Disability Tax Credit Consultations
We have received the following notice from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA):
As you may be aware, the Disability Tax Credit Promoter’s Restriction Act (DTCPRA), which received Royal Assent on May 29, 2014, proposes to limit the fees that a promoter may charge to complete a Disability Tax Credit (DTC) request.
Starting this month, the CRA will begin in-person and online consultations seeking the views of Canadians with disabilities and their supporting persons, promoters, tax professionals, qualified practitioners and members from the general public. This feedback will help the CRA establish regulations setting the maximum fees allowable under the Act, as well as to identify individuals who may be exempt from the Act’s reporting requirements. The CRA is also looking for suggestions on how to simplify the DTC process and clarify the steps Canadians need to take to apply for the credit.
Your participation and feedback are important to the CRA and will be essential in helping protect people with disabilities from paying excessive fees for assistance with a DTC request as well as improve the DTC process.
Find out more information and how to participate here.
We encourage you to share this email with your network.
New online financial planning tool
The Government of Canada issued the following News Release today:
Harper Government invests in new online financial planning initiative for Canadians with disabilities
November 4, 2014 – Vancouver, British Columbia – Employment and Social Development Canada
Today, the Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State (Social Development) announced an investment through the Social Development Partnerships Program – Disability Component (SDPP-D) of $427,626 to the Plan Institute for Citizenship and Disability and Prosper Canada for their project, “Future Planning Tool for Persons with Disabilities.”
Minister Bergen made the announcement with the Plan Institute for Citizenship and Disability and Prosper Canada at a Bank of Montreal branch in Vancouver, British Columbia as part of Financial Literacy Month.
The online project will provide financial information to Canadians with disabilities, their families and caregivers. It will also encourage expanded relationships with financial institutions and financial planners.
Quick Facts
- The Disability Component of the Social Development Partnerships Program (SDPP-D) supports projects intended to improve the participation and integration of people with disabilities in all aspects of Canadian society.
- The RDSP was launched in 2008 as a long-term savings plan designed to help people with disabilities and their families save for the future. Since then, over 90,000 plans have been opened across Canada.
- So far, the Government has contributed over $1 billion in bonds and grants into the RDSPs of people with disabilities, helping to ensure long-term financial security for all Canadians.
Quotes:
“Our Government introduced the Registered Disability Savings Plan, the first plan of its kind in the world, because we recognized how important saving for the future is, particularly to Canadians with disabilities and their families. We’re proud to partner with organizations such as the Plan Institute and Prosper Canada to give Canadians with disabilities a useful resource when it comes to their financial planning decisions. In addition, this project will play a key role in expanding the relationship between financial institutions and the disability community.”
– The Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State (Social Development)“At PLAN and Plan Institute, we understand first-hand the complexity of disability-related future planning. We are excited to share 25 years of planning knowledge and to partner with Prosper Canada and the federal government to develop a future planning tool that will create safe and secure futures for people with disabilities and give parents peace of mind.”
– Ted Kuntz, Board Chair, PLAN and Board member, Plan Institute for Citizenship and Disability“We’re very excited to be partnering with Plan Institute and Employment and Social Development Canada to develop further financial planning tools for people with disabilities and their families. With the online tools we develop, we can harness technology to make financial planning and decision-making easier for families, and help them provide a better financial future for their children.”
– Elizabeth Mulholland, Chief Executive Officer, Prosper Canada“When Finance Minister Jim Flaherty introduced the RDSP in the 2007 budget, Canada showed the world how a smart, innovative policy can help provide financial security and independence for people with disabilities. We are proud to work closely alongside PLAN to help families secure their future. ”
– Robert Armstrong, Vice President, Head of Managed Solutions, BMO Asset Management Inc.
Associated Links:
Contacts:
Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?mthd=tp&crtr.page=1&nid=899719&crtr.tp1D=1
Survey: Better Access for Rail Passengers using Mobility Aids
The Consortium Led by Real-Time Engineering & Simulation, Inc. is working on a project for Transport Canada to better understand the long distance travel needs of people with mobility impairments in order to improve their accessibility to rail vehicles and the quality of the service provision in Canada.
The removal and prevention of barriers and making access easier to, and move around on board trains and stations is essential to provide accessible rail services and remove discrimination. With this survey, we are asking you to share your needs, views, comments and suggestions on current access to VIA Rail services and on various boarding devices. Your participation in this study is greatly appreciated through responding a survey. http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1834109/Long-Distance-Transportation-Needs-for-People-with-Limited-Mobility
This survey will take approximately 12 minutes to complete. Participation is voluntary and you may exit the survey at any time. Completing the survey indicates consent to participate in this study. All survey responses will remain confidential, stored on a password-protected computer, and participants will not be identified in any publications or reports. Due to the anonymous nature of the survey, once the data has been collected, participants can no longer withdraw from the study. The data may be kept for future related research purposes.
Please feel free to distribute widely among your network.
If you have any question or concerns regarding this survey or if you have any concerns regarding your rights or welfare as a participant in this research study please send an email to ComeOnBoard@rteng.pro.
Thank you for your participation!
