The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requires individual and corporate citizens to keep their records on the off chance that they are examined, or if the CRA needs a citizen to legitimize their pay and/or costs in another manner.
CRA Requirements for Record Keeping – Where do I keep my Records?
Except if you have consent from the CRA, you should keep your records at your place of business or your habitation in Canada.
Records that are kept outside of Canada and got to electronically from inside Canada are not viewed as records kept in Canada.
So as to get authorization to keep your records somewhere else, you should keep in touch with your assessment administrations office. In the event that you are allowed authorization, you should make your records accessible upon demand for audit by the CRA in Canada.
The CRA won't offer authorization to keep records outside of Canada to the accompanying:
Enrolled good cause;
Enrolled Canadian beginner athletic affiliations;
Canadian districts;
Open bodies