Found a great info page in Wikipedia on Internal Controls

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_control

Now how on earth am I going to condense all of this down into four sessions for bookkeepers...

Sales, what leads up to a sale, the sale process, post sale, now that everything is on the internet for sale, eBay, Craig's List, my website, your website

Purchases, what leads up to a purchase, the order, the receipt of goods, verification of the bill, post purchase, now that I can buy it online

Deposits, now that banking is so automated, this will be interesting. Have you tried making a deposit from home yet? Last week I deposited a cheque at my desk, using my iPAD to record the deposit on the bank APP. No more trips to the bank machine in my future.

Payments, now that I can pay with PayPal using my iPhone, and PayPal wants me to upload my picture so the vendor can ID me right on my phone.

This is such an interesting topic given the times we live in and advances in technology!

www.ipbc.ca

Will ATM's disappear?  Are receivables a thing of the past for small businesses?

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Internal Controls in my community, Delta BC

I'm writing my script for a series of four hours for bookkeepers, topic, Internal Control. Yesterday, I spent the day looking through my textbook for management audit at the definitions of what is internal control, who it applies to, why it's necessary and how it's implemented. it's about doing the right thing in order to succeed at whatever your endeavour. It's about protection, it's about ethics.

Then, because my husband said "you need to go say something about the Southlands development, particularly about the process of why we have to keep on saying no, over and over", so off I went to sign up to speak. I'm # 331 so maybe I'll get to speak on Friday night. There have been 209 speakers over 3 meetings this week and the hearing has been extended to Friday evening.

I listened to speakers for the YES camp, intent on flattering the developer with how much they 'trust' him and the process and how they are the silent majority. I wondered how many would feel the same way if they knew about the potential for tax credit claims that will result in significant tax savings the developer can obtain if he qualifies for the Eco Sensitive Land donation tax credit.

I don't know if the developer qualifies, but when I Tweeted about it last night, the PR person was quick to respond that this wasn't their motivation, but it was what he didn't do that was interesting. He didn't deny there was a potential benefit. I think that the Southlands has become like an albatross, and for the developer, the donation tax credit is perfect. Me, I'd like that 80% donation to be 100%, and for the developer to move on to other projects, like renovation of the town centre and creation of enough housing, services and facilities for the plethora of seniors or about to be seniors in town. The Southlands development may be beautiful, but it's not in the right place. Move it to the town centre. Get it off the floodplain. That's my opinion too.

Now, remember, that plebiscite run by the people for the people back in the 80's where people stayed home from their holidays to vote because their kids insisted they vote against the development? I was reminded of why it was so successful by one speaker last night.

I was so impressed by a young man, maybe 10 or 12 year old, who reminded us of the disruption to habitat that will result, as the Southlands is home to prey and predator. He asked us to remember that we need to save this land for him and those who are yet to be born. I wonder, this time around, how many kids in Delta will hear his speech and pressure their pro-development parents to change their minds? Last time, one of my clients told me his children had totally refused to have anything to do with him unless he voted against the development. He was a developer. Those kids are now adults. I'm sure they all remember Friends of Boundary Bay, Martin Keeley and his Wetlands Road Show it travelled province wide for many years. Remember those lessons in the trailer and the parks and schools? If anyone (especially teachers) wants a copy of those publications, ask me, I have them and can distribute them to you. eileen@taxdetective.ca.

I listened to the NO camp expound on their reasons for not proceeding. All great reasons, especially the one about how this is a great plan, it's just in the wrong place, so put it in the town centre and lose the mall.

One speaker echoed my husband's reason eloquently, about how it's time to put this to a vote. The public hearing process really isn't democracy in action.

But my reasons for saying NO weren't being expressed. I've been pondering what are they?

1) Fear its going to cost me. I know this sounds stupid, but it's about the hole in my driveway. This is the same fear as last time, in the 80's. Except, now that hole, it's bigger. The hole fills up with sea water when the water table rises with every high tide, especially storm surges. Sometimes, it overflows and creates a puddle in my driveway.

