Hounjet Tastad Harpham has decades of accounting experience working with clients across Saskatchewan. Their expert accounting advice is valued by clients ranging from individuals to businesses small and large. Hounjet Tastad Harpham are Trusted Saskatoon Accountants and in their latest accounting tip, they share info about the Canada Tax Deadline 

Canada Tax Deadline

The time when Canadians will be able to shed their toques and snow boots is still months away, but tax season is right around the corner. Get ready to tell the government how much money you made last year, how much you already paid in tax and hope that the difference will put a few dollars back into your pocket.

But whether you’re in for a refund or a tax bill this year, simply filing your return can be stressful. There are old receipts to be gathered, deadlines to put on your calendar and new rules you should know about.

WATCH: Canadians pay on average 42.5 percent of their income in taxes, reports finds

When’s the tax deadline?

As usual, April 30 is the date most Canadians need to keep in mind. For the majority of tax filers, this is the deadline to both pay any tax due and file your return.

• If you’re self-employed, this year you have until June 17 to file (the deadline is normally June 15, but that falls on a Saturday this year). Remember, though, that if you owe taxes, you still need to pay up by April 30.
• If you’re late to either settle your balance or send in your paperwork, you’ll face late-filing penalty and daily interest charges on any taxes owed.

When’s the earliest I can file my taxes?

If you just can’t wait to get that big refund, know that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will start accepting electronic returns on Feb. 18.

Most people want to skip the tax-processing queue because they anticipate getting money back. But having a big tax bill is also a good reason to file early. That allows you to set up a plan to pay your tax in instalments. The more you manage to pay by April 30, the fewer extra charges you’ll face.

What is the deadline to contribute to my RRSP?

You can put money into your registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) any time. But if you want to get a tax refund for your RRSP contribution with your 2018 return, the cutoff for adding funds is March 1.

WATCH: A look at how taxes affect your savings outside an RRSP or TFSA

What's New in 2019?

A few things:

New and improved tax breaks:

• Climate Action Incentive. Canadians who live in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick are in for an extra tax credit this year. The money, which may create or boost a tax refund or reduce a balance owing, is meant to offset the cost of the carbon tax in provinces that haven’t established a carbon price of their own. Once the tax goes into effect on April 1, it will push up the cost of gasoline by 4.42 cents a litre, that of natural gas by 3.91 cents per cubic metre and that of propane by 3.1 cents a litre, according to government estimates. In an unusual move, Ottawa is putting cash into Canadians’ pocket before they incur the extra expense. According to the federal government’s calculations, the average household (defined as 2.6 people) in Saskatchewan will spend $403 more but receive $598 under the climate-action incentive. In all jurisdictions, residents of small and rural communities will receive an additional 10 percent supplement. The amount of the tax credit depends on family size — you can use this table to calculate how much your household can claim. It’s important to note that the tax credit applies to the household, not the individual taxpayer, said Lisa Gittens of H&R Block. This means that only one person for every family living under the same roof should claim the credit on her return, she added. All you have to do to receive the credit is file taxes and claim the credit in a new schedule that will come with the income-tax package in the four affected provinces.

New carbon tax takes effect in SK we have a tip on it here: CAI In Saskatchewan.  

• Medical expense tax credit for service animals. In certain circumstances, Canadians suffering from severe mental impairment will now be able to claim the cost of caring for service animals as a medical expense. The credit is only for animals trained to perform specific tasks that help their owners cope with their impairment. Examples of those tasks include things like “guiding a disoriented patient, searching the home of a patient with severe anxiety before they enter, and aiding a patient experiencing night terrors,” according to H&R Block.
• Accelerated capital cost allowance rates. Self-employed Canadians and business owners, listen up. This year you might be able to get more money back for the cost of things like business equipment, office furniture and computers. All those things lose value as they age, so the CRA allows you to gradually claim the cost of these purchases over the years. The good news is that in your 2018 return you’ll be able to get a bigger tax break for equipment bought after Nov. 20 of last year. For example, say you spent $1,000 last December on a new couch for your office. In the past, you’d have been able to claim only $100 of that expense for the first year. Now, you’ll be able to claim 50 per cent more than that, or $150. The change will apply for purchases of eligible equipment made up until the end of 2023 and be phased out between 2024 and 2027. The capital cost allowance reduces your taxable professional or business income.

