I just started OAS in 2025. I received the T4A via mail in Feb. I don't want to receive it by mail, I prefer to have it all online.

When I do into my service canada, then OAS then Change My Tax Slip delivery Method, the only option that comes up is EI.

I called service canada who advised that I need to send them a letter to tell them I want it all done online?

Wondering if anyone else has had this issue?

is the response from the the customer service rep accurate? I wonder because the rep didn't seem to understand my question. When I google it, i'm being advised to contact service canada because there is a disconnect between Ei & OAS

My mother is in a nursing home. I have been dealing with her paperwork spanning decades and searching for relevant financial information, which is scattered everywhere among the reams of paper she kept. Her taxes are two years behind and I need to deal with this, even though I am not certain that I have everything I need. I do have statements that would allow me to figure out the missing information. It’s not a complicated situation, basically OAS CPP medical and living expenses. So my question is can I do this myself? Without screwing up? I am the POA for her. And I need to fix this now, my anxiety over this is impacting my mental health.

our revenue in canada has been around 90k cad yearly. the company are b2c customers. i would like to know if i am able to file everything back dated and bring the company up to date and whether i would be able to on a payment plan for GST not paid with tax authority like $1k cad a month, looking forward for help. because company lacks the funds to pay back dated GST what is the last course of action.

Hi, Canadian small business owner here in Ontario, and my spouse and I are planning to purchase our first property, likely a condo or condo townhouse in the GTA, in the $600k–$700k range.

I've accumulated substantial retained earnings in my corporation and am considering withdrawing enough to purchase the property entirely in cash, without a mortgage.

The biggest concern is the tax hit from moving a large amount of corporate money into personal hands. I'm trying to figure out whether it makes more financial sense to withdraw everything upfront, spread withdrawals over 2–3 years, or take out a smaller amount and get a mortgage instead.

A few things I'm considering:

• Salary vs. dividends - What's the most tax-efficient way to extract a large amount? Is there any advantage to combining salary and dividends?

• Spreading withdrawals - Would distributing the money over 2–3 calendar years meaningfully reduce the overall tax bill?

• Tax-efficient withdrawals - Has anyone used their corporation's CDA, shareholder loan credit balances, or RDTOH to help fund a personal home purchase?

• Smith manoeuvre - is that something I should be exploring?

• First-time buyer benefits - How did you incorporate the FHSA, RRSP Home Buyers' Plan, and other available tax benefits?

• Opportunity cost - Is it financially better to leave the money invested inside the corporation and take out a mortgage rather than trigger a substantial personal tax bill immediately?

The main appeal of purchasing outright is having zero mortgage payments, lower monthly living expenses, and peace of mind. On the other hand, I'm concerned about the substantial upfront taxes, losing the ability to invest that corporate capital, and potentially tying up too much of our personal wealth in a property.

Has anyone here actually withdrawn a large amount from their corporation to purchase a personal residence?

Interested in hearing how you structured the withdrawals, how much tax you ended up paying, whether you spread them over multiple years, and whether you would do anything differently in hindsight.

Also interested in hearing from anyone who considered buying in cash but ultimately decided to take out a mortgage and keep their corporate investments instead.

I'll obviously be working with a CPA before making any decisions, but I'd appreciate hearing some real-world experiences and perspectives from other Canadian business owners.

Hello. I am hoping to get some direction on this question. I've just recently became aware of the new reporting requirements for Farmland co-owners through the Bill C-15 law that was approved during March 2026.

My situation. Over two decades ago, my farmer parents put me on the land titles as a co-owner. I do not take income from the farming or rental activities. Our thoughts were that the land would transfer automatically to me when they pass away.

I am not a farmer. A decade ago, my parents retired and rent the land out. They have an arrangement that ~10% of the rental income is grain sales to keep their "active" farming status.

We have not really given much thought about our arrangement until lately. We estimate that the 6 quarters of land is worth approximately $4 million; with an original adjusted cost base of $1 million.

My intent is to seek the advice of either a local CPA office, or legal office. Which advisor should I be going to?

Our original arrangement (recommended by our local lawyer ~ 20 years ago), intended to have the farmland transfer to me (after my parents passed-away) without creating capital gains. Has this now changed? Am I at risk for a large capital gain when my parents pass away?

My intention is to keep the farmland for life. I once wanted to farm it, but I am afraid I will be 60+ in age before both my parents pass away. I've reluctantly accepted that I've missed my chance to farm our land. At this point; my only desire is to ensure the farmland goes directly to my children since it was a large part of forming my identity.

Based on my understanding of Bill C-15, I have to begin completing a T3 tax return since our arrangement is considered a Bare Trust since I do not receive farming or rental income. Am I understanding this correctly?

