The Personal Tax Organizer is intended to assist you in collecting the information required for us to prepare your personal income tax return. The guide is in no way exhaustive and if you are uncertain about any item, please include a note with your queries so that we may advise you.

Please send your information to us electronically, in pdf format, through our online tax organizer form template and subsequently through client portal (note that jpeg and pictures from your phone are difficult to work with at our end). We recommend downloading Genius Scan, CamScanner, or Microsoft Office Lens to your phone and use one of these applications to scan your documents to us rather than taking pictures with the phone.

Documents upload through client portal and form template are secured

IMPORTANT NOTES

Fill the information requests portion of the organizer and upload tax slips, receipts and relevant documents. Also, complete schedules that are relevant to your tax situation. The organizer states when additional information is required.

1. 1. 1. Are you an employee that worked from home during the year? There is only one option available in claiming home office expenses as employment expenses from 2023 tax year onwards:
         • Temporary Flat Rate Method: This was only available for 2019-2022 tax years. Effective January 2023, traditional approach explained below now applies with conditions.
         • Detailed Method: You are eligible to claim a deduction for home office expenses you paid for the period you worked from home, if you meet all of the following criteria:
           • Your employer required you to work from home.
           • You worked more than 50% of the time from home for a period of at least four consecutive weeks in 2023.
           • Have a completed and signed Form T2200 from your employer
           • The expenses are used directly in your work during the period
      2. How to determine the employment use of a work space – Whether you work at a common shared) area such as a dining table, or a designated room such as a spare bedroom, there are several factors to consider when calculating your employment use of the work space (See Schedule D):
         • Size of your work space relative to size of home (based on square footage)
         • Types of work spaces – Common area vs. designated room
         • Hours per week you use the space for work – Common area is based on employment use of the space based on hours used for work, whereas designated room is not affected by number of hours you use the space for work
      3. Did you sell or have a deemed disposition on your principal residence? As of 2016 all principal residence sales are required to be reported each year. See Schedule C for information.
      4. CRA continues to increase their audit activity. From what we have recently encountered regarding employment expense audits, CRA has been requesting supporting documentation and detailed receipts for meals and entertainment, travel, supplies and vehicle expenses. Further, CRA is taking the position in their audit conclusions that a meal consumed by a commissioned employee shall not be included as an expense, unless the meal was consumed
         during a period required by their employment duties to be away for a period of not less than 12 hours from the municipality of the employer’s establishment. Your T2200 issued by your employer will state whether this rule pertains to your commissioned employment situation. Please keep this in mind when organizing your employment expenses.
      5. BC Refundable Renter’s Tax Credit: This tax credit was introduced by the 2023 BC Budget and is effective January 1, 2023.  It will be claimed on your personal income tax return.  Criteria include:
         Eligibility
         • Eligible households that rent and occupy living accommodation in B.C. for at least 6 months in a calendar year will be able to claim the credit.
         • Available for individuals, resident in B.C. and have reached 19 years of age as at 31st December of each year
         • Credit is income tested, with maximum of $400 per year payable to households with maximum adjusted income of up to $60,000.
         • Credit is reduced at rate of 2% on income above $60,000
         • Threshold will be indexed to inflation each year.

         
         Please note that the following payments are not eligible rent:

         • Campsite,
         • moorage,
         • manufactured home site, rent-to-own plan and
         • payment made by employers for accommodation of employees and not included in employees income
      6. BC Home Renovation Tax Credit- Seniors and Persons with Disabilities – Refundable: The Home Renovation Tax Credit, worth up to $1,000 per year, is available to seniors, or family members sharing their home, rented or owned. This credit is calculated as 10% of eligible permanent home renovation expenditures, for eligible costs incurred on or after April 1, 2012. The maximum credit is $1,000 annually.
         
         The tax credit is expanded to include persons with disabilities, who are eligible to claim the federal disability tax credit, and to family members living with those individuals.
         
         This applies to expenditures made on or after February 17, 2016. For more information on eligibility, terms and conditions for claiming this credit, email [email protected]
      7. Ontario Staycation Tax Credit is a refundable tax credit where Ontario residents can claim 20% of their eligible 2022 accommodation expenses of up to $1,000 as an individual or $2,000 if you have a spouse, common-law partner or eligible children. Only one individual per family can claim the credit for the year. The tax credit applies to eligible leisurely stays in Ontario between January 1 and December 31, 2022 (including Airbnb rentals). The accommodation facility/host
         must be registered for GST/HST and their GST/HST number must appear on the detailed expense receipt issued to you required to claim the credit. The credit does not apply to business travel. To be eligible to claim it, you must be a resident of Ontario as of December 31, 2022 and file your 2022 tax return.
      8. Underused Housing Tax
         Update-2023-11-21: The 2023 Fall Economic Statement proposes that Canadian Corporations, Partnerships, and Trusts will no longer be required to report on the UHT for years 2023 and onward. It also proposes to reduce minimum penalties for failing to file UHT to $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for corporation starting 2022 and onward.

         For calendar year 2022, provided the return is filed, or the UHT is paid, by April 30, 2024. the application of penalties and interest under the UHT will be waived for any late-filed underused housing tax (UHT) returns and for any late-paid UHT payable.

         As of January 1, 2022, if your name or the name of your business is on the land title of a residential property, you may be required to file an Underused Residential Housing return. Failing to do so may result in a penalty for late filing, which is $5000 for individuals and $10,000 for corporations.
         
         The Underused Housing Tax (UHT) is a 1% tax on the ownership of vacant or underused housing in Canada that took effect on January 1, 2022. The tax usually applies to non-resident, non-Canadian owners. However, in some situations it also applies to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. See this CRA link to see how this may apply to your situation https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/excise-taxes-duties-and-levies/underused-housing-tax.html

      9. For residents of Ontario and Nunavut, there is a new initiative to promote organ and tissue donation where on the tax return you are required to answer yes or no to whether you consent to share your contact information with the Organ and tissue donor registry. Refer to section 5 below on page 7. Note you are not consenting to organ and tissue donation when you authorize CRA to share your contact information with Ontario Health. Your authorization is valid only in
         the tax year that you file this tax return. Your information will only be collected under the Ontario Gift of Life Act.

Payments to CRA

CRA encourages individuals to pay their taxes electronically. Some payment options include the following: (note some options may include a fee charged by the provider)

1. Online banking – CRA account is set up like any other utility bill you pay online through your financial institution. Note your social insurance number is your account number.
2. CRA’s electronic payment service https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/eservices/payment-save-time-pay-online.html
3. Financial institutions – a personalized remittance voucher is required and will be emailed to you with a copy of your taxes. The voucher can be printed and used at your financial institution. Alternatively, you can contact CRA for a voucher https://www.canada.ca/en/revenueagency/services/forms-publications/request-payment-forms-remittance-vouchers.html
4. Mail – a personalized remittance voucher is required (see #3) or a note stating what the payment is for (e.g. 2022 taxes or 2023 instalments). The cheque/money order is payable to the “Receiver General” must include your SIN on both the front and back. Mail to:

Canada Revenue Agency

PO Box 3800 STN A

Sudbury ON P3A 0C3.

For a full list of payment options, please visit CRA at:

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/make-a-payment-canada-revenue-agency.html

Note: we cannot be held responsible for delivering payments to CRA on your behalf.

Instructions

Where an item is applicable, please select the designated box and attach the required information/slips/receipt(s) and/or complete the schedule(s) as indicated.