Tax breaks you can no longer claim:

• Tuition. Students in Saskatchewan, Ontario and New Brunswick can no longer claim a provincial tax credit for their tuition expenses, noted Warren Orlans at TurboTax. The federal tuition tax credit, however, is still alive and well. Students over the age of 16 who are enrolled in post-secondary level courses can usually claim their tuition costs to help offset their tax bill. If they don’t have a lot of taxes to offset – which is often the case for students – they can carry forward the credit or pass it on to an eligible relative, which includes parents and grandparents. However, it’s the student who needs to claim the tax credit on her or his return, regardless of who will ultimately benefit from the tax break. The federal credit is 15 percent of your eligible tuition. For example, if you paid $2,000 in fees, you would be able to claim a $300 tax credit.

Tax-rate changes:

• Lower tax rate for small business. 

Service upgrades from the CRA: 

• CRA has a new phone system. More than a year after the auditor general blasted the CRA for issues at its call centres, the agency has migrated to a new phone platform. When Canadians call this year, the CRA is promising they will receive an estimated wait time to speak with an agent instead of the familiar busy signal or message to call back later. Callers will have the choice to wait on the phone, call back later or use automated options. The new system will also be able to route calls to agents with the skills necessary to deal with the question or issue at stake, the agency said. The auditor general found that even when Canadians did manage to get through to a CRA agent, they would get wrong information from almost 30 per cent of them. This tax season will be the test of whether the agency has made meaningful progress.

• Pay your taxes with an app. Many Canadians already pay most of their bills through their phones. Starting in February they’ll be able to do so with taxes, too. The MyCra web-based app will let you view and pay your tax balance with Interac, Visa Debit or Debit MasterCard, or by pre-authorized debit. You can also use the app to pay your taxes at a Canada Post outlet for a fee by generating a quick response (QR) code.

• Paper tax return shipped to your home. If you filed your taxes the old-fashioned way last year, the CRA will ship the 2018 income tax paperwork to your doorstep. If your package hasn’t appeared by February 11, you can download a copy of the return online or order a copy from the CRA.

• Email notifications about account information changes. If you’ve signed up for this service, starting on February 11, the CRA will begin to send you email notifications about account changes like updates to your address or direct-deposit information. This should make it easier to spot suspicious activity in your account.

Contact Hounjet Tastad Harpham today if you have any further questions related to the Canada Tax Deadline. 

Hounjet Tastad Harpham Services:

• Corporate Accounting 
• Farm Corporate Accounting
• Personal Accounting

If you are looking for a Saskatoon chartered professional accountant for your personal taxes or business accounting needs, contact the team at Hounjet Tastad Harpham today.

Hounjet Tastad Harpham are Trusted Saskatoon Accountants

Hounjet Tastad Harpham has decades of accounting experience working with clients across Saskatchewan. Their expert accounting advice is valued by clients ranging from individuals to businesses small and large. Hounjet Tastad Harpham are Trusted Saskatoon Accountants and in their latest accounting tip, they answer a client question about how the new Climate Action Incentive ( CAI) (commonly referred to as the carbon tax rebate) program works. 

Climate Action Incentive (CAI) 

Recently a client emailed us to ask a few questions before they dropped off their 2019 personal tax information. This particular client has been in a common law relationship for 7 years and has 3 children from a previous relationship.  

The CAI Question: 

Greetings Roseline, I'm going to drop off my information tomorrow, but I just wanted to ask about the new Federal ECO/Carbon Tax rebate program/ incentive - how is it decided , how is it calculated and who receives it? 

The Answer 

What About Other Family Circumstances? 

The amount for a single parent's qualified dependant:

To claim the CAI payment for a single parent’s qualified dependant, on December 31, 2018, you must:

• not be married or in a common-law partnership, and
• have a child (or dependant) who meets all the conditions of a qualified dependant.

Shared custody

Only one claim for a CAI payment can be made per child. The payment cannot be split between parents.

Supplement for residents of small and rural communities

To claim the supplement for residents of small and rural communities, you must have resided outside of a census metropolitan area (CMA) on December 31, 2018.

Contact Hounjet Tastad Harpham today if you have any further questions related to CAI. 

Hounjet Tastad Harpham Services:

• Corporate Accounting 
• Farm Corporate Accounting
• Personal Accounting

If you are looking for a Saskatoon chartered professional accountant for your personal taxes or business accounting needs, contact the team at Hounjet Tastad Harpham today.

