Cecilia G. Cajurao, Chartered Professional Accountant Accounting Services

01/04/2026

First time tax filing!!

Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide for first-time tax filing in Canada 🇨🇦

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1. Know if you need to file

You should file a tax return if:
• You earned income in Canada (employment, self-employment, benefits, etc.)
• You want a refund
• You want to receive government benefits/credits (GST/HST credit, Climate Action Incentive, Canada Child Benefit)
• CRA asks you to file

👉 Even with low or no income, filing is important.

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2. Gather required documents

Common documents include:
• SIN (Social Insurance Number)
• T4 – employment income
• T5 – interest/investment income
• T2202 – tuition (if studying)
• Receipts for donations, medical expenses, childcare, moving expenses
• Rent or property tax receipts (for provincial credits)

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3. Create a CRA account
• Register for CRA My Account
• This lets you:
• View tax returns
• Track refunds
• Access benefits and notices

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4. Choose how to file

✔️ Free tax software (recommended for beginners)
• Wealthsimple Tax
• TurboTax Free
• StudioTax

These guide you step-by-step and check for mistakes.

✔️ Community Volunteer Tax Clinics
• Free help if you have a simple tax situation
• Available across Canada

✔️ Hire a tax preparer

Good option if you have:
• Self-employment income
• Multiple income sources
• New immigrant status with foreign income

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5. Deadlines to remember
• April 30 – personal tax filing deadline
• June 15 – self-employed (but taxes owed still due April 30)

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6. After filing
• Refunds usually arrive within 2 weeks (direct deposit)
• Check your Notice of Assessment
• Keep records for at least 6 years

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7. Common beginner mistakes to avoid

❌ Forgetting income slips
❌ Missing credits/benefits
❌ Wrong SIN or banking details
❌ Not filing because income is low




For more info contact Cecilia at [email protected]

Visit:

Cecilia graduated from her hometown Colegio San Agustin Bacolod in the Philippines with 3 years of Academic Excellence Award. Completed the CPA Program and got her Accounting Designation in Manitoba. She serves the Steinbach Arts Council as one of the Board of Directors. She has worked for an Accoun...

03/01/2025

🚨 Scam alert! 🚨

Reposting this announcement from Cra.

“Scammers are spoofing their phone numbers to make it look like it’s us calling.

If you receive a suspicious call saying it’s the CRA:

➡️ Don’t give any personal or financial information
➡️ Get the caller’s information
➡️Tell the caller you will verify their information
➡️ Hang up and call us directly for any tax-related matters”



Source:

Steps to confirm a person calling you is from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and how to verify a callback number.

01/11/2025

Tax tips 2025

“Make sure to mark these key tax-filing dates on your calendar:

* February 24, 2025 – You can start filing your 2024 return online.

* April 30, 2025 – Deadline for most individuals to file their return and pay any amount they owe. By filing and paying on time, you’ll avoid late-filing penalties and interest.

* June 15, 2025 – Deadline to file if you or your spouse or common-law partner are self-employed. Since this date falls on a Sunday, we will consider your return filed on time if we receive it on or before June 16, 2025. If you owe money, you'll still need to pay by April 30, 2025, to avoid interest.

Before filing, find any deductions, credits, and expenses you may be able to claim to help reduce the amount of tax you have to pay.”

Source:

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/news/newsroom/tax-tips/tax-tips-2025/stress-free-filing-starts-now-here-are-five-easy-ways-help-you-get-ready-for-tax-season.html

For more information contact me at tel:431-205-6886
Email:[email protected]

Tax season is almost here and now is the perfect time to start preparing! Getting ready early can help make sure you file your income tax and benefit return on time.

01/05/2025

Donation extended to Feb 28, 2025

As per news release, "To mitigate the impacts of the four-week Canada Post mail stoppage, the federal government intends to amend the Income Tax Act to extend the deadline for making donations eligible for tax support in the 2024 tax year, until February 28, 2025. "

Source:

Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs, along with the Honourable Élisabeth Brière, Minister of National Revenue, announced that the federal government intends to amend the Income Tax Act to extend the deadline for making donations eligible for tax...

01/05/2025

2024 Income tax rates!!

Please visit CRA website for more updates on 2024 tax rates.

Source:

Information on income tax rates in Canada including federal rates and those rates specific to provinces and territories.

01/05/2025

2024-2025 Price increase!

To my valued clients:

As you may know, our accounting firm started as a philanthropic act to serve more in our community.

As you are our valued client, we have exerted a lot of effort to delay this price increase and minimize the impact of the said situation on all our clients.

Effective Jan 2025, new prices for (T1-2024) personal tax return filing starts at $ 50, and (T2125-2024) small business tax filing $175-$250.
This is due to major increases in costs. Businesses across the country have also done the same, including ours.

Rest assured that this rate will help us better provide you with our services. Expect the same level of quality you have always gotten from us.

We appreciate your continued support, and we look forward to working with you going forward.

Feel free to contact me at [email protected]
Call/text 431-205-6886.

11/23/2024

Be vigilant!

There was a report about grandparents scam this Nov on Steinbachonline. Let us be vigilant. see link below:

RCMP say a resident of Kleefeld lost a significant amount of money this week through the Grandparent Scam. And police say that in the days that followed, several other Manitobans fell victim. On Wednesday, Portage RCMP received two reports of senior citizens within the community being defrauded of m...

02/25/2024

Sharing this important article from Cra.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has recently discovered a tax scheme that targets newcomers to Canada. This scheme tells newcomers which benefit and credit payments they may claim for periods of time before they arrived in Canada. If you or someone you know is new to Canada, it’s important to be c...

02/06/2024

Scams exist because we let our guard down. They succeed because they are getting smarter in finding ways who to victimize by use of technology. Let’s outsmart them and protect ourselves using these D-I-V-E techniques.

02/06/2024

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SCAMS!!

Tax season is coming. Reposting this to remind everyone to be vigilant.

Scams exist because we let our guard down. They succeed because they are getting smarter in finding ways who to victimize by use of technology. Let’s outsmart them and protect ourselves using these D-I-V-E techniques.