16 — Wednesday, April 15, 1998 — North Shore News

Revenue Canada not al

SURPRISE! Revenue
Canada isn’t bound to
follow the advice it
gives.

_ Ler’s say vou ask a ques-
tion about claiming a deduc-
tion and get an answer in
writing saying such a claim is
acceptable. Revenue Canada
can still disallow the deduc-
tion after you file your tax

: Teturn.

“But I have a letter from
"you which says it’s OK,” you
point out. “Sorry,” says the
tax man (or woman), “I guess
we made.a mistake.”
In fact, recently'a group of
investors in two different
cities claimed similar deduc-
, tions: One tax office allowed
~ the claims, the other tax office
said no, When the taxpayers
who were turned down took
2: their case to court, the judge
_ Said the first tax office had
probably made a mistake.
.- ‘* Revenue Canada publishes
“many guides, bulletins and

circulars; it: doesn’t deliberate-

ly set out to mislead taxpay-
ers.
“But good intentions are
different trom legal implica-
tions,” notes Arthur Drache,
editor of the Canadian
Taxpayer newsletter. “If the
tax department is in error and
misleads you, it is you who
must pay the price for the
mistake.”

However, this cuts both
wavs. You might challenge
the guidelines and if you can
make your case, whether to
Revenue Canada itself or to a
judge, vou can win, too.

Talking of tax problems,
the income tay department
Down Under is finally com-
ing up top in its dealings with
unhappy taxpayers.

Australia has just intro-
duced a Taxpayers Charter
which tells people they will be
treated as being honest unless
they act otherwise. And it
encourages them to complain
if tax office staff don’t live up
to the standards promised in
the charter. The Australian tax
office expects about 10,000
serious complaints a vear, now
it has introduced its first tax
appeals system as the key ini-
tative in its taxpayers’ bill of
rights. :

We have had a Declaration
of Taxpayer Rights here in
Canada since 1985. It says:

“You are entitled to
arrange your affairs to pay the

north shore news

2 BUSINESS

least amount of tax the law
allows. You are entitled to a
fair hearing and courteous
treatment. Fair handling of a
complaint is one of vour fun-

NORTH Vancouver’s
BC Rail has reached a
five-year rail trans-
portation agreement
with Quintette Coal.

BC Rail transports export-
bound shipments of coal from
the Quintette minesite to
Prince George. The coal is
then transported to the Ridley
Island terminal in Prince
Rupert by CN Rail.

“Both railways are satisfied
with the outcome of these
very difficult negotiations and

Tires by the

damental rights.”

So if you run into prob-
lems with Revenue Canada,
vou should dig out your last
tax return and read through

McELLIGOTT

are pleased that Northeast coal
will continue to be an integral
part of British Columbia’s
exports,” said Paul
McElligott, president and
CEO of BC Rail. “We have
once again demonstrated that
our organization is customer-
focused and = market-driven
and thar we can work con-
structively with our customers
in difficult circumstances to
produce a win-win deal.”
More than 600 northern
B.C. workers rely on the mine

the declaration on the back
page. If you can't seem to get
anywhere, contact the prob-
lem resoluzion officer.

Be polite but be persistent,

SOMANI

for employment.
awe

Do you have a neglected
database of contacts, cobweb-
by business: cards of never-
contacted prospects and no
time to improve your odds of
landing new business?

Moe Somani and the
SOFO Business Group have
the answer.

On Thursday, April 23
SOHO will host David
McCullough of Transamerica
Microsearch Inc. who will pre-

ways right i

because it can often rake from
a month or two to a year or
more to resolve matters.

— Copvright 1998

Mike Grenby

SCHICK

sent ideas on coordinating
contact databases, proactive
telephone sales and: mail to
attract. more” .. business...
McCullough: will attempt to’:

turn your database from hell’ -’ 7

to heaven, =

The owvo-and-a-half hour
session is scheduled -for ‘the
Alberni Room of the Pacitic
Palisades Hotel,.1277 Robson
St., Vancouver at 4:30 p.m: ~-
For more information’ calf

~ See Briefs page. 17.

S2WK . CLOSING WEEK
LO/Hl PRICE CHANGE

. ; Cranefield Int. Inc. (CFN) 0.12-2.10 0.17 - 0.08 J
“DBA Telecom Carp. (DBA) 0.11-0.37 0.17 -0.02 4

-. [Ebony Gold & Sas Inc. (EGG) 0.09-3.05 0.11 - 0.03 }
"J Exito Minerals Ltd, (EXM}
. Gala-Bari int. Inc. (GA8)

April 1 - 30, 1998 |
CONCORDECALIBRE] sg

“regen
14" 498
1.15” 3 59%

0.05
0.31

Nc
- 0.02 v

0.03-0.35
0.30-0.84
MMKX Ventures (MMX). - 0.31-0.44
Multiplex Technologies (MPX) 0.16-0.90
Metalex Ventures Ltd. (MTX} . _.0.40-0.85
Powertech Industries Inc. (PWE}.. ° 0.50-1.15,
.{Promark Software Inc, (PAW) 0.02-0.17
__JRAT Int'l. (Marketing Ld. (RAT) 0.10-0.35
-{Terraweést Ind. Inc. C1-A (TAW.A) —_0.15-0.60 0.20 - 0.08. 4
..1Us Platinum inc. (UPT) 0.12-0.41 0.12 0.044

‘ CLOSING price refers to share price at end of trading on Apri! 9, 1998.

0.23 - 0.03 Y
1.60
0.12
0.19

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NIC
NC

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”

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