Many local young adults failing to learn how to file their taxes
Photo Friday
-
- On Thurs. Aug. 13, 2020, the base of the Charlie Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain sits on the Detroit River. The Peace Fountain was out of order, leaving only the dry base. The City of Windsor stated, via Twitter, that “Currently the Peace Fountain is undergoing some minor changes.” A timeline for restart was not given, the City stating “we hope to have it restored soon.” Photo by Zachary Balogh
-
- This Lego castle display in the basement of a home in Windsor, Ontario is just one example of a growing interest in construction toys for kids and adults. Lego bricks, puzzles, craft kits and outdoor toys are just some of the items included in rising toy sales in 2020. With life at a standstill and many still quarantining, people continue to search for at home entertainment, especially homes with children. Toy sales in the U.S. were up 16 per cent in the first six months of 2020, with more than $300 billion US worth of toy sales happening online.
-
- A tree intertwined with a lamppost following severe storms last weekend. On Sun. July 19 severe storms raced across the Windsor area with heavy rain and damaging winds, resulting in some damage. Tornadoes were also reported across Southwestern Ontario where a total of six tornadoes were confirmed by Environment Canada as of July 23, 2020. Photo by Zachary Balogh.
-
- This weekend Windsor-Essex will experience a heat wave, with temperatures between 33.8C and 35 C, with the humidex closer to 37C. Residents are urged to stay hydrated and cool by drinking plenty of water, wearing light coloured clothing and limiting time outdoors. Saturday night through Sunday and Monday, with the heat and humidity, there is the possibility of severe weather. Have a way to receive watches and warnings in case of a power outage, and seek shelter in the basement or area with no windows if storms turn rough. Photo by Zachary Balogh
-
- The moon at the peak of the penumbral eclipse. on Sun., July 5, 2020. Just after 1:00 a.m. residents across Windsor-Essex and North America could observe a lunar eclipse known as the penumbral eclipse. This occurs when the Moon passes by Earth’s outer layers, which are called the penumbra and are not clear to the untrained eye. Photo by Zachary Balogh.
-
- Some beachgoers cooling off by Lake Erie at Seacliff Park in Leamington. Summer is here and in full swing. Temperatures for the region will be in the 30sC all week. Across the river, the city of Detroit may break a record for the longest stretch of consecutive 90F days; the current longest stretch is 11 days back in 1953. Photo by Zach Balogh
-
- Izaiah Hermiz splashing in Lake Erie at Seacliff Park in Leamington, on a warm summer day. Summer officially began on Saturday, June 20, 2020, and Ontario is anticipating an above-average season in both precipitation (rain) and in temperatures. According to AccuWeather.com, this summer may be a stormy one with strong storms that may carry gusty winds, which could become a nuisance to residents along Great Lakes, as the higher water levels may cause flooding. During this summer the site also notes that Ontario could see an uptick in tornado activity across the province with warmer temperatures and higher humidity. Photo by Zachary Balogh
-
- A sign displaying the phrase End Police Brutality on a balcony on Riverside Drive East, after a Black Lives Matter march in Windsor last week. Anti-racism demonstrations and protests against police brutality have taken place around the world for the last two weeks, following the deaths of George Floyd in Minnesota and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. Photo by Zach Balogh
-
- A Pride rainbow flag flies in the South Walkerville neighbourhood of Windsor, Ont. June is Pride Month, dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. Usually, Pride would include numerous community events, especially the Pride parade. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on large events like parades, these will not take place locally this year. However there will be online activities: Boston organizers, for example, will hold Zoom meetings for virtual activities like drag parties and even dancing. Midway through Pride Month 2020, the United States the Supreme Court ruled on June 15 to uphold workplace protections for the LGBTQ+ community. The historic ruling reinforces that existing civil rights law protects workers who are gay or transgender from employment discrimination, including being fired for their sexual orientation. Photo by Zachary Balogh
Tecumseh Macguigan files his taxes online before the deadline on April 30.
Photo By Ryan Brough
By Ryan Brough
An informal poll about filing taxes shows that most young adults are in the dark when it comes to the annual practice.
Ten young adults between the ages of 20 and 24 were asked about preparing their income tax. From this group nine out of 10 indicated they have never attempted to fill out their own taxes. Some of them admitted they don’t know what filing their taxes entails. The one who did do his taxes on his own is currently studying accounting at St. Clair College.
“I’m doing them myself and it wasn’t difficult at all because of the schooling I have taken,” said Aaron Stephenson. “I think a lot of people choose to have their parents do it because they are lazy.”
Nearly half of the Canadians who filed their taxes in 2013 used the CRA’s EFILE. No one who took the survey, except for Stephenson, had no idea what the CRA’s EFILE is. EFILE is a service available to electronically file the current and first prior year income tax and benefit return. Still some young adults may not want this responsibility. Half of the young people surveyed said they let their parents handle everything.
“My dad usually takes care of my finances, so I just send him my documents via email,” said Lauren Malcolm a 22-year-old who works as a mobile cell phone advisor.
Going to the post office to pick up a paper tax form is much less popular than it once was and easier ways of filing are available right from home. Technology has made filing taxes much more convenient. CRA also has volunteers available to help anyone interested in preparing their own tax return. Every Canadian can benefit from knowing what’s involved in filing their tax return every year. The deadline to file is April 30.
