The team at Liu and Associates LLP want to assure you we are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and recognize it is truly a global crisis and is constantly changing. This is an unprecedented time for all of us, and we feel the need for everyone to work together to weather this storm.
We want you to know you have our commitment to continue providing you with the services you depend on, including up to date economic information.
You are not alone; we are in this together. So, how are we working together to support each other?
Health & Safety
First and foremost, our plan ensures the health and safety of our employees and our clients. We have implemented special protocols and continue to update them to support our team and to ensure we maintain our ability to serve you, for the long term.
We are being very cautious and have put in place precautionary measures to limit the potential spread of the virus including:
- Frequent hand washing, supplying hand sanitizer, and masks if needed.
- By requesting any staff member who has been out of the province to self-isolate for 14 days.
- Maintaining social distancing within our office.
- Working remotely wherever possible and using specific software as a unified communication and collaboration platform combining workplace chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration.
- Taking steps to limit our outside contact and discouraging in-person meetings as much as possible by asking our clients to provide us with their tax or financial information electronically, and if that isn’t possible, to please make an appointment in advance for an in-person meeting.
- Materials physically coming into our office are being quarantined, and our intake staff are using precautionary measures.
Monitoring
Our senior leadership team remains vigilant and is monitoring the situation in real time and responding swiftly as conditions evolve.
Please view our most recent update on our COVID-19 protocols.
Tax Changes
We undertake to keep you up to date on changing tax deadlines or government directives, as follows:
You may already be aware of Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) announcement to extend the personal tax filing deadline. So instead of an April 30th filing deadline for the 2020 tax filing season, Canadians will have until June 1st to submit their income tax return to CRA. The deadline to pay off any outstanding balances interest-free will also be extended, this time, to July 31st.
Businesses will also have more time to pay their taxes. The CRA will allow all businesses to defer, until after August 31st, 2020, the payment of any income tax amounts that become owing on or after today and before September 2020 including tax balances due, as well as required instalments, under Part 1 of the Income Tax Act.
No interest or penalties will accumulate on these amounts during this period. For more information, please see the statement from the Department of Finance.
The CRA continues to monitor the evolving situation closely, in collaboration with other government departments and agencies as well as our provincial and territorial partners.
The Government of Canada is taking immediate, significant and decisive action to help Canadians facing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Today, March 18, 2020, the Prime Minister announced a new set of economic measures to help stabilize the economy during this challenging period.
These measures, delivered as part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, will provide up to $27 billion in direct support to Canadian workers and businesses. For detailed information please visit their website.
Moving Forward
We are following the guidance of major public health organizations, including the Public Health Agency of Canada, local health authorities, and the World Health Organization, and will continue to do so as the situation unfolds.
To protect ourselves and the communities around us, we can’t stress enough to please follow all the protocols for COVID-19 including frequently washing hands, regular cleaning of work surfaces, and avoiding public or crowded places whenever possible.
Best of health, be safe, and take care of yourselves.
Your trusted financial team at Liu and Associates LLP