When the taxes cannot be paid on time and the returns cannot be filed, people have to be prepared to face a certain problem – the CRA tax problem. The lives of many Canadians are riddled with all kinds of tax problems. A high number of taxpayers are going bankrupt in Canada as a result of the scale of their tax problems. The excessive costs of interest charges and penalties are of a high magnitude that people are finding it difficult to bear.
CRA will do their utmost in recovering the tax dues that are owed to them. As a taxpayer, you have to be aware of what actions you have to take to handle a CRA tax problem and the steps you have to take to reduce the penalties and interest costs. The expert advice that is given by all experienced tax representatives and tax accountants is that the best way of handling a CRA tax problem is not to sleep on it. It is not at all wise to procrastinate when you deal with CRA.
When you seek professional help to tackle a CRA tax problem, you will be aided by a group of tax experts who will be working on your tax case as technical consultants and accomplished negotiators. Most tax accounting firms construct your financial records forensically so that they could be ready for an audit. They prepare themselves for all questions that could be asked in a typical tax court.
To prepare yourself for a possible CRA tax problem, you have to get your tax accountants to work closely with tax representatives for all matters pertaining to the Income Tax Act. A tax representative is well versed in both fields. A tax representative, therefore, becomes a unique kind of accountant so that you are allowed to be represented in Informal Procedure tax court proceedings.
Most tax accounting firms and representatives have to be covered by the rules of their respective professional regulatory bodies. They will prepare the necessary accounting records to set up your tax position concerning the CRA tax problem. They also make sure that the CRA is following the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights. This is possible when they work on a direct basis with the staff of the CRA in case it goes overboard in its dealings with the taxpayer.
If you do not take professional help, you will not have any protection if you have tax returns which are not filed or income which has not been declared. When taxes are not filed, the CRA tax problem can still be sorted out by correcting your tax affairs voluntarily. There is a possibility that you will not be prosecuted or penalized heavily if you make a valid voluntary disclosure before any action is taken by CRA. The worst damage could be the payment of the tax amount along with the interest charges as penalties could be waived when you take timely and voluntary disclosure action.
CRA tax problem could be alleviated through the policies taken out by CRA itself where they have promoted voluntary acquiescence with the tax laws through tax amnesty programs. This is an encouragement to all taxpayers, both individuals and corporations, to report or voluntarily disclose any previous income or Goods & Service Taxes which have not been reported.