Several years ago it cost us about $1,500 to create a new and better sand pit beneath the driveway, and an enhanced hole cover. When we purchased this property 28 years ago, we didn't know that there was not a drainage system in most of Beach Grove. It was only when I volunteered to serve on a Beach Grove/Boundary Bay committee where I learned about the bylaws and the infrastructure restrictions in these two communities.

That's also where I learned that only several of the many streets in our community have any sort of drainage built in. That's likely why Delta steps up so readily to deal with storm surges every winter. They probably worry about the lawsuits should this become a bigger problem. At some point I suspect we're going to have to pay to have our streets ripped up to deal with this lack of infrastructure.

I would like to know why Delta isn't likely to enforce their % of pavement on road allowances by-law. Not only does pavement impact greenhouse gases, but it makes drainage difficult. At some point this has the potential to become a special project for Delta and it's going to cost us to have the roadways ripped up again.

2) Fear of flooding. Why is that? The pavement of local road allowances has proliferated recently, in spite of bylaws that limit pavement on road allowances and property.  Puddle jumping is often required, for example, this morning, the corner of Enderby and 16th, there's water on the roadway. So much so that I bought red rubber boots so I could stomp in the puddles. It's therapy. You may have seen me, I walk my dog two or three times and day, 20-30 minutes each time, various routes through the Grove.  I can tell you, there are lots of  puddles and the pavement probably isn't legal. Is there a puddle in your driveway that never goes away?

I'm sure that Delta is reticent to enforce their bylaws especially along Beach Grove Road where the taxpayers pay 3-5 times the property taxes I pay back a few blocks. Must be difficult to say to someone who has paid you $15,000 or $20,000 in property taxes, no you can't pave your driveway.

But it's my observations over 28 years of living here, and walking my dog, the houses whose driveways aren't paved, the people across the street aren't getting flooded during storm surges to the extent that those with paved properties across from them are. If you live across from someone whose entire road allowance is paved, why aren't you calling to complain? Why doesn't by-laws consider this important? I'm amazed at why this is allowed to continue and propagates itself by the Corporation re-paving when it's necessary to dig it up. Why don't they have a standard that they replace pavement with gravel and start to reverse this ridiculous trend?

3) Rising cost of insurance. My insurance agent's assurances that our house insurance, which is already very expensive at almost $1700/yr because of living on a flood plain will likely increase yet again. I wonder will the strata council for the Southlands struggle to obtain insurance, or how much will the strata fees be because of insurance? Will buyers have difficulty obtaining mortgages if they can't obtain reasonable insurance coverage?

Or is that why the berms are being substantially increased in the developers' planning process? What will that do to insurance premiums for those of us on the other side of the berm?

Back to my driveway hole, will it be seen to be more risky to live outside the Southlands because of the shift in the water table that may happen because of the weight of the development? Water displacement - has anyone examined the possibility that the development of the Southlands will impact the water table in the surrounding communities? I read about that happening by the Queensborough Bridge some years ago. Developer loaded the site, and the neighbour's property flooded because the water table accommodated by shifting. Huge lawsuit.

4) Pedestrian safety. We have narrow lane ways here, two cars can squeeze past each other, but they need to slow down to do that. There are no sidewalks in most of the Grove, road allowances, gravel, sometimes with large boulders or large rocks that are impossible to walk on without twisting an ankle, or potentially breaking a dog's leg.

Some landowners are aggressively discouraging use of their road allowance by pedestrians. The speed limit is 30 km. On several of the thru-fares, there are speed bumps, and in the past several years, the speed on 16th Avenue was reduced from 50 km to 30 km.

5) My sense of safety feels like it is in jeopardy. These days some drivers speed, in excess of 30 km on thru-fares like Duncan and Farrell, and Beach Grove Road, even with it's bumps. They blast through intersections doing at least 60 km without even glancing to see whether or not there is someone approaching. Those drivers on the roads that cross these thru-fares, Kirkwood being one, aren't always stopping at the stop sign. In the last two weeks, I've witnessed three incidents where they didn't stop at all.

I've learned it's best to avoid the sleep deprived parents booting it through the Grove to get their kids to Beach Grove School. And to avoid the drive home crowd, frustrated at truckers who have hit overpasses and caused them long delays. I've experienced road rage several times in the past few weeks here in the Grove. Signage has appeared recently with serious messages like "45 children live and play on this block...slow down", so it's not just me that feels this way.

