CPABC / CRA Tax Liaison Meetings
CPAEF Bursaries and Scholarships Available
Taxpayers ’ Ombudsman Meets BC and Yukon Members
NOTES & NEWS
CPABC / CRA Tax Liaison Meetings
In collaboration with the Canada Revenue Agency ( CRA ), CPABC organized six liaison sessions in February . The sessions were held in Kelowna , Prince George , Surrey , Vancouver , and Victoria , and attracted more than 350 public practitioners . The sessions provided practitioners with an opportunity to connect with senior CRA management staff in their respective regions and to learn about recent administrative developments and policy changes . If you ’ re a practitioner in tax and would like to receive the handouts provided at the liaison sessions , contact David Chiang , CPA , CA , CPABC ’ s vice-president of member services , at dchiang @ bccpa . ca .
CPAEF Bursaries and Scholarships Available
The CPA Education Foundation ( CPAEF ) offers over $ 50,000 in bursaries each year for students taking preparatory courses through the CPA Western School of Business and for candidates registered in the CPA Professional Education Program . Bursaries are based on financial need and are open to all CPABC students and candidates . In addition , there are more than 60 scholarships totalling over $ 100,000 available to students enrolled at post-secondary institutions in BC . Recipients of most of these scholarships are selected by their respective post-secondary institution ; however , students from nine BC schools can apply directly to the CPAEF .* Applications and deadline information can be found on the CPAEF website at bccpa . ca / cpaef under the Helping Students tab . To find out more about the activities of the CPAEF , read the Foundation ’ s blog at cpaefblog . bccpa . ca . And to make a donation or bequest , please contact David Chiang , CPA , CA , CPABC ’ s vice-president of member services and staff support to the CPAEF , at dchiang @ bccpa . ca .
* College of New Caledonia , College of the Rockies , Douglas College , Langara College , North Island College , Northern Lights College , Northwest Community College , Selkirk College , and Vancouver Community College .
Taxpayers ’ Ombudsman Meets BC and Yukon Members
In February 2017 , Sherra Profit , the taxpayers ’ ombudsman for Canada , visited with CPAs in the Yukon and BC to raise awareness of the Office of the Taxpayers ’ Ombudsman ( OTO ). Her first stop was in Whitehorse on February 6 , at a luncheon hosted by CPA Yukon . This was followed by a stop in Langley on February 9 , where Profit gave a keynote speech at a breakfast event organized by the Fraser Valley CPA Association . In total , more than 130 Yukon and BC members attended these two events . Profit visited CPABC in Vancouver over a year ago , speaking at a breakfast roundtable session on January 26 , 2016 .* Since that time , she has continued her national outreach tour , meeting with stakeholders in many cities across Canada . The OTO works to enhance the Canada Revenue Agency ’ s ( CRA ) accountability in its service to , and treatment of , taxpayers and benefit recipients through independent and impartial reviews of service-related complaints from taxpayers . It also investigates issues that may be systemic in nature and raises awareness about taxpayers ’ rights and OTO services . The ombudsman is appointed by the Minister of National Revenue and advises the Minister of any matters relating to the services provided by the CRA to taxpayers . To find out more about the OTO , visit oto-boc . gc . ca . And if you ’ d like to obtain the PowerPoint slides from these most recent sessions , contact David Chiang , CPA , CA , CPABC ’ s vice-president of member services , at dchiang @ bccpa . ca .
Sherra Profit , taxpayers ’ ombudsman for Canada .
* “ CPABC Hosts Roundtable with Taxpayers ’ Ombudsman ,” CPABC in Focus , March / April 2016 , pages 28-33 .
16 CPABC in Focus • Mar / Apr 2017