Taxes

Setting Up My Account On The CRA Website

A great way to keep track of everything that relates to you and the Canadian government is to set up My Account on the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website.  So, rather than having to shuffle through a million papers when you need to find something, you can just go online and find the information easily.

What are the benefits of using My Account?

1.  Tax Refund or Taxes Owing:  My Account is a great place to look up how much income tax you should be expecting in the form of a refund, or alternatively, how much tax you owe and when it is due.  By looking it up online, you will be able to see this information much more quickly instead of having to wait to find out when it is mailed to you.

Continue Reading

October 8, 2012
Gifts

Be Informed Before Donating To Charities

It’s a great idea to donate money to charities; however, it is very important that you do your homework before making a commitment.  Do not let anyone pressure you into making a decision on the spot.  Be sure to tell them to come back or call back later so that you have time to look into the charity further.  You work hard to make money, so you don’t want to give it away to just anyone.  You need to make sure that the charity is legitimate and that they are not wasteful with the donations they receive.

Canadians have a great resource that will aid them in making an informed decision about who to donate to, and where their money goes.  The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website has a section devoted to charities, and it provides Canadians with a user friendly resource for quickly searching and learning about various charities.

Continue Reading

October 5, 2012
General

The Importance Of Having Contents Insurance For Your Home

Do you have ceramic hobs (in fixed appliances), sanitary ware and fixed glass in your home? Learn how to take care of them and make sure they’re covered by home insurance.

When people think about taking out contents insurance, it’s mainly for the things they value most. After all, they want to protect their jewellery, electrical items and, of course, all 236 episodes in their Friends DVD box set.

Joking aside, if you’ve been looking into buildings insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to make sure you cover the things you might otherwise take for granted – such as the ceramic hobs on your cooker, and even your bathroom sink. If they accidentally get broken or damaged, they can be expensive to fix or replace.

Continue Reading

October 2, 2012
Earn Extra Money

How To Make Money Doing Computer Cleanups

Did you know that you can make money doing computer cleanups? This is a very lucrative business because the majority of people who own computers don’t know much about them, and most do not know how to do a cleanup correctly. A lot of computer owners think that their computer cleans itself, but, unfortunately, that is just not the case.

The best way to make money doing small computer cleanups is to start off with basic software that cleans the computer and then runs the already installed Windows software. Usually, this will take you about an hour to do and in that time you can easily make $50. This is not very hard work either; all you need to do is find the clients that you will do this for.

Continue Reading

October 1, 2012
Taxes

Did You Pay Tax Twice On Your Vehicle Purchase? You Can Get Your Money Back!

My husband and I recently bought a used vehicle through a dealership while living in Ontario.  We were charged 13% HST on the purchase price.  Shortly after buying the vehicle, we moved to Manitoba, a non HST province (called a nonparticipating province by the Canada Revenue Agency)  When we went to register and insure our vehicle in Manitoba, we were informed that we would have to pay PST on the vehicle again!  We were completely dumbfounded as this would mean that we would pay 20% tax on our vehicle!  Yikes!

Fortunately, I found out that there is a way for us to get back the provincial portion of the HST that we paid in Ontario.  I contacted the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and they informed me that all I had to do was complete a form called the GST 495 and submit proof that we paid the tax twice.   Note that CRA wants the original copies of anything you send in, and they will eventually send it all back to you.

Continue Reading

September 28, 2012