UFile 2017

Income tax policy, rules, problems, strategy and software. Property and consumption taxes too.
User avatar
amphitryon
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 497
Joined: 27 Mar 2005 21:34
Location: Toronto

Re: UFile 2017

Post by amphitryon »

Thanks AR, now completely clear.
homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto
jsuter
Newcomer
Newcomer
Posts: 5
Joined: 11 Feb 2013 14:33

Re: UFile 2017

Post by jsuter »

FI40 wrote: 29 Dec 2017 12:00
AltaRed wrote: 29 Dec 2017 11:29 The issue is not really security of third parties. I use the cloud (Google Drive, One Drive, Dropbox) for all my data files and it is all synced between devices, in addition to an external HDD backup. It is that the 'operational' data file is not in my grubby little hands. Since there are alternatives such as Studio Tax where the app resides on my PC, why compromise?
Oh I hadn't thought of that. Yeah, they should really provide that...seems like it would be really easy to provide the .tax file which would be a huge improvement over PDF. I will ask the developers to make that available, maybe they'll do it.
I wanted to chime in as one of the founders of SimpleTax. :)

There isn't a standard format for how to store/save your tax data; each app has their own format because each app works differently. There is a standard XML format for how the data must be transmitted to the CRA (e.g. the ".tax file", which has since been replaced with a web service) but it is not a complete record of your data (e.g. the 'operational' data file AltaRed is looking for).

With SimpleTax, you can download a PDF, but if you want a more complete record, you can also "print" the app to PDF (using your browser's print feature). This will let you keep a complete copy of everything you entered. The nice part about this is it is completely portable. If we did offer a way to download the raw data, it wouldn't be easily human readable or readable by other tax products.

That said, AltaRed makes a good point. Our intention is not to keep your data hostage—it's your data. We are looking at ways of using browser local storage + the ability to save your data to a local file (e.g. to archive yourself).
Thegipper
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 3477
Joined: 14 Mar 2015 16:58

Re: UFile 2017

Post by Thegipper »

does UFILE work on a Mac?
chufinora
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 769
Joined: 12 Oct 2009 15:03
Location: Ottawa

Re: UFile 2017

Post by chufinora »

Thegipper wrote: 31 Dec 2017 15:55 does UFILE work on a Mac?
No - you have to use the online version (Which works fine on my Mac)
User avatar
AltaRed
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 33398
Joined: 05 Mar 2005 20:04
Location: Ogopogo Land

Re: UFile 2017

Post by AltaRed »

Not specific to UFile, but Bank of Canada has published their Monthly and Annual exchange rates on their website. Annual rate for USD denominated assets is 1.2986.

FWIW, I use the monthly BoC rates to determine which 'month' is highest for T1135 needs, and for year end data points. And the annual rate for recurring div/int income.
Imagefiniki, the Canadian financial wiki The go-to place to bolster your financial freedom
dmb
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 10
Joined: 05 Feb 2009 12:36

Re: UFile 2017

Post by dmb »

I am trying to file returns for my minor children. They have T3 income only. UFile is saying "Based on the data entered, no federal tax return is required". It won't generate a tax return and it won't let me Netfile. I think I need to file a return for them because they have T3 income. Any ideas on how to get around this?
User avatar
AltaRed
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 33398
Joined: 05 Mar 2005 20:04
Location: Ogopogo Land

Re: UFile 2017

Post by AltaRed »

If there is no income tax owing, there is no legal requirement to file. It matters not if there is a T3 on CRA's record against their SIN.

Since they, as minors, also would not be entitled to tax credits like GST/HST, there is nothing to extract back out of the government either. Thus I understand UFile not generating a tax return. If you insist though, perhaps freebies like StudioTax or SimpleTax will allow you to actually print a return and snail mail it.
Imagefiniki, the Canadian financial wiki The go-to place to bolster your financial freedom
Mouly
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 684
Joined: 16 Aug 2005 00:35
Location: zzz

Re: UFile 2017

Post by Mouly »

I use UFile to file for my two minor children and it has always made returns for me and let me submit them. They usually have T3 and T5 only.

