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Australia and New Zealand have closed our borders today, for us the first time ever. Only citizens and permanent residents can return here, starting tomorrow night. Qantas have cancelled all overseas flights and stood down many thousands of staff.
Our PM, Scomo, was talking about a time frame of potentially six months. Perhaps that is not feasible with a land border though?
I just watched a CNN video from Florida. Hundreds of thousands of US college students jammed together in the southeast beach states. Five to a room in cheap motels, jammed into night clubs with line ups out the door. They THINK they are immune...they are wrong.
On the same news broadcast, a Medical specialist from John Hopkins medical center was telling people how to make THEIR OWN face masks at home. That's how unprepared they are. Because of the different governmental structure here in Canada, with a strong central government, we are able to implement national programs all most instantly.
Some examples from yesterday March 18th. The date for filing personal income tax has been pushed back by 2 months. Student loan payments are being waved for six months. Applications for Employment Insurance will be granted immediately, instead pf the usual 3 week waiting period. Financial support for laid off workers who would not normally qualify for EI will be $900 every 2 weeks, for 15 weeks. No evictions for 6 months. Rent payments to be deferred for up to six months. Senior pensions to be increased by 25 percent for six months. The small business sector will be able to defer paying utilities and property taxes for six months. Local transit services will stop requiring people to pay fares.
The two national airlines have reduced domestic flights by 60 percent. The Feds are loaning $5000 to any Canadian who is stranded overseas, to be repaid in a year's time so they can fly home. Air Canada and West Jet are both organizing repatriation flights to bring those people home.
What is closed ? All bars are closed. Retail stores are either closed, or are only open for a few hours per day. All of the large national retail malls are closed. Here in Toronto only grocery stores and pharmacies are open. Corner stores are only open for a few hours per day. All schools across the country are closed, as are Universities and colleges. My Grandson at Queens in Kingston got a 5 day notice to move out of his dorm room, and he is now at home .
Grocery stores are reserving the first hour of their day for seniors to shop, then they allow others to come in. Restrictions on some items. One per customer on toilet paper and hand soap. Fast food places are only offering drive through service or take out, no sit down service. All of the national coffee chains are the same. Starbucks has removed all of their seating and tables.
Calls for Police service have gone down, as have vehicle accidents. City essential services are operating, but here in Toronto all city offices are closed as are libraries, recreation centers, day cares, so thousands of city employees are at home. Fire Police and Ambulance services are at full strength. Garbage pick ups, road and water and sewage crews are working, but most other city services are shut down.
I think that both the Federal and Provincial and municipal governments are reacting well and with calm. Clear, factual and daily information is being directed to the people of Canada. The PM has started doing daily public information talks at 11 AM. The same for each of the Provincial leaders at 2 PM local time.
Rumor control is being used to squash any stupid or false information on the internet and the RCMP is actively investigating scammers who are trying to take advantage of the situation.
@Canadian Citizen: Alas, your southern neighbor is full of individuals that have a sense of entitlement which breeds that false sense of security. If ever the pandemic gets really bad down here in the U.S., I fault my fellow Americans who weren't seriously enough to heed sound advice. Right now in Massachusetts, we're implementing much of your list of things but some came into effect only after much political wrangling. Other states are doing similar things but it's a state by state basis though that might start to change. I knew from the get-go that Canada is better equipped to handle this situation at least on paper. The pitfalls of Canada are 1) like the U.S. you have a large geography and it's hard if not impossible to monitor everyone's activities and 2) like the U.S., Canada also had a delay in response.
I just watched a CNN video from Florida. Hundreds of thousands of US college students jammed together in the southeast beach states. Five to a room in cheap motels, jammed into night clubs with line ups out the door. They THINK they are immune...they are wrong.
On the same news broadcast, a Medical specialist from John Hopkins medical center was telling people how to make THEIR OWN face masks at home. That's how unprepared they are. Because of the different governmental structure here in Canada, with a strong central government, we are able to implement national programs all most instantly.
Some examples from yesterday March 18th. The date for filing personal income tax has been pushed back by 2 months. Student loan payments are being waved for six months. Applications for Employment Insurance will be granted immediately, instead pf the usual 3 week waiting period. Financial support for laid off workers who would not normally qualify for EI will be $900 every 2 weeks, for 15 weeks. No evictions for 6 months. Rent payments to be deferred for up to six months. Senior pensions to be increased by 25 percent for six months. The small business sector will be able to defer paying utilities and property taxes for six months. Local transit services will stop requiring people to pay fares.
The two national airlines have reduced domestic flights by 60 percent. The Feds are loaning $5000 to any Canadian who is stranded overseas, to be repaid in a year's time so they can fly home. Air Canada and West Jet are both organizing repatriation flights to bring those people home.
What is closed ? All bars are closed. Retail stores are either closed, or are only open for a few hours per day. All of the large national retail malls are closed. Here in Toronto only grocery stores and pharmacies are open. Corner stores are only open for a few hours per day. All schools across the country are closed, as are Universities and colleges. My Grandson at Queens in Kingston got a 5 day notice to move out of his dorm room, and he is now at home .