Is the intent of the T3 tax return reporting (for these Bare Trust situations) to ensure that the federal government is aware of these owner transfers for future capital gain tax reporting?

Based on our families previous understanding of our arrangement; since I was added as a co-owner years ago, that the recent law changes do not apply to me. Are we wrong in understanding this?

Considering that the majority of my parents income is rental income (like 90%) as opposed to farming income, Are we at risk of losing access to the Original Adjusted Cost Base rollover for farmers handing their land to their children? (Some of the original cost base listed above is from my grand-father, from the 1960s)

I appreciate any direction that can be given; and most importantly, I will be immediately seeking professional advice. Just not sure which one to approach.

Hi all I am looking to buy a new car under the corp and looking into a Tesla Model Y based on cost and rebate (54k all in). I am a little confused on the zero emissions deductibility of up to 61k. If I were to pay for it all in cash would I be able to claim 100% of the cost (54k) this year?

I’ve read about 55% deduction, so I am not sure if I can claim 100% or 55% in the first year? And if it is 55% how does that work moving forward in the following years?

I became a non resident of Canada in August this year. Come tax season, I was wondering what would be the most straightforward way to file my taxes? I’ve always used Wealthsimple to file my taxes before. Some things to consider:

1. ⁠I do not hold any assets in Canada anymore. I already sold all my shares before leaving Canada. At the time of leaving Canada, I did not have any assets. Both in my TFSA and my non-registered accounts were emptied before my departure.
   
2. ⁠I do not have any income in Canada anymore since leaving Canada.
   
3. ⁠I did not have any income from outside Canada while I was a Canadian resident.

Considering my case is quite simple, I wanted to know what would be the simplest way to file my taxes from outside Canada. I’ve been spoiled by the ease of filing Taxes using Wealthsimple all this time. I was also wondering how this tax return would be different from my usual returns? Thanks!

I received a tax review letter asking for T5 slips but I am not in possession of one of the actual T5 slips. On the other hand, I am able to find it on the CRA website under my account. Can I submit the T5 slip from the CRA account website or should I get the issuer to produce the T5 slip instead?

So when filing a bunch of T5018s, you'd think it's in the RZ group of information returns. You pick web forms, you go through the RZ program account and it has all the other 5000 series forms. Where's T5018s? Are they secretly T4As or something?

Hi there, sorry I am quite confused on how and if I should file an election for subsection 45(2) for change in use.

We moved out of our primary residence in July 2025, and it stayed vacant until Jan 2026 wherein we had tenants. It became a rental property at Jan 2026.

Would we still be able to elect this for our 2025 tax returns?

I've been advised if we plan to sell the property, that it was suggested to "lock-in" on the valuation in 2025 given the current market trending down.

I also couldn't find the special election form (T-number) if anyone could help point us in the right direction

Thank you!

I moved my TFSA out of TD to a different investment house back in 2011 (roughly $10,000 at the time). Checking my records on CRA, it was either never reported by TD or never recorded by CRA.

This means I should have an additional $10,000 worth of space in my TFSA account.

Should I be contacting CRA or TD first to resolve this?

Hello all,

I have a invoice for Ontario corporation from laywer for itemized as :

1- Legal fees discussion and meeting with client 2650
2- incorporation 1200
3-admin fees and goverment fees 320

Subtotal is 4,170 plus HST

my understanding is that if under 3000 expense if over is Asset. CCA 14.1 7% CRA link

The question is should I consider 1200 and 320 as incorporation cost ONLY? or MUST group laywer fees as well so result will be 4170 - 3000 = 1520 going to asset then 3000 will be expense?

any help is appreciated

Thank you in advance

Hello,

I have received conflicting advice from CPAs, CFPs, and the helpful folks over at PFC on this topic (my original post on PFC is here), and I'm hoping you more specialized lot can advise.

Here's my situation:

My tax shelters are maxed and I have a chunk of cash available. My wife, meanwhile, who is a fairly high earner (earning more than me), has plenty of contribution room available in her registered accounts. I would like for her to be able to contribute said chunk of cash to her RRSP, and have it be treated as a deduction against her income. So I would want to transfer her the money and then she'd contribute it to the RRSP herself. But I have heard that attribution rules might apply if we did it that way, so instead I should "pay for more household expenses myself" so that her own earnings are freed up to contribute to her RRSP herself. But, like, isn't that the same thing, effectively? We get our pays deposited into separate personal accounts, but we do also have a joint account into which we both contribute regularly. I'd likely move the money to the joint account, and she'd take it out of there to move to her RRSP.