6) What's the impact on me when the 1,900 new families drop their children in Beach Grove every morning, and pick them up after school.

We have a no left turn off Boundary Road into Beach Grove Road for the morning school rush, which gets ignored, as there are no consequences. Will Delta be working to obtain adequate school busing from Boundary Bay and Southlands, with this proliferation of young families? Didn't the school bus just get cancelled? Will Delta Police find the will to enforce the no left turn and the speed limit?

7) We have by-laws designed to protect us from harm. I don't believe they are being enforced adequately. I started out talking about internal controls? If we're going to add 1,900 people to Tsawwassen, the Corporation of Delta must examine and raise it's standards, and provide enforcement of  by-laws. By-laws like no left turn, speeding, pavement allowances, impedance's to walking on road allowances. Delta should be planning drainage upgrades and dyke reinforcement, and fixing problem puddles on roadways.

In summary, you asked me how this development is likely to affect me? I live and work, and walk in Beach Grove. That's right next door. For me, it's about the cost of drainage improvements, the cost of insurance increases, the risk of water table displacement affecting my property, pavement allowances, road allowance safety, and safety concerns for pedestrians, especially all the dog walkers, and the families who walk here, given the likelihood of a significant increase in local traffic.

I shop at the mall. I'd love to see that mall ripped out and replaced with something creative, including a farmer's market. Why can't Southlands be a donation to the Municipality in it's entirety instead of only 80%? Give the developer of a new improved mall incentives to move the development to the town centre, up off the flood plain.

Mayor and Council for Delta if 1,900 new neighbours plan to use my local streets, it's going to be necessary to invest in drainage, road improvements, and enforce road allowances or design safe routes for walkers.

A public hearing may be one way to gauge what's going on, but is it democratic? Public speaking is a huge fear for most people, you've heard from several hundred people brave enough to overcome that fear. There are how many residents in Tsawwassen? Is this process fair? It's certainly entertaining, But is that a reason to continue these hearings? Put it to a vote, and please consider very seriously accepting a 100% donation of the land, and taking the advice of those who advocate moving the development to the town centre.

Now, back to internal controls for bookkeepers...it's all about ethics. Ethics is really about protection. Protection that starts with me and my safety and sense of well-being, and it ripples out, like tossing a rock into a pond. If I protect me, then I can extend my protection to my neighbour, and to my community.

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Be careful what you sign

Wouldn't you think that a professional firm with a national presence who presents a contract for self-employed services would have a reasonable contract with terms you could live up to?

They contacted me after I visited their booth at a professional trade show.  I should have known better. They said they had clients who wanted QuickBooks consulting. They promised work. I provided them information about me, and invested probably at least a half day updating my information to their specifications and providing a resume on their website.

Then they called me in for an interview. This took another half day, and I paid for downtown parking. Once there, a discussion ensued about how since I was in public practice, I would be treated as self-employed. I was presented with their 'boiler-plate' contract, about five pages of it, and told to sign. 

I don't sign five page contracts without reading and understanding and thinking about them. As I'm insured through my practice, and have my own tools and equipment, and work from a home online, it seemed reasonable I would be self-employed. But there was this challenge, how would I ensure they and their clients agreed to privacy, and Proceeds of Crime & Terrorist Financing clauses in my engagement letter? And they wanted me to give notice, two weeks notice, and in public practice, if you stop working for a client because of ethical reasons, you don't give notice, you walk away. I forwarded them what I would expect their clients would agree to. No response.

Then I read the requirements of their contract. One section in particular stopped me in my tracks. They expected me to make them and their clients 'named insured' on my policy and for me to obtain a waiver of subrogation. This bothered me, because I wasn't sure it was even possible for me to do that. I contacted the insurance company and was just informed, no, it's not possible.

I called them back, and said that if we were to work together, it would have to be on an employment basis, where they assumed the risk. Guess what? Silence.

I'm not a lawyer but, common sense tells me if you sign a contract promising something you can't deliver, that contract isn't going to be valid and enforceable. If anything went wrong, you'd be personally liable because you promised something it was impossible to deliver.