Grocery stores are reserving the first hour of their day for seniors to shop, then they allow others to come in. Restrictions on some items. One per customer on toilet paper and hand soap. Fast food places are only offering drive through service or take out, no sit down service. All of the national coffee chains are the same. Starbucks has removed all of their seating and tables.
Calls for Police service have gone down, as have vehicle accidents. City essential services are operating, but here in Toronto all city offices are closed as are libraries, recreation centers, day cares, so thousands of city employees are at home. Fire Police and Ambulance services are at full strength. Garbage pick ups, road and water and sewage crews are working, but most other city services are shut down.
I think that both the Federal and Provincial and municipal governments are reacting well and with calm. Clear, factual and daily information is being directed to the people of Canada. The PM has started doing daily public information talks at 11 AM. The same for each of the Provincial leaders at 2 PM local time.
Rumor control is being used to squash any stupid or false information on the internet and the RCMP is actively investigating scammers who are trying to take advantage of the situation.
Questions ?
Just one little clarification. The date for filing has been changed from the normal April 30th, to June 1st, so really just over one month. The date for interest free payment on balances owed is now July 31st.
Things seem to be running smoothly here. Cases are up, but people seem to be staying home. I live in the city centre and the streets are usually full of people coming and going, especially on a beautiful sunny day like today, but they are very quiet.
Last night's National had a segment showing the crowds at the White Rock beach, and the line ups at the pot shop there. No body appeared to be exercising any distancing.
What does Trudeau consider "essential" travel? I'd like to go visit my mom, who just had surgery. Yeah, I know; of ALL the times to have surgery...
No one knows yet, as the government is still finalizing the criteria and will publish by this Saturday/Sunday. Then this needs to be communicated to the CBP, at which you could encounter varying levels of enforcement and interpretations (e.g. some crossings more lose than others depending on how they interpret and enforce the new rules).
As for your case, I'm quite certain it is non essential. The government has made it clear that any visits for personal reasons - visiting family, friends, relatives, vacation, road trips, etc. - are non essential.
What will likely be considered essential:
- Business travel to fulfill contractual obligations (with written contractual proof of the need to travel)
- Free trade treaty status holders (e.g. TN status) who have been pre-approved to travel/work in the U.S. based on contractual obligations
- Pre-approved companies (e.g. shipping, supplies and logistics)
- Diplomatic officials
- Persons coming at the invitation of the U.S./Canadian governments for the purposes of combating the pandemic
Just one little clarification. The date for filing has been changed from the normal April 30th, to June 1st, so really just over one month. The date for interest free payment on balances owed is now July 31st.
Really not sure why the need to extend this year's tax filing season. Almost all filings are now submitted via electronic filing. Even if you do it via paper, your tax preparer can submit it electronically on your behalf via CRA electronic filing site. It's not like you actually have to visit the CRA in Ottawa to pay your taxes.... we are in 2020 afterall.
It seems more like a politically popular decision on the part of the government, since no one likes filing for taxes and nearly everyone likes to procrastinate. Almost reminds me of my college profs giving everyone an extension for semester-end papers by 2 weeks... sure it's nice to get an extension but we still had to do it in the end regardless.
Really not sure why the need to extend this year's tax filing season. Almost all filings are now submitted via electronic filing. Even if you do it via paper, your tax preparer can submit it electronically on your behalf via CRA electronic filing site. It's not like you actually have to visit the CRA in Ottawa to pay your taxes.... we are in 2020 afterall.
It seems more like a politically popular decision on the part of the government, since no one likes filing for taxes and nearly everyone likes to procrastinate. Almost reminds me of my college profs giving everyone an extension for semester-end papers by 2 weeks... sure it's nice to get an extension but we still had to do it in the end regardless.
Only it’s not quite the same. Perfectionists use the 2-week extension to make their paper marginally better, procrastinators just punt it forward. The filing extension won’t make tax returns any better.
However, a lot of people still meet face-to-face with their accountant every year and do not quite yet have the technological sophistication to plan for a workaround. For them, that’s a good thing to wait an extra month and wait for things to be back to somewhat normal before they hold that meeting.
That said, given that the vast majority of taxpayers in simpler/common situations actually get a refund, it’s a pretty stupid thing to wait until late May to file, especially given the many people who are currently being laid off of getting a pay cut.
I have prepared tax returns for family and a few friends for years. I always tell them my prices double if I get their papers after mid-April. Regardless of your situation and payment deadline, you should always at least know whether you will need to be pay or get a refund.
No harm, no foul. There might not be any need for it for many people but I don't see anything wrong with it if it makes some frightened people feel better. Especially if it is seniors who are frightened to go out to their accountant/income tax preparer but haven't yet gotten their returns submitted before the end of March. March 31st is the final deadline for seniors for getting it submitted if they do not want to have to re-apply for their GIS. Any senior who gets their return filed before March 31st every year does not have to go through all the hassle of re-applying for GIS every year, it gets done automatically. Maybe it is possible that there are other tax circumstances for other people as well who have advance deadlines they must meet in order to qualify for this or that or the other. So a delay might be helpful for them too.
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