Will it affect filings and payment deadlines?

Absolutely not. Do you think the government is going to let a strike get in the way of them collecting taxes? Think again. There will be no extension on filings offered and all payments must be made by April 30th or interest payments will be applied. 

When will your return be assessed?

The CRA uses software to assess all electronically filed returns – so unless your file is selected for pre-assessment review, it will be processed immediately. Hint to the CRA, this is probably not a strong point to make during your salary negotiations.

If you do your filings via paper and are in the middle of an audit and are selected for a review, you will have to wait.

But wait! They Owe Me Money!

If you are owed a refund or a balance, there is good news – the government is made of money and will be paying your refund as quickly as always. But there is bad news – the government is not very progressive when it comes to technology so if you receive your refund by cheque, it could be delayed due to the strike!

What about my business taxes?

Same as your personal returns. All corporate tax returns are submitted electronically but if you are going through an audit or a review, that process will be delayed.

What can I do?

Well, the biggest thing is to give yourself a few extra minutes to find parking at our office before you come to meet us, as the CRA picketers are taking up all our parking stalls! The second biggest thing you can do is sign up for your online CRA account and make any changes or updates online. Other than that, its wait and see how quickly JT concedes to their demands – we are betting about 4 weeks before he calls an election.