Moral of the story? Don't make promises you can't keep. Be careful what you sign. Read and understand that what you agree to provide must be possible.

And, if you are self-employed, it really isn't likely a personnel agency will be willing to live with a public practitioners terms of engagement, and vice-versa. Once burned, twice shy.

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What's with the DTC supplementary under 18 amount?

Yet again, a client who claims the DTC transfer for their child under 18 misses claiming the DTC supplement.

This supplementary amount tops up the DTC (disability tax credit) both federally and provincially, but it's clawed back by any child care expense claims by anyone. The supplementary amount is mentioned under the Disability amount transferred from a dependent but CRA really don't explain it very well at all

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/rc4064/rc4064-e.html#P614_55944

well, what do you know, it's finally explained somewhere - the new Folio has two paragraphs that describe how to calculate it, but they only talk about the federal component, and there is a provincial/territorial component that of course will vary by the province/territory.  IF someone finds a chart that lists those amounts, please share it!!!!

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/tchncl/ncmtx/fls/s1/f1/s1-f1-c2-eng.html#N1049A

"Supplemental amount

2.27 The supplemental amount is available to an eligible person with a disability who is under 18 years of age at the end of the tax year. The maximum supplemental amount is a fixed amount ($4,402 for 2012), that is indexed each year in accordance with subsection 117.1(1). In certain circumstances, discussed at ¶2.28 below, the supplemental amount may be reduced. Assuming there is no reduction to the supplemental amount for the tax year, the maximum tax credit available in respect of the supplemental amount for 2012 is $660 (15% x $4,402).
2.28 The supplemental amount may be reduced where an amount paid in the year for the care or supervision of the eligible person with a disability is claimed by any person as a child care expense deduction under section 63, a disability supports deduction under section 64 or a medical expense tax credit under section 118.2 for the tax year. The reduction in the supplemental amount is the amount by which the care or supervision costs so claimed exceed a fixed amount. The fixed amount for 2012 is $2,578 and is indexed each year in accordance with subsection 117.1(1). If the amount paid for care and supervision of the eligible person with a disability, and claimed under section 63, 64 or 118.2 is $6,980 (for 2012) or more, the supplemental amount is reduced to nil."

The tax software out there that people use to file their own taxes doesn't seem to capture this extra credit, and I don't know how many times it's one of the things I've found that gives people an extra amount of refund every year (and back 10 years).

It's one of the reasons I get called the "TaxDetective".  It's because amounts like this are hidden, and in fact, CRA is not very forthcoming about disclosing that this extra supplementary amount exists either. Some years it completely disappears from all of their website and printed materials. Then I / and other people like me complain, and it re-surfaces.

This supplementary DTC disappears at age 18. The whole credit system for claiming for an adult child with a disability is completely different. The child has to file a return to claim their own DTC first, and then, the parent or other supportive relative can transfer any amount not used by the person over 18 (there's a long list of who that can be) and they don't have to live with you to claim some credits.

I have a web page with information about the transition to adult as the Pacific Spirit transition group asked me to speak about this topic and it was so muddled that I put together this page to remind myself of what all the rules are and how many things change at or about the time your child with a disability transitions to adult for tax purposes.

http://www.taxdetective.ca/youth.html

Remember, many of the personal tax credits can be apportioned between supportive relatives, which means that if one person claims the credits, but can't use all of them, the remainder can be allocated to a second or third supportive person. It's also possible to agree on the allocation to split up the credits because everyone takes their turn...as long as no one takes more than their share, and if someone does, sometimes, everyone loses the right to claim. So take care and play safe.


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I can't believe it, just got a third call

Another call from someone claiming to be from Century Holdings from this number

I can't believe they have called three times now, each time from a different number.

This time, it's 604-366-1023

I requested that this caller respect that I am on the Do Not Call list and to remove me from their calling list. He agreed to do that.

Here are the rules. Do you think they should cover opinion pollsters? I think they should.
https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/cofi-fico-eng

Century Holdings is a developer going for a development permit on a huge parcel of farm land. The proposal is that they would build on 20% and gift 80% to the municipality.  

