If you have experienced an unpredicted event which has prevented you from properly paying your taxes on time, you may be able to benefit from the taxpayer relief provisions of the Income Tax Act. The taxper relief provisions of the Income Tax Act give discretion to the CRA to:

In order to apply for a taxpayer relief, you will need to demonstrate to the CRA that you were not able to comply with your tax obligations due to one or more of the following:

For instance, you may have failed to file your tax return or pay your taxes on time due to hospitalization or disability after accident, you may have suffered a serious illness, or your business may have suffered an unexpected set back outside of your control which significantly impacted operations and revenue.

An application for a taxpayer relief should be in a proper form with relevant supporting documents. Your documents may include hospital papers confirming that you were receiving treatment, medical reports, bank statements and other documents demonstrating evidence of unavoidable and unexpected financial hardship. The process involves submission of relevant evidence and a dialogue with the CRA. It is not unusual for a taxpayer to face a number of challenges and requirements through the process.

And even though every taxpayer is entitled to apply for taxpayer relief, decisions on whether to grant such relief are discretionary and determined by the CRA on a case by case basis. There are no predetermined requirements which, if met, will guarantee the success of a the application. Assistance from a qualified professional will increase your chances of a positive outcome and therefor it is strongly recommended that your application for a taxpayer relief be prepared by a professional advisor.

Contact us in confidence and with the protection of solicitor client privilege to discuss your or your client's personal situation and let us start to help you.