Sunday, August 25, 2013

What the ... BureauTards?!?!?

I have been home for over 3 years. Filing may taxes. Working at the same job for 2 years. In 2012 I opened a Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA). Imagine my surprise when I got a letter from Canada Revenue agency (CRA) telling me that I owed them money for deposits I made to my TFSA. The reason? I am a non-resident Citizen and am putting money into the account that I made abroad. Really?

Like I said, I have been filing taxes since I got back. I actually talked to someone at RCA when I filed my first return because I hadn't made money that year, I was living off my savings. My 1st return also reflected my change in address and status.Which means, or should have meant, that RCA knew that I was living in Canada again.

I called the 1-800 number for RCA and after going through several options that were of no help talked to a real person. They transferred me to the department that handles TFSA. After waiting a while I got to talk to a person. I explained the letter I got and my situation. They immediately knew the problem.

One section of RCA doesn't let the other know what is going on with people. The main office doesn't let the one that deals with Immigration issues (that is the word she used) know about changes in status. YOU have to contact them and let them know. Would have been nice to know that. Seems kind of stupid since the main office knew my status changed but what the fuck, it is a bureaucracy and the stereotypes do have some basis in reality.

So know the onus is on me to contact a section of CRA and let them know what the main office knows. Fucking bureaucrats.

So, if you are one of the Canadian ex-pats who actually let the government know you are living and working abroad, which resulted in a change to your resident status, let CRA know when you return because they don't keep their own departments up to date.

You have to send them a letter explaining the change in your status. When it changed. Shit like that. send it to:

St. John's Tax Centre
ATTN T1 Speciality Services
290 Empire avenue
St. John's, NL
A1B 3Z1

HOPEFULLY, that will resolve the bullshit before I get another letter from RCA saying I owe them money.

Fucktards.


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