CRA urged to extend tax deadline as looming strike a ‘threat’ to small business – National | 24CA News
A looming strike by Canada Revenue Agency employees over an ongoing labour dispute “poses a threat to small businesses,” an unbiased group has warned, calling for an extension of the tax deadline.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) in an announcement Monday urged the company and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)-Union of Taxation Employees (UTE), which represents greater than 35,000 CRA employees, to shortly attain an settlement.
“The timing couldn’t be worse,” stated Dan Kelly, CFIB president within the assertion, arguing {that a} potential strike might create uncertainty for small companies in the course of tax season.
Canadians have till May 1 to file their revenue tax and profit returns. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has stated it has no plans to delay that deadline even when employees stroll off the job.
In the occasion of a strike, the company has warned some providers could also be affected, with delays in processing some revenue tax and profit returns, notably these filed by paper.
That’s a priority for the CFIB, Kelly stated.
“With certain CRA services being delayed or unavailable during a labour disruption, we worry that many small businesses may not be able to get answers in a timely manner or to submit their tax payment on time,” Kelly stated.
The CRA advised Global News final week {that a} “potential strike in no way impedes the ability of Canadians to file their taxes electronically or on paper.”
As of Friday, greater than 35,000 company employees had been in a authorized place to strike.
That’s along with the 122,000 different Public Service Alliance of Canada federal employees who entered a strike place as of April 12.
The federal authorities and the unions are in disagreement over wages, distant work and contracts.
“If CRA workers, in addition to more than 120,000 other federal public servants, go on strike, the impact on small businesses could be massive,” Kelly stated.
“We’re looking to both sides to come to a quick resolution at a cost taxpayers can afford.”
The unions’ demand of a 33 per cent pay increase over three years for CRA staff might price Canadians near $1 billion in taxes, CFIB estimates.
“The proposed wage increase would also be extremely costly to Canadians and add to their already heavy tax burden,” Kelly stated.
Among its checklist of calls for, CFIB is asking the CRA to keep up full service to small companies, guarantee clear communication of small business homeowners’ obligations within the context of a strike, and contemplate back-to-work laws if negotiations fail.
A ultimate spherical of negotiations this week between PSAC and CRA is ready to kick off Monday.
CFIB, which has greater than 97,000 members, is Canada’s greatest affiliation of small and medium-sized companies.
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