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There's a DO NOT CALL list for a reason


We don’t call Century Holdings.  Why are they calling me? Twice in the past two days I’ve been called on my home phone to ask if I’m in favour of the Southlands.  I’ve advised both times I do not wish to answer their questions, as I don’t answer opinion questions over the phone. 

I don’t know if these are actually people calling from the Century offices, they do say they are, but I have no idea who is really calling, as they call from cell phones and when I call back they hung up on me.  These are the numbers. Call them yourself and ask who they are. They’ll probably hang up on you too.
778-839-1474
604-366-5723

I’m listed on the Do Not Call list. Why are they allowed to call me? Please ask Century Holdings to stop harassing me. That’s why I am on the DO NOT CALL LIST.

I am not in favour of the Southlands development, I might not have been as vocal about it this time as in the past, but I’m STILL NOT IN FAVOUR. 

In my opinion, Century Holdings should just donate the whole property instead of 80% and take their tax credit for the donation of eco sensitive land.

That’s probably what makes this whole deal viable for them. They already likely plan to take the 80% donation, why not make it 100% before Minister Flaherty decides to get rid of it and save the entire property?

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Are you worried someone is being taken advantage of?

Maybe it's an aging parent, an uncle, aunt, a neighbour, a friend. You are worried they will get taken advantage of.

Maybe they confided in you that they haven't filed their taxes for a number of years, or even worse, CRA has assessed them, and they've paid what was assessed based on sales proceeds, but they know they shouldn't have had to pay that much tax.

The trouble is they can't seem to get it together to calculate their cost basis and to file an amendment requesting a reduction in their taxes payable.

There's somewhere to go for help. The Public Trustee is the Public Guardian is the agency to go to for information.

They will steer you to the correct agency to report the situation anonymously so that your client gets the help they need.

You'll have to find the Public Trustee for your province/territory if you're not in BC. Here's the link for the BC Public Trustee web page that provides guidance on when and where to report that someone may need help.

http://www.trustee.bc.ca/services/adult/assessments_investigations.html

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What industry are you in? How do you or would you compare?

Were you thinking about leaping on the entrepreneurial band wagon, especially now that Intuit Canada has come up with the offer of a free year of access to QB Online for start-ups?

Before you leap, you might want to see what the profitability for your choice of industry might be. How much do you need to support you and your family in the style to which they have become accustomed? I'm always surprised by how many people in Canada report income of $30,000, and yet, have huge houses with what must be gigantic mortgages. If interest rates go up, that delicate balance could be totally upset by banks refusal to continue to finance the mortgage without more income reported. Then what would these people do?

Industry Canada has such interesting information, and they have their fingers in so many pies. If you're looking to trademark, copyright, or if you sell anything that is measured, they control the Weights and Measures, and if you were thinking Foundation or Not for Profit, they're into that too..

But back to the entrepreneur. Did you know that food truck you were thinking about starting? For all your blood sweat and tears, what would you earn? Here's where you'll find what others report.  Now, be careful, especially if it's a cash-based industry, because the numbers here may not be what they actually earn.

https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cis-sic.nsf/eng/home

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Professionals should consider secure encrypted email services

I just received this email from another accountant today and I quote..

 
"A few minutes ago we received a phishing email from a customer titled as “I have shared an IMPORTANT DOCUMENT” and it asks you to login to your Email account to retrieve the document.

 If you happen to receive an email from our account for similar title and text, PLEASE DELETE THE EMAIL.  Do not open or enter your Email ID or password."
 
Whenever I see phishing email, it scares me how easy it is to be tempted to respond. It's like offering me a chocolate, I have to take my hand away and look the other way to stop the urge to act.
 
and..I am grateful I have an annual subscription to www.e-courier.ca.
 
E-courier provides for my clients to email me documents securely and encrypted, and it's free to my clients to correspond directly with me inside this email service. I invite the client, the client establishes a password. I can send documents to the client, the client can send documents to me, and there's no file size restriction.  We can correspond inside this secure and encrypted service so no one else can read our email.
 
I log in to my account with e-courier.ca to receive the documents when the e-courier service sends me an email to let me know that the client has sent me a document.
 
If you're a professional, and you don't have a secure, encrypted service, I would recommend investigating www.e-courier.ca
 
 
 
 

 

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Parting with such sweet sorrow

On Saturday we had a garage sale. It felt really great to get rid of so much stuff we never use, hopefully to someone else who will use it. 