Even though they don't owe anything I'm glad the system lets me file because every year now RevCan sends me an NOA trying to attribute the intrust slips for my kids to me. I respond that its their money and they file returns based on the slips. It's always accepted.

I imagine this process of the NOA which I dispute each year, and then get my money back, is possibly made more acceptable to RevCan because they can see the tax returns of my minor kids.
User avatar
Norbert Schlenker
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 7960
Joined: 16 Feb 2005 09:56
Location: An Argument Surrounded By Water
Contact:

Re: UFile 2017

Post by Norbert Schlenker »

I just reported a bug to UFile regarding foreign tax credit calculations. If you are using UFile and paid foreign taxes, check to see whether this might have affected you. My past experience with UFile is that bugs like this won't get fixed in a timely way.

The federal foreign tax credit calculation is - perhaps just "can go" - wrong. If you paid foreign taxes reported on a T3 or T5, then the calculation in column (c) on page 2 of the T2209 diagnostics is incorrect. E.g. if, say, you have $1000 in US non-business income and, for whatever reason, $160 was withheld as tax, the Canadian federal FTC is limited to the treaty withholding rate of 15% or $150. (It is then further limited by your average Canadian tax rate, but this isn't an issue in my case.) The other $10 is deductible but not creditable.

UFile 2017 does this calculation except that it fills in the total amount of foreign income, rather than the treaty withholding rate times that income, as a dollar limitation. The result is that the entire $160 is credited on form T2209 and Schedule 1. You can see that column (C), which refers to Note 2, doesn't actually follow Note 2's rule.
Screenshot_2018-03-26_11-49-09.png
Screenshot_2018-03-26_11-49-09.png (77.79 KiB) Viewed 863 times
Nothing can protect people who want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge.
User avatar
AltaRed
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 33398
Joined: 05 Mar 2005 20:04
Location: Ogopogo Land

Re: UFile 2017

Post by AltaRed »

I just checked my own return and see the same effect. Think I will post to the UFile Support Community accordingly.

Added: Column C is wrong withe T3 tax slip inputs (foreign non-business income), but appears to be correct with T5 tax slip inputs for 'foreign non-business income received as dividends'.
Imagefiniki, the Canadian financial wiki The go-to place to bolster your financial freedom
User avatar
Insomniac
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 2802
Joined: 29 Oct 2011 19:01
Location: Vancouver Island

Re: UFile 2017

Post by Insomniac »

Isn't this error in your favour? Forget about it; this is "CRA certified" software! :lol:
User avatar
AltaRed
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 33398
Joined: 05 Mar 2005 20:04
Location: Ogopogo Land

Re: UFile 2017

Post by AltaRed »

Insomniac wrote: 26 Mar 2018 15:56 Isn't this error in your favour? Forget about it; this is "CRA certified" software! :lol:
Indeed, I thought about that. It would be in the taxpayer's favour... but doesn't instill confidence in the software and/or the QC process.
Imagefiniki, the Canadian financial wiki The go-to place to bolster your financial freedom
User avatar
Insomniac
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 2802
Joined: 29 Oct 2011 19:01
Location: Vancouver Island

Re: UFile 2017

Post by Insomniac »

The software will never be perfect because there will be changes (e.g. for legislative changes) and any change can introduce new bugs.

Looks like QC might need to add some tests.
Mouly
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 684
Joined: 16 Aug 2005 00:35
Location: zzz

Re: UFile 2017

Post by Mouly »

Has anyone else experienced this:

I'm being told that I have over contributed to my RRSP and that RevCan will be hitting me with a 1% a month penalty till the overcontribution is resolved.