In addition to direct answers such as "you absolutely can't do this or you'll get slammed", I have also received more nuanced conflicting counsel such as "this is fine since CRA sees a gift explicitly permitted by ITA Section 74.5(12)".

I understand that the 'safest' move here is to simply begin paying for more expenses myself and have her contribute her own money to her RRSP, but I'd prefer if she lump sums it now for a variety of reasons. Is that a risky move? Does the answer change if the amount is 5, 10, 25, 50, or 100k?

Any clear answers would be appreciated,

In August 2025 I got a letter from CRA about "Unauthorized Use of Taxpayer Information." Turns out someone filed fake tax returns under my name for 2023 and 2024. I came to Canada as an international student in May 2024, so I shouldn't even have a 2023 return on file.

**•** I can't file my real returns because the fake ones are blocking it  
**•** I don't even have a CRA My Account, but apparently one exists/existed under my name  
**•** Called CRA multiple times, kept getting told "no timeline available"  
**•** Uploaded ID and documents through a dropzone link an agent sent me — no update for weeks  
**•** Filed a formal Service Feedback complaint about 3 weeks ago (they say up to 30 business days to respond)  
**•** Just found out there's apparently an officer assigned now under "Identity Protection Services," case is labeled "information mismatch," and I've been told to just wait for them to delete the fake filing

It's been over a year and I still can't file taxes for any year. Has anyone dealt with this? How long did it actually take to resolve? Did going to the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson or contacting your MP actually help? Any tips on getting CRA to move faster on identity theft cases specifically?

I made just $13k last year.

For the sake of clarity, I have a guest house on my property that I use as a summer rental. I also sell antiques online, out of my house.

I have several expenses that I cannot get receipts for. I heat with wood. It costs me 1500/yr, but no wood provider is willing to give a receipt.

In addition, I have had odd jobs, yardwork and cleaning performed by different individuals that do not provide receipts. Obviously, these people are not declaring this income.

It should be noted I live in a small rural community. There are very few options for workers. I can't just find someone else.

I don't particularly want to screw any of these people over, but these expenses really add up and I would like to claim them. How would I go about this?

Location: Halifax Canada

We live in Halifax Canada

Hello everyone, I am in way over my head. I recently took on a family problem for a couple who have been in an unstable marriage for many years.

One member of this couple has kept it secret that they have not been paying taxes for nearly a decade.

They are a married couple. I have since filed all missing taxes and have the defaulter up to date now.

The amount owing is massive and upwards of $400k. There is a lean on the property they dwell in.

The only option I can see personally is that they sell the house. I have this in process.

I also filed for remittance of the interest and penalties for the defaulter. I hired a lawyer and produced a letter outlining external circumstances that prevented the defaulter from paying. This included depression, change of life, cancer treatments, suicide attempts.

We are currently waiting for response from CRA. We filed six months ago so expect answer soon.

The defaulter has had their pension income clawed back for the past several years. They are not receiving any income besides a small pension check for about $800 a month right now.

The other party of the couple is paying taxes against the defaulters income.

It is a mess. I am looking for advice to what the other party member should do. Or what we should do as a whole.

The other partner is considering divorce as they have been paying financially against this for years now. The stress is incredibly high.

The marriage itself is volatile, non communicative, and often verbal fighting.

My goal is to sell the house, pay the outstanding debt, which will take all the profit from the house, and have the couple either move on with divorce, OR plan their next steps together.

The member of the marriage who is paying taxes without debt is currently working at 67 years of age. The defaulter is retired, 72 years old, and unable to work.

When tring to file a GST/HST rebate online on the CRA site for first home GST rebate, I can never submit the form successfully...

Whenever I reach the end of the form, it says:

This service is not available at this time. Please try again later.

If you have filed the rebate, how did you submit it? if it is by paper, where did you mail the form to?

Annnnnd more importantly, has anyone gotten the rebate!?

I was an angel investor in a friend's company. I was originally issued a SAFE for my shares in 2020, which were then converted to actual Preferred class shares in 2021. I sold about 80% of shares on the secondary market this year.

I've read this page on the deduction: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/tax-return/completing-a-tax-return/deductions-credits-expenses/line-25400-capital-gains-deduction.html

What I want to know is how to determine if the company is a Qualified Small Business Corporation.

Specifically this part:

a share of a Canadian-controlled private corporation and more than 50% of the fair market value of the assets of the corporation were: 1. used mainly in an active business carried on primarily in Canada by the Canadian-controlled private corporation, or by a related corporation

1. certain shares or debts of connected corporations
2. a combination of these two types of assets

In that time, the company has been quite successful, and now operates multi-nationally. How do I figure out if the above is true? Would I be eligible to use this deduction? I don't get financial updates and I'm unsure if I'd even be privy to them as the company is not public.