My biggest thrill was finding a woman to adopt my cross country skis (wood with soft lignite edges, not these plastic boards with metal edges). Those skis were magical, they got me up and down some amazing mountain trails in the Rockies around Banff in my 20's and 30's.  And around here when we would get snow, I'd throw them out to season, and sometimes get Jim across the back fence to apply some wax, and off I'd go until I was too tired to move, but I'd have this huge grin that would last for days.

The bear trap bindings that hugged the backs of the boots and clipped down up front were as shiny as when I bought them 40 years ago in Calgary in a little ski shop in SW Calgary.

The woman was taller than me, but the buttery soft leather boots with down filling fit, and yes, we checked, she could wiggle her toes to keep them from freezing. Those leather boots had metal pieces protecting the flanges on the front to fit in the bear trap bindings. And the blue leather handled bamboo poles, they were still so pretty. I forgot to give her the spare aluminum tip, so if she reads this, please come back for it.

What was bitter sweet were the memories. Gigantic crunchy garlic pickles at the top of Stanley Park Glacier in the sunshine sitting on green garbage bags to keep our bums dry. Drinking from surgical tubing strung over the snowy puffed edges of the Paint or Ink Pots, whichever they were, at the top of Johnston's Canyon just outside Banff on the old road.

Old army wool pants from the Army Surplus by the Stampede, cut off at the knee to adapt to cross country, wool sweaters, and in those days, there weren't gortex jackets, but green garbage bags were perfect for sitting on for lunch, and did double duty as wind protection on the way down. It would take about 2 or 3 hours to climb up, 45 minutes for lunch and 45-75 minutes to whiz down. Days are short in the mountains in winter.

Another memory was the time the temperature was dropping so fast on the way back from a lake that I ended up with about 12 inch blocks of ice all the way down each ski because the wax we figured would work - well let's say it didn't even come close.

There was this couple, I thought they were elderly, but they were probably in their 60's that we used to often meet on those trails. I always thought that I'd be like them, out there in the winter on sunny days with the sun on bright snow in the Rockies. Wasn't meant to be.


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Accounting for lawyers

Resources for accounting for lawyers

  • Sample legal file for legal WIP -
    • http://www.taxdetective.ca/Samples/sampledatafiles.html
      • Scroll down to the middle of page to find the link to a file called
        • Qbb 2011-03-13 - Lawyer's WIP
        • This QBB file is a QuickBooks data file and it has to be saved and restored in QuickBooks before it can be opened
      • This file shows Inventory of unbilled costs as a Current Asset
  • Two articles - ask me for a copy
    • Eileen's Article - QB AA - WIP those Lawyers into Shape - 2006-04 - Reppenhagen, Eileen, Tax Detective
    • Esther Friedberg Karp's Article - QB for Law Firms - Its Street Legal, 2005, Esther
Considering setting up a sample in the QuickBooks Online Plus as a trial file to see how it will work in the cloud version of QuickBooks in Canada.

If this interests you, let me know by email eileen@taxdetective.ca and I'll set up a working class in my new scheduling program

eileenreppenhagen.fullslate.com

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Direct link for 7 pm free webinar Monday evening

Register now for 30 minutes on how to organize your paperwork

If you're self-employed this is for you!

https://eileenreppenhagen.fullslate.com/book?day=2101&services%5B%5D=29&time=68400

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Ten steps to organizing paperwork Monday at 7 pm Pacific Time - free half hour online webinar

I've been thinking about how to communicate about what it takes to keep your records current, and accurate.

Current means up to date, so that if you're wondering where you're at, to estimate your taxes, or if you're wondering who owes you and what your obligations will be, that your books are current.

Accurate means that they are reconciled, and that you've considered the items that didn't balance to determine whether or not they should be recorded because they will happen, and when that will be, or if not, that you've deleted those transactions so they don't confuse anyone looking at your financial statements.

I say this seriously, because every time I look at someone's QuickBooks file, there are entries to the bank that don't belong there that have never been deleted. They'll ask me why their financial statements don't agree with their bank reconciliation. It's because they've never deleted transactions that don't belong on the books.

