method:
3. How do I get my documents and personal tax return back?
a) Once your tax return has been prepared and reviewed, you will receive a call indicating that your personal income taxes have been completed.
b) If you have not already told us, we will ask if you would like it back electronically (via our Secure online portal) or a paper copy (which can be picked-up at a scheduled appointment time). Prior to us filing your return, we require a signature – this can be done either via Portal (using an electronic signature – DocuSign), via Portal (with a scanned upload of the signed document), via fax, via Mail, via drop-box at our office, or it can be signed in-person at the time of your scheduled pick-up.
As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to us at (519) 633-0700/ (519) 773-9265 or contact the individual you usually work with.
Happy tax filing!
Please follow us on social media for the latest updates:
On January 12, 2022, the Federal government announced that it is extending the repayment deadline for interest-free loans disbursed under the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) program.
The repayment deadline for CEBA loans to qualify for partial loan forgiveness is being extended from December 31, 2022, to December 31, 2023, for all eligible borrowers in good standing. Repayment on or before the new deadline of December 31, 2023, will result in loan forgiveness of up to 33.33% of the value of the loans, up to a maximum forgivable amount of $20,000.
Outstanding loans on January 1, 2024, will be converted to two-year term loans with an interest rate of 5% per annum, with the loans fully due by December 31, 2025.
This extension also applies to the equivalent lending program through the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund.
Visit the CRA for more information: Government extends loan forgiveness repayment deadline for the Canada Emergency Business Account – Canada.ca
Graham Scott Enns LLP is pleased to announce that we have added a new member to our GSE team! Nick Boyer started with the firm October 2021 at the Senior Accountant position. Nick previously worked 3 years at a small accounting firm located in Woodstock Ontario and brings with him some great experience working on compilation engagements, review engagements, audits, personal tax returns and answering general client questions. Nick graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Guelph and is currently pursuing his CPA designation. Outside of the office, you will likely find Nick at the hockey rink! Nick played Varsity Hockey at the University of Guelph and is currently passing along his hockey knowledge to the Port Stanley Junior C Sailors, as he is their current Assistant Coach. Nick has strong organizational, leadership and communication skills and we are excited to have him on our team!
“I have really enjoyed working at GSE over the past 3 months. All the staff at GSE are very friendly and have made the transition from my prior firm very easy”
Nick Boyer
Welcome to GSE Nick!
If you would like to learn more about working at GSE, please visit our website, www.grahamscottenns.com for more information about our career opportunities.
The Partners and staff of Graham Scott Enns LLP are excited to announce the promotion of Tina Nevrly, CPA, CGA to Senior Manager, Tax, effective January 1, 2022!
Tina joined GSE in February 2013 as a Manager in our Aylmer office. In 2017, she moved to our St Thomas office in pursuit of gaining more tax experience within our Tax Group. During this time, Tina enrolled in the CPA In-Depth Tax Program, which she completed in 2019. As part of her completion of the In-Depth Tax Program, Tina was part of a tax project team that was in the running for the Top Project in Canada out of 30 teams across Canada!
Tina takes great pride in assisting our clients with their tax and compliance needs. Within our firm, she is a knowledgeable tax resource for many staff, managers, and Partners. She is also a great Mentor to our staff as demonstrated by her involvement in our firm’s Buddy/Mentor program. Beyond her work with our Tax Group, Tina is an active member of our Training and Development Committee, and our Health and Wellness Committee.
“Tina has continued to advance within the firm, most recently in her role as a Tax Manager, having completed CPA Canada’s 3-year In-Depth Tax Course in 2019. Using her experience and knowledge, Tina has taken on greater responsibilities to help our clients in their various tax planning and accounting needs, as well as supporting our own GSE staff by having become a Mentor in 2021 and continuing to assist our internal training efforts by preparing and presenting technical materials. Congratulations Tina on your promotion!”
Derek Michell, CPA, CA, TEP
Partner
Congratulations Tina!
Highlights:
Tax Tidbits
Small Business Air Quality Improvement Tax Credit: Could Your Business Benefit?
COVID-19 Business Supports: Targeted Measures
Falsified Employment Records: The Penalties Can be Large
Corporate Advertising and Promotion Expenses: CRA Increasing Reviews
Teachers and Early Childhood Educators: Expanded Access to Tax Credit
Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit (CWLB): Modified Support for Individuals
Old Age Security (OAS): Clawback Planning
