Perhaps you are one of those tax payers that have applied for taxpayer relief, and you have anxiously been waiting weeks for a decision. As much as you dread calling the CRA you really want to know the status of your relief application, so you make the call.
You then discover that your application has not even been assigned to a agent as yet who handles this and are told it could be another nine to eighteen months before you are given an answer.
This is devastating because you may still have a tax burden that you are obligated to pay and the tax collector is not showing any compassion towards the long wait that you have in regards to your relief application.
It is even more frustrating when you know that when the CRA demands something from you whether it be a payment, or a request for information that they are stringent on the deadlines given for this. It would seem like it is a one way street when it comes to the Canada tax department.
There is no doubt that the government has had to cut back on employees just like almost every other business in Canada, but knowing this doesn’t do much for your situation.
Something that you must keep in mind is that the taxpayer relief is only applicable to the penalties and interest, and not the principal amount you owe.
What you may want to do is discuss the problem in detail with your tax agent handling your case and make whatever arrangements you can concerning the payment for the principal amount that you owe. This is your primary tax obligation and no matter what you want to conclude this in a proper manner.
If you are not comfortable talking with your tax agent then you may want to review your tax circumstances with an experienced accountant. You can then utilize the services of this professional to help you deal with the CRA. It doesn’t mean that using a professional accountant is going to get you any leniency, but these individuals understand the tax rules better than the lay person and they can insure that your tax payer rights are being upheld.
If you are dealing with a tax problem, why not give me a call here at 416-398-1700 and let me see if I can help. The biggest mistake you can make with the CRA is to try and avoid them. This only leads to greater problems.
