Don’t worry, be happy! Hashtag DWBH! Words (and weird acronyms) to live by in the Autumn season here in Montreal.  The sun is shining, the apples are pickable, the leaves are a-changing and we don’t have to wear massive jackets and shovel tons of the white stuff just yet.  So this week’s post is dedicated to just that…don’t worry be happy…even when the government audit comes knocking!

Revenue Quebec is on a rampage lately, trying to recoup what they think are millions of dollars they’re left on the table over the past several years.  They’re auditing everything from daycare receipts to medical expenses to the files of people who have loved ones who claim tax credits for the disabled.  I’ve had several clients who have been audited on many sections of their personal tax returns that we have come to think of as routine.  Yes, Revenue Quebec is mean. Yes, picking on the average, low-to-middle class taxpayer who might not have the money to repay  the government that they had believed was theirs and had received often YEARS ago seems a tad immoral.  However, as evil as it all seems, they have the right to ask for more information for credits granted in the past.

Allow us at this time to repeat our mantra of the day…#DWBH!  Chances are all Revenue Quebec is looking for is the paperwork to back up your claim.  There’s a very good chance that your accountant has these documents or that they’re stored away in a box in your basement somewhere.  In some cases, I’m certain that an angry taxpayer or 2 have used Revenue Quebec papers to line their cat’s litterbox.  My point is this – #DWBH, find the docs they asked for, fax ’em in and life will go on.  Just one more reason to use an accountant for your taxes: if you get audited, we’re the ones who get to dig through the litter!

Now go pick those apples, rake those leaves and start worrying about the more important things in life.  Like pie.

Sincerely,

The Funny Accountant.