Professional accountant Rhonda Hemsing has some basic suggestions for people who may be slightly apprehensive when they receive text messages, emails or phone calls that appear to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
First, if it’s text message, it’s not from the CRA.
And emails may occasionally be sent by the federal agency, but they will never include links asking recipients to click to get their refunds/other offers.
And lastly, if phoned, people should ask for the agent’s ID number, then politely get off the phone and call the CRA to verify the agent is legit. To do so, never use the number the caller gives, as it may be fraudulent as well. There are public phone numbers listed on the CRA website that should be used for this.
With that important anti-scam advice out of the way, Hemsing added a couple other suggestions to people who may be preparing to do their 2023 tax returns.
First, go online to the CRA website (Canada.ca/cra) and set up a digital account. While this may take a few days before actually receiving your code in the mail to activate the account, Hemsing says the array of services and documents that become available to you are indispensable in keeping track of your tax information for years to come.
So if that’s done now, there’s still plenty of time to meet this year’s deadlines. The deadline for filing is April 30.
Other than the organizational advantages of going digital, Hemsing said there are always some arcane additions to the tax code that individuals should be aware of.
Post pandemic, many people decided that working from home wasn’t such a bad idea. They will find changes in the 2023 tax year for allowable home office expenses.
“During COVID, the CRA allowed a flat rate for working from home. That is now done,” she said.
“A lot of people have to work from home, either because their bosses require it or they’ve voluntarily entered into a formal work-from-home or hybrid arrangement. They are able to claim expenses, but they must have (the proper) forms completed,” Hemsing said.
-Hemsing works at Rhonda S. Cockwill Professional Corporation in Cochrane.