Not to say you should just go deleting transactions without knowing for sure, but if you've got entries in the bank register that don't reconcile, and they will never clear the bank, the way to deal with them may be to delete them! But if they tie to other transactions in the books, it may be your links to other transactions are linked to the wrong place and that needs revision at the same time.

I'm going to be talking about the ten steps to organizing your records on Monday night at 7 pm Pacific time.

Sign up to attend the 30 minute webinar here and I'll open up the webinar ten minutes early.

If you've never used GoToMeeting.com  before, you can run the free trial, or to make it really easy, load the mobile APP for your iPhone, iPAD or Android device to listen in.  The APP is on their website. 

You won't be talking during the webinar, just listening, but you can type in your questions in the chat room.

eileenreppenhagen.fullslate.com

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Local theatre in Tsawwassen October 2013

I received this email today from Carroll Lefebvre. If you're in the lower mainland, this powerful play may interest you. Here's what Carroll had to say and I quote

 
"In light of Diversity Awareness Month, I invite you to come to see "The Laramie Project" being performed by The Sidekick Players, a local Tsawwassen Acting group, starting Oct 10th and running Thurs, Fri, Sat evenings for 3 weeks, plus 1 matinee on Oct 20th.

What is the play about? The Laramie Project is a TRUE story, about the events leading up to and the aftermath of the brutal beating of Matthew Shepard in Laramie Wyoming in 1998, because he was gay. His beating and death sparked worldwide vigils and protests and was a watershed moment, especially for North Americans. What makes this so unique and compelling is that the play itself is the actual words and conversations that the townspeople had, as they were interviewed by the Tectonic Theatre company that came to Laramie on 6 separate occasions speaking to over 200 people, to find out how this could happen. It’s a very intriguing presentation of the balance of people’s opinions and their actions; the fact that the dialogue said by the actors are the actual words recorded in the interviews makes it so very moving.

I can't say enough about the depth of meaning this play has, it is the most moving experinece I have had in 42 years of theatre.  The crew and the cast are moved to tears on stage during pivotal scenes. Please ask me any questions you have, I would like to answer them, and please consider attending. For more info even a quick search on "Laramie" and "Matthew" will net you a great deal of information."

Location – at the Tsawwassen Arts Centre, 1172 56 St Delta, BC V4L 1C4

Performances - 8pm performances Thurs, Fri, Sat nights Oct 10, 11, 12, Oct 17, 18, 19, and Oct 24, 25, 26. 1 matinee performance on Sunday Oct 20th at 2pm.

Cost - $18 adults, $15 seniors and students (not appropriate for children)

Reserve at 604-288-2415 -If you want to attend, you will need to reserve space (all the seats are assigned) so please call the phone number and leave your name, how many in the party, and the date you want to attend. Cash or cheque at the door (no credit cards).  Seating is limited.

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Filing your back taxes puts you "in" integrity, ergo, you'll sleep at night

Bravery, Responsibility, Integrity and Tenacity.

I'm borrowing the new Britannia HS BRIT acronym this morning because it definitely applies to anyone tackling a backlog of tax returns for a family.

Bravery
The act of starting anything requires a plan. Being willing to plan and execute something of this magnitude when you're this far behind, you're very brave.

Responsibility
Canadian are responsible for filing their own tax returns, and for understanding what those rules are. Not taking responsibility can be very expensive, could cost in penalties and interest if you owe tax, or in lost benefit programs. What programs could you lose out on? I can think of three right off the cuff but there's many programs that require the provision of Net income calculation. 
1) CPP, OAS, GIS top up for old age pensioners
2) Pharmacare
3) Premium assistance reduction on BC Medical plan premiums.
For sure your banker won't provide you with financing if your tax returns aren't filed and tax paid

Integrity
The loss of integrity that comes with non compliance can cause you to lose sleep. Being in integrity means sleeping at night. It's that simple. Out of integrity? You aren't sleeping.

Tenacity
Remember, when tackling a backlog of anything, it isn't going to take any less time than it would have taken if you'd done the work every year. If self-employed, your bookkeeping may take 4-5 hours a month. Multiply that by 60 months for five years backlog, and you're looking at a significant commitment in time, and the cost of assistance by someone qualified to help with the planning, organizing and execution of compliance.
Tenacity is sticking with it.

