Category: Not a Tax Issue at All

This is the place for a rant. The spelling may be correct the the logic may be off the wall, but the writer is probably the only reader! Right?

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Another Rant, and place for my keyboard to try it’s singing voice!

At the end of 2019, and the start of 2020, I thought I’d take some of my thoughts and feelings and put them in writing using a keyboard. I used Standard Notes as the software of choice, to type, and then learned how to link the topics together, and then, “publish” the notes to a blog.

Rather than using taxprep4u.ca as the platform, I used the blogging technology provided by Standard Notes, and created a blog through their resources. It’s been a while since I typed anything there, but for fun, if you want to take a moment of your time, I will share with you that link.

Here you go Here

Have fun!

Jack

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Teach What You Learn !!

We are in a lock down in Ontario for 4 weeks now, commencing January 14, 2021 at 12:01 am. 

While we are restricted in our outside movement, it should not stop us from spending some nice quality time at home learning something that will be a benefit to ourselves and others in the future. 

It recalled to my mind that the old joke of “how many people does it take to change a light bulb?” became more than a joke for us in the office a number of years ago. 

We had purchased a sign that is suspended from the window opening of our office building, and has light bulbs inside. We plugged it into an electrical timer so it is lit up for a period of time in the evening, and comes on again in the morning twilight. When it seemed to stop working, my first instinct was that the electrical timer was malfunctioning, but it wasn’t that, it was indeed, a failed light bulb. 
Wouldn’t you know it, when I called the manufacturer of the sign to ask them how to get into the sign, to change the bulb, they couldn’t answer, and told me to contact an electrician. I’ve never had this kind of problem before, and have always been able to replace a light bulb, but this time, the mechanics of the sign was a bit of a jig saw puzzle. 

I took the advice of the manufacturer, contacted an electrician, who charged for the bulbs, his time, and also made it very clear to me that he didn’t want anyone to watch him work. My suspicion was that if this was a trade secret, then he could be assured of another $100 the next time I needed a light bulb changed. To side step his request, I asked my fellow work mate to take a peek out in the hall, and do an inspection for the purpose of learning the skill of changing a light bulb in our puny little sign. We know how to do it ourselves the next time, and can replace the bulbs for about $.89 each for the 3 or four that may be needed. 

We won’t be calling the electrician for this little job a second time, of course, and have learned a few things from this experience. First, when you ask to be taught, and a teacher has not presented themselves, then you have to take a look for a willing educator. They will absolutely present themselves at the right time. 
Second, when you have had a chance to learn something, as small as it seems to you, then teach it to all eager students. 

Here is a simple overview of teaching what you know, and I hope you can take advantage of the situation the next time something crops up in your life, that gives you an opportunity to share your experience.

Click for Knowledge!!

Jack

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News for Real Estate Sales Personnel

It looks like Ontario has announced some changes which allow real estate professionals to incorporate and be paid through Personal Real Estate Corporations (PRECs).

The link to the governments site is Here and there may be additional information to follow.

Thank you for the feedback from our clients in that type of business. We truly appreciate you being part of our network of information providers.

Regards,

Jack Hollingsworth

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The Real Reason for Wearing a Mask

I don’t go out that often at all these days, unless it is imperative, like grocery pickups, weekly trip to work (accounting is considered a “necessary service”) , doctors appointment that shouldn’t be cancelled, and to walk across the road to drop off the mail, or pick some up.

When I do go out, I am really shocked to see the number of people who still don’t wear masks in this ugly pandemic that is causing a lot of people to get sick, and die.  It’s nice that some actually recover, and go on to live some reasonable semblance of life.

I know the people who don’t wear masks are probably following those country leaders who refuse to wear one because “that’s not me”, not realizing that monkey see, monkey do, and keep on racking  up the R points.  I sure wouldn’t point a finger at just a neighboring country,  because there are probably a lot more countries in the world that have their society follow the example of their leaders, good, or bad, wise, or the other, rich, or poor.

I came across this article in The Atlantic, and thought I would share it with you.  Let me know if it expires, and I’ll remove this note from our little blog:

Take care, and have a nice, happy day, and don’t let the germs get you.

The Real Reason to Wear a Mask, Lone Ranger!

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New Procedure for 2019 Returns – Our Office

For anyone with an email address, we are sending an invitation to a Hollingsworth Portal. You accept the invitation, and on the next screen you have to advise how you would like to confirm your identity. It’s generally by return email, or text to your phone.

