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Make sure you maximize the benefits you are entitled to if you are First Nations, Inuit, or Métis

If you are First Nations, Inuit, or Métis, you are subject to the same tax rules as any other resident in Canada unless your income is considered tax exempt under section 87 of the Indian Act. To continue getting your benefit and credit payments, you need to do your taxes, even if your income is tax exempt or you had no income at all. Here are a few tips to help you get the benefits and credits to which you are entitled.

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Keeping records of your cryptocurrency transaction

It is important to keep proper financial records of all your activities relating to your cryptocurrency. You should keep records when you purchase, dispose, or mine cryptocurrency to ensure you have accurate information of your activities. This information is important for your own records and for filing your tax returns.

When you trade, sell or mine cryptocurrency, you have to report any income or capital gains from those activities on your tax return. However, you may also be able to report your expenses and losses. If you exchange taxable goods or services for cryptocurrency, you may have to report goods and services tax / harmonized sales tax (GST/HST).

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Are you a social media influencer? Here’s what you need to know

If you earned income by posting pictures, videos and more on your social media channels that involves product placement or product promotion, you may be undertaking a business activity. You can earn income from your social media activities in many ways, both monetary and non-monetary (barter transactions).

If you are carrying on a business through your social media channels, you must report the income (both monetary and non-monetary) that you earn through these activities on your income tax return. When reporting non-monetary income, you must use the fair market value of the item received. The CRA will generally consider your social media activities to be business activities where there is an element of profit to your activities.

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Go digital and make taxes easier

This tax season, the best way for you to avoid delays and get the tax information you need is to try our easy-to-use digital services. No need to wait on the phone, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has many online tools to help you!

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Tax preparers and professionals: Here’s what you need to know for the 2022 tax-filing season

Since April 30, 2022, falls on a Saturday, your clients’ return will be considered filed on time in either of the following situations:

  • we receive it on or before May 2, 2022

  • it is postmarked on or before May 2, 2022

Your clients have until June 15, 2022, to file their return if they or their spouse or common law-partner are self-employed.

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Valuing your cryptocurrency

How you value your cryptocurrencies depends on whether they are considered capital property or inventory. When cryptocurrencies are held as capital property, you must record and track the cost when you acquired them, so that you can accurately report any capital gains when you sell them.

If the cryptocurrencies are considered to be inventory, you can generally value it based on:

  • the cost of each item in the inventory when it was acquired; or

  • its fair market value at the end of the year.

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Reporting reminder for business: Declare your COVID-19 subsidies

If you received one or more emergency subsidies, the amounts you received are considered government assistance and are taxable. You must report the subsidies amounts on your income tax or information return for the tax year (fiscal period) in which you are considered to have received them. The wage and rent subsidies are generally considered to have been received on the last day of the claim period they relate to.

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Home office expenses for employees – What you need to know for the 2022 tax-filing season

Due to ongoing challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, many Canadians are still working from home. That’s why the Government of Canada is extending the temporary flat rate method so that Canadians will continue to have a simpler way to deduct home office expenses for the 2021 tax year.

With the temporary flat rate method, eligible employees can claim a deduction of $2 for each day worked at home in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The maximum amount employees may claim using this method has been increased to $500 (it was $400 in the 2020 tax year) for the maximum of 250 working days (200 days in the 2020 tax year).

The eligibility criteria for the temporary flat rate and detailed methods remains the same for the 2021 tax year.

Employees who were not required to work from home in 2021, but who worked from home because their employer gave them the choice to do so, are still considered to have worked from home due to COVID-19.

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What you need to know for the 2022 tax-filing season

Last year, Canadians filed almost 31 million income tax and benefit returns. Having the information you need on hand to file your return makes the filing process that much easier. We want to help you get ready, so you are in good shape when it comes time to file your return this year.

Here you will find information on filing options, COVID-19 benefits, and what’s new for this tax-filing season.

The tax-filing deadline for most individuals is April 30, 2022…

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Mining cryptocurrency

Mining is a process that uses computers or specialized hardware to confirm cryptocurrency transactions. A miner will group valid transactions into blocks and if these blocks are accepted by the corresponding cryptocurrency’s network, they become part of a public ledger on the blockchain.

At this point, the miner usually receives two types of payments in cryptocurrency. The first is income for the creation of a new cryptocurrency, and the second is a payment for the successful validation by the miner. Those who perform the mining processes are paid in the cryptocurrency that they are validating.

Mining may have tax implications. The income tax treatment for cryptocurrency miners is different depending on whether your mining activities are a personal activity (a hobby) or a business activity. This is decided on a case-by-case basis.

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Temporary expansion to the eligibility for the Local Lockdown Program (periods 24 & 25)

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has remained committed to ensuring that Canadian businesses are supported financially as our economy recovers.

On December 22, 2021, the government announced a temporary expansion to the eligibility for the Local Lockdown Program to ensure Canadians are protected and businesses continue to receive the support they need as public health restrictions continue to be in place across the country.

These temporary changes will only be in effect from December 19, 2021, to February 12, 2022 (Periods 24 and 25). The application portals for Period 24 of the business subsidy programs open on February 7, 2022, at 6:00 am EST.

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Avoid last minute delays at tax time by setting up My Account

If you’re looking to avoid last-minute delays and waiting on the phone at tax time, then try our easy-to-use digital services! Through our digital services, you will be able to view your tax and benefit information, and update your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) information ahead of time. By planning ahead, you will save time during tax season.

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Investing in cryptocurrency.

A cryptocurrency is a type of virtual asset that is protected using cryptography. It typically uses a system called a blockchain to record and keep a history of transactions. Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ether, are independent, meaning they do not rely on governments, central banks, or other central authorities for backing. You can obtain cryptocurrency in many ways, and new methods are being developed all the time. You can use cryptocurrencies for a wide range of activities, such as buying goods, paying bills, or investing. Transactions involving cryptocurrencies often have tax implications.

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Received a T4A slip from us? Here’s what you need to know.

If you have applied and received COVID-19 benefit payments from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in 2021, this explains why you have received a T4A Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other Income slip. These benefits are taxable, and the information on your T4A slip is needed when filing your income tax and benefit return.

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What is cryptocurrency?

A cryptocurrency is a type of virtual asset that is protected using cryptography. It typically uses a system called a blockchain to record and keep a history of transactions. Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ether, are independent, meaning they do not rely on governments, central banks, or other central authorities for backing. You can obtain cryptocurrency in many ways, and new methods are being developed all the time. You can use cryptocurrencies for a wide range of activities, such as buying goods, paying bills, or investing. Transactions involving cryptocurrencies often have tax implications.

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Running a business is difficult; understanding your tax obligations doesn’t need to be

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) offers free Liaison Officer services to owners of small businesses and self-employed individuals to help them understand their tax obligations. A visit from a Liaison Officer is 100% confidential: the information you choose to discuss with them will not be shared with other areas of the CRA, or anyone else.

Did you know that the CRA has helped over 17,000 small business owners and self-employed individuals virtually through the Liaison Officer service since the beginning of the pandemic and over 69,000 small business owners and self-employed individuals since the start of the program in 2014.

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What students need to know this tax season!

As a student, you may have many questions about taxes and might be filing an income tax and benefit return for the first time. We understand that many students have unique personal and financial situations, especially given the last year. Let’s make sure you don’t miss out on benefits and credits to which you may be entitled. Find out what you could get and what you need to know in this tax tip.

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