Catching up may take a few months.
You may choose to request a voluntary disclosure if you meet the criteria. You may need legal assistance. It just got more difficult to communicate with Canada Revenue Agency about disclosure as they no longer accept phone calls due to the volume of work in the system.

It's necessary to complete a form, send it in and expect, that if it's not completed correctly, to get the whole thing back in the mail. In the mean time, if you receive any demands to file, your ability to disclose voluntarily is lost.

Be prepared to be complete
It's necessary to meet all four criteria, especially to estimate how much is owed, and be prepared to pay what you owe.

Oh yes, you only get one kick at the can, so be prepared to deal with not only your taxes, but your GST/HST, and payroll disclosures.

Penalties for non compliance can be significant
An approved voluntary disclosure will eliminate all the penalties but only if you qualify. Voluntary disclosure won't forgive interest. But there is a Taxpayer Relief program that in limited circumstances may be helpful.

For more information about voluntary disclosures
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/nvstgtns/vdp-eng.html

For more information about Taxpayer Relief
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/rc4288/

For rates, dates, and penalty information, scroll down to the relevant links
http://www.taxdetective.ca/whatsnew2009.html



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United Way new handbook for caregivers (focus on seniors)


Today is designated as the International Day of Older Persons by the United Nations. United Way has published an indispensable handbook for caregivers of seniors listing information and resources across Metro Vancouver.
 
COPY

United Way of the Lower Mainland News Release

October 1, 2013


     United Way releases new Metro Vancouver handbook

for caregivers of seniors
For anybody who is caring for an elderly family member or friend, or knows someone who is, the new Metro Vancouver Family & Friend Caregivers Information and Resource Handbook  is an indispensable resource.  The guide is a first of its kind supplying key information about the topics caregivers struggle with the most, including housing, health care and the law.

The 100-page handbook includes information on:

·         The full range of community services that help seniors to age-in-place in their own homes (many of these agencies receives grants from United Way)

·         Housing, including information on getting into assisted living and residential care, and a check-list of things to do when a senior has to move

·         Caregiver supports, including United Way-funded support programs and networks in the region

·         The non-medical home support services offered by United Way Better at Home, the government-funded and United Way-managed program soon to be available in many communities throughout the Lower Mainland

·         Health concerns, such as dementia and depression, with information on disease-specific programs and websites

·         Legal issues, including how to prepare a representation agreement, and

·         End-of-life issues and care.

The Handbookis published online at www.uwlm.ca and has been distributed to health authorities, community agencies, and caregiver support networks. Information for caregivers is also always available at bc211, a free information and referral service funded by United Way.

The booklet was made possible through a grant from United Way of the Lower Mainland to Burnaby Seniors Outreach Services Society (BSOSS). Gerontologist and elder caregiving consultant Katherine Willett is the writer and researcher of the guide. She started the project as a resource for Burnaby family caregivers and this summer expanded the directory to include information for caregivers across Metro Vancouver. The handbook will be updated annually.

In 2012, about 8.1 million individuals, or 28% of Canadians aged 15 and older, provided care to a family member or friend with a long-term health condition, disability or aging needs. Ailing parents were the most common recipients of care with 39% providing care to their own parents and 9% to their parents-in-law (Statistics Canada, Caregivers in Canada, 2012).

United Way of the Lower Mainland supports seniors to stay independent, active and connected. We do this by investing in home support services, caregiver and outreach programs to help seniors engage with their community and to live in their own homes, surrounded by friends, families and neighbours.

About United Way of the Lower Mainland

United Way is a charitable organization established over eighty years ago to support those in need in Metro Vancouver. We fund more than 150 agencies throughout the Lower Mainland to provide 450 programs and services to help children, families and seniors across the Lower Mainland. United Way of the Lower Mainland is dedicated to creating healthy, caring and inclusive communities by breaking the cycle of poverty, helping school-age children make the right life choices, and supporting seniors to age with dignity.

Media contact:

Jennifer Young

United Way of the Lower Mainland

604-268-1333, cell 604-309-3937


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