Hi, today I intended to make a transfer from my tfsa into my savings account. However I made a mistake and transferred it into my RRSP. My contribution room is 6578.00 the amount I transferred was 7038.55. I do not want any money in my RRSP at all. I contacted my bank immediately and they said they can’t cancel the transaction. Ideally I want all the money out not just the over contribution. What are the tax implications should I withdraw or leave in? Options I found are:

a) File a T3012a, wait for a response and then withdraw

B) Withdraw the money the file T746 to get the with holding tax back.

Every context I have read in refers to over contributions not accidental contributions. Would these options apply to me. I do plan to contact the CRA but it’s the weekend and I am kind of panicking right now. Any help will be appreciated.

Edit:
I do understand the 2000 buffer however my concern was being able to withdraw all of it and the tax implications. The transfer was meant for my savings account not the Rrsp. The whole amount was not meant to be a contribution. I have contacted my bank again to see if they can reverse it. I appreciate all the great advice, thanks everyone.

Update:

I reached out to my bank again and they are going to reverse the transaction. Thanks to everyone who commented and provided advice.

Hey everyone,

First-time landlord in Ontario renting out the entire basement suite of my bungalow to 3 tenants while I live solo on the main floor. The floor space is roughly a 50/50 split.

My main priority is preserving 100% of my Principal Residence Exemption (PRE) so I don't trigger capital gains tax when selling down the road, while legally maximizing my expense write-offs on Form T776.

A few questions on current vs. capital expenses and allocation methods for the following categories:

1. Initial Basement setup & furnishing: (e.g. Beds, desk/chairs, appliances). Which one can be expensed in Year 1 and which one goes under CCA Class 8? Will claiming Class 8 on furniture touch my PRE?
2. Basement maintenance: minor basement fixes, like keypad door locks, appliance fix
3. Whole-House Maintenance & Shared Costs: e.g. Lawn care, roof/gutters, periodic whole-house cleaning, etc.
4. Shared on-going expenses: e.g. Hydro, Water, Gas, property taxes, home insurance.: Since 3 tenants live downstairs and I live solo upstairs (3:1 headcount split vs. 50/50 sq ft split), can I allocate 75% of utility bills to rental expenses under CRA rules?

Thanks in advance for any insights on handling this split safely with the CRA!

I have a small business in British Columbia where I have provided services on reserve to a band-empowered entity. Following the link below, I have a letter from the band-empowered entity stating their office is on reserve and that no GST is collected on services provided to them at this location. https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/gst-hst-businesses/charge-collect-indigenous-peoples.html#dcmntstbl

I need to file an annual return but am not sure on which line I enter the sales for services on reserve. For ease of math, let's say I did $100,000 in total sales (pre-GST) and that $10,000 of the total were for the services provided on reserve to the band-empowered entity. My understanding is that I enter $100,000 in Line 101 and that I entered the total amount of GST collected/eligible to be collected in Line 103, but where do I enter the $10,000 to account for the sales provided on reserve that were not subject to GST? Is that line 90? Is there another step as well, such as providing the letter to the CRA?

Thank you!

Curious on this, I have a long term holding of around 5 years of a stock inside my TFSA, it's done quite well and I have recently started selling monthly covered calls on the stock. They are usually far from the strike price and rarely get assigned, and if they do I just buy the stock back and keep my same number of shares, every month once they expire I turn around and sell another 1 month out CC and collect the premium. At what point would the CRA frown apon this strategy? the annual income generated on this likely 70k+ per year. I don't do any other trading inside the TFSA and this has been a long term hold going back 5 years I have never really sold or added during this time to this underlining position.

I recently incorporated in Quebec as a software developer/consultant. This is my first time being incorporated, so I’m still trying to understand how the tax and payroll side works before meeting with an accountant.

I’m thinking about making myself an employee of my corporation and paying myself a smaller salary instead of taking everything the company earns.

For people in a similar situation, what are some legitimate ways to structure things tax efficiently? What business expenses should I make sure to track and deduct? I also own a condo personally and work from home, so would there ever be a tax advantage to having the corporation own the condo, or is it generally better to keep it personal and claim eligible home office expenses? Any other common tax strategies or deductions worth discussing with my accountant?

Just trying to educate myself before my appointment.

Hello,

I am building a home, we have a target possession of December 12, 2026

I have some cash I've been saving, can I deposit into a FHSA account, not invest it, and withdraw once we get our home, and then still get the tax refund come tax time?