Either way, a code will be provided and you enter that in the screen before continuing.

You then have a user name (your email address) and a password, that you have made up.

Then, advise us by return email that you can get into the portal, otherwise, it may time out on you and it will have to be resent.

We use the portal to upload your finished tax return, and authorization form, which goes into it’s own directory. You can “digitally” sign the T183 form at the right time, and it is pretty straight forward.

Any documents that we require, or information that we require from you, will be communicated to you later.

For anyone without an email address, our office will be open Thursdays between 9:30 and 1:00 pm for a drop off in a bankers box outside our office door. We will provide a summary when it is completed by “snail mail”, and the authorization form must be mailed back before we can e-file.

We will send electronic invoices when finished, for payment, and you can use either CC or email transfer, or mail in a cheque.

For those without email, a cheque can be mailed, or you can call us and we will return your call, and you can then provide CC numbers that we can document towards your invoice.

Hope that answers the bulk of the questions, and if not, drop us a line, or give us a call.

This is the link to your portal: My Portal Shared with Hollingsworth

519-649-2001

Jack

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An Update to our Office Procedures

Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, our office is closed, and we will receive your information through email, mail, a portal, and provide a banker’s box drop off in front of our office door on Thursday April 9, 2020, where you can leave your documents in a pre-numbered envelope for us to pick up.  Our door will be locked, and we will remain to supervise that the drop off box remains intact, and for our use only.  We hope to weekly leave a banker box outside our office door, and Thursdays seems to be alright for now.

We can mail back to you a summary of your personal tax information, with a T183 consent form, that we require your signature on, before we are authorized, by you, to e-file your return.

For those that have an email address, please write us by email (jack@hollingsworth.net) that you would like a portal set up, and we can have a link to your portal sent to you.

For those that have lost employment, or self employed income, there is a website you can go to apply for CERB which amounts to $2,000 ($500/week for 4 weeks) that can be repeated 4 times.  It may help with some of those costs that are still lingering that you need assistance with.

This is the link to the governments Canadian Emergency Response Benefit

Read some history on the Spanish Flu.  It started in January of 1918, and ended December 1920, and it took many lives, and made many ill.  Some of us had parents or grandparents that lived through that devastation, and if our ancestors did not learn anything from that experience, then we won’t as well, and are doomed to repeat history.

There seems to be many politicians that will try to make us believe they know more than the medical professionals, scientists, wise people of the world, and the humble leaders that have quiet voices.  Let your conscience dictate the path to your own better health and well being, and know the tall soap box of the many who know the electronic media, will topple when the earth’s rumble causes people to look to a better way.

Stay happy, healthy, safe, and give your distant friends and family members a hug through the telephone, when they are afar.

We will see each other again.

 

Jack

 

 

 

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Due to the Covid-19 Virus

Our office will be closed for the next 2 weeks.  We are only accepting documents through the portal set up for you to use.

Please call in to 519-649-2001 to confirm your email address, and have your documents scanned and uploaded to the portal.

 

We will prepare your return, and send a signature request online, through a document portal.

 

For those without email address, we will accept your documents manually in 2 weeks.

The filing deadline has been extended to June 1st, and we should take advantage of that, and stay healthy, and with family, at home.

 

On Thursday April 9th we will accept drop offs, unless mandated to stay closed, by Government.

 

 

Stay safe everyone!

Your Hollingsworth & Associates Team

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Self Directed RRSP Scams

CRA is putting out a caution to those people that are enticed into investing their RRSP funds into something the scammers indicate there is no tax implications.  There is a bit more to read, from information put out by CRA, so if you have been approached, be aware, that something that sounds to good to be true, is just that !

Jack

 

Here is the link back to CRA information: Self Directed RRSP Scam

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Ontario and pollution pricing

In Ontario, as in other provinces, when a taxpayer files a tax return, there is a credit for tax being calculated and referred to as a “climate action incentive” that puts money in one pocket.

I don’t mean to be sarcastic, but it may be prudent to keep your hand on your wallet.  When one provokes the bear, someone may get bitten, unless I’m off the mark here.

At the pump, a person  travelling like a salesman,  will  possibly end up paying for the “credit” a few times over.

At least we are aware of concerns, and will have to go along with the suggestions until another change is required.

Do you want to read a little on the subject?

Well, here you go then… How it will work

 

Jack