According to Intuit’s annual List of Cities That Procrastinate Taxes, Toronto topped the list. (These statistics were collected at the end of April 2009; data related to fiscal year 2008.) Intuit is a maker of Quicktax, the online tax preparation software Quicktax, Canada’s leading manufacturer and provider of tax software.
As April 2010 slowly approaches, two things will be top of mind in Canada this year: playoff hockey and last-minute tax preparation before the April 30 filing deadline. The future winner of this year’s playoffs is questionable, but at least we can predict which Canadian cities will score high on procrastinating in filing their personal taxes.
In 2008, Toronto suffered a sharp period of procrastination, followed closely by the western provinces with its main agglomerations: Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Surrey and Victoria all making the top 10. Eastern Atlantic Canadian cities did not make the list in fiscal 2008. . The Atlantic Provinces were diligent in filing their taxes early.
Our capital city, Ottawa, overtook Mississauga to rank fifth in procrastination.
The following list is based on the number of tax returns filed electronically through Quick Tax Online.
1. Toronto – Hogtown clings to the top spot.
2. Calgary-Cowtown is a contender.
3. Vancouver – The 2010 city takes a bronze.
4. Edmonton – Two Alberta cities in the top 10!
5. Ottawa – Jump over Mississauga for fifth overall.
6. Mississauga: Hazel City Archives get ahead and lose a spot.
7. Winnipeg – Tax time at Portage and Main.
8. Montreal – Province of La Belle and taxes.
9. Surrey – This booming city is holding strong at number nine!
10. Victory – Lotusland breaks into the top 10.
Some last-minute tax tips:
File your taxes, even if you don’t owe. Filing determines your eligibility for government programs, such as the Canada child tax benefit, a GST/HST credit, or any new tax refunds.
Don’t forget capital losses. They can be carried forward to recover taxes paid on capital gains in any of the previous three years, such as 2005, 2006, or 2007 taxes.
Don’t forget your charitable contributions. If you donated to any of the 80,000 charities associated with CanadaHelps.org, you can use the automated tax filing feature in QuickTax to automatically add your receipts to your return.
Do it online! Prepare and file your taxes online with QuickTax Online. Quicktax online tax preparation software can help you determine the best tax deduction that will result in the maximum tax refund.
Check to see if you qualify to use the free or student editions of QuickTax Online.
Stressed? Get some peace of mind with Audit Defense. This additional option provides full-service representation from a tax specialist, so you never have to meet with the CRA alone. Additional costs and an additional $39.95