I've double checked everything and I think I'm ok. This year I was fortunate enough to be able to make my full contribution for 2018 in the first sixty days of the year (where I have the discretion to apply the amount to either 2017 or 2018). I think what is going on that the system is assuming I'm trying to apply to 2017 year only and then that would be an overcontribution. But what the amount actually is is a submitted amount that will not be claimed till 2018. And as a matter of fact that is how it correctly comes out in my return where everything is good.
User avatar
DavidR
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 1937
Joined: 30 Oct 2005 08:33
Location: Toronto

Re: UFile 2017

Post by DavidR »

Mouly wrote: 28 Mar 2018 10:00 Has anyone else experienced this:

I'm being told that I have over contributed to my RRSP and that RevCan will be hitting me with a 1% a month penalty till the overcontribution is resolved.

I've double checked everything and I think I'm ok. This year I was fortunate enough to be able to make my full contribution for 2018 in the first sixty days of the year (where I have the discretion to apply the amount to either 2017 or 2018). I think what is going on that the system is assuming I'm trying to apply to 2017 year only and then that would be an overcontribution. But what the amount actually is is a submitted amount that will not be claimed till 2018. And as a matter of fact that is how it correctly comes out in my return where everything is good.
Who exactly is telling you that? It is an 'warning/error message' from your tax software, or correspondence from CRA, or ?
Rysto
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 125
Joined: 10 Nov 2010 21:16

Re: UFile 2017

Post by Rysto »

Mouly wrote: 28 Mar 2018 10:00 Has anyone else experienced this:

I'm being told that I have over contributed to my RRSP and that RevCan will be hitting me with a 1% a month penalty till the overcontribution is resolved.

I've double checked everything and I think I'm ok. This year I was fortunate enough to be able to make my full contribution for 2018 in the first sixty days of the year (where I have the discretion to apply the amount to either 2017 or 2018). I think what is going on that the system is assuming I'm trying to apply to 2017 year only and then that would be an overcontribution. But what the amount actually is is a submitted amount that will not be claimed till 2018. And as a matter of fact that is how it correctly comes out in my return where everything is good.
Yes, it's a long-standing UFile bug with contributions in the first 60 days of the year. I've hit it many times. You can safely ignore it.
Mouly
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 684
Joined: 16 Aug 2005 00:35
Location: zzz

Re: UFile 2017

Post by Mouly »

DavidR wrote: 28 Mar 2018 12:50
Mouly wrote: 28 Mar 2018 10:00 Has anyone else experienced this:

I'm being told that I have over contributed to my RRSP and that RevCan will be hitting me with a 1% a month penalty till the overcontribution is resolved.

I've double checked everything and I think I'm ok. This year I was fortunate enough to be able to make my full contribution for 2018 in the first sixty days of the year (where I have the discretion to apply the amount to either 2017 or 2018). I think what is going on that the system is assuming I'm trying to apply to 2017 year only and then that would be an overcontribution. But what the amount actually is is a submitted amount that will not be claimed till 2018. And as a matter of fact that is how it correctly comes out in my return where everything is good.
Who exactly is telling you that? It is an 'warning/error message' from your tax software, or correspondence from CRA, or ?
Ufile is telling me that. What is so odd about it is that the Tax Return PDF breaks down all the contributions and confirms that everything in fact is ok. So Ufile gets it right in one place and wrong in another.
User avatar
DavidR
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 1937
Joined: 30 Oct 2005 08:33
Location: Toronto

Re: UFile 2017

Post by DavidR »

Mouly wrote: 28 Mar 2018 21:03 Ufile is telling me that. What is so odd about it is that the Tax Return PDF breaks down all the contributions and confirms that everything in fact is ok. So Ufile gets it right in one place and wrong in another.
OK, I have seen that 'warning' message in tax software before, as Rysto says - although usually it says 'you might be subject to penalties'? I have also seen CRA letters saying "You may have over-contributed..." But those letters wouldn't come until well after the tax return had been filed.
Post Reply