Hounjet Tastad Harpham are Trusted Saskatoon Accountants

Trusted Saskatoon Accouontants Hounjet Tastad Harpham is a locally owned and operated accounting firm in Saskatoon. While they are based in Saskatoon, they serve clients across the entire province. Hounjet Tastad Harpham has spent decades gaining the trust of the people of Saskatchewan and has gained a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable and consistent accounting firms in the city, and province. They provide accounting and tax services for small, medium, and large businesses, as well as individuals and non-profit organizations. Hounjet Tastad Harpham is a partnership between Roseline Hounjet, Allyn Tastad, and Dustin Harpham.

Accelerated capital cost allowance is changed.

 The incentive accelerates the amount of   capital cost allowance that can be deducted   from taxable income. First of all, the half-year   rule has been suspended. Until now, you   could only claim half of the regular allowance   in the year that something was purchased.   Now you can claim 100 per cent of the   applicable capital cost allowance in the year   of purchase.

In addition, the first year of capital cost allowance has been bumped up by 50 percent. In practical terms, a producer will have equipment in various capital cost allowance categories. Net additions to any class will be increased by a factor of 50 percent for calculating the first-year capital cost allowance.

For subsequent years, the allowance deduction returns to normal. 

So how does all this work in practice? Let’s say you buy a new or used tractor for $100,000. Tractors and other self-propelled equipment are in Class 10 and eligible for a 30 percent capital cost allowance.

If you purchased the tractor before Nov. 20, the capital cost allowance in the first year is 15 percent or $15,000. This is half of the 30 percent allowance in the first year of purchase.    

How does this affect your tax bill? If you’re running an incorporated farm with a federal tax rate of 12 percent, the $45,000 capital cost allowance reduces your tax bill by $5,400. The same tractor purchased before Nov. 20 would generate a reduction in taxes of only $1,800.

This is a federal incentive to buy equipment and stimulate the economy. However, remember that when you’re allowed to claim more allowance in year one, it reduces how much is left for subsequent years. The total amount of deduction hasn’t been increased. You just get to claim deductions sooner.             

There is value to receiving more of your tax deduction earlier, but when you work through the numbers, this shouldn’t move the needle very much when deciding whether to upgrade equipment. Other considerations remain much more important.

The Trusted Saskatoon team is thrilled to welcome Hounjet Tastad Harpham Accountants to our Saskatoon directory of excellence in the Saskatoon Financial Services Category!

Hounjet Tastad Harpham

Allyn Tastad - B.Comm, CPA, CGA

Allyn has been a public accountant since 1988. He provides tax and accounting services to a wide range of clients, from individuals to large-scale enterprises. Allyn is also a regular contributor to the Western Producer as a columnist. He is still actively involved with the family farm near Loreburn, SK, and lives in Saskatoon with his wife Pattie and their two children. 

Dustin Harpham - B.Comm, CPA, CGA

Dustin has been working in public accounting since 1996. Dustin brings diverse tax expertise to the firm and enjoys applying computer applications to accounting and tax problems. Dustin lives in Saskatoon with his wife Angela and their three children. 

Why Hounjet Tastad Harpham are Trusted Saskatoon Accountants. 

We knew about Hounjet Tastad Harpham as they have been Trusted's accountants since 2011- in addition they have been the personal accountants of Sara the Trusted founder since 2006. They have an exceptional reputation within the Saskatoon business community. Therefore, we were thrilled when they showed interest in joining the family of TrustedSaskatoon.com businesses. While interviewing clients for their verification, they received stellar ratings - 10/10 after 10/10!

Don't just take it from us, check outwit their other clients had to say ! 

Yvonne Crozier of Straightline Builders had this to say about Hounjet Tastad Harpham:

"Hounjet Tastad Harpham took over our accounting after a bad experience with another firm. They took over and fixed the issue right away. The experience working with Hounjet Tastad Harpham has been nothing but wonderful." 

Another satisfied customer from Saskatoon had this to say:

"Roseline has always been at the forefront of non-profit accounting. I appreciate her cautious and careful approach to avoid any potential issues. They always went above and beyond to educate us, and their bilingual service is a great added value that not a lot of accountants offer." - Julien Gaudet (Saskatoon)

While interviewing clients, a couple of themes consistently came up. 

The first was that the accountants at Hounjet Tastad Harpham go out of their way to educate their clients on their accounting affairs in a straightforward way that the client can understand. The second was that Hounjet Tastad Harpham Accountants are very customer service focused; they are very attentive to their client's needs and provide prompt responses and feedback. 

Trusted Saskatoon warmly welcomes Houjet Tastad Harpham Accountants to our directory of excellence in the Saskatoon financial services category, and we are proud to give them the thumbs up!

Check out the Hounjet Tastad Harpham Accountants listing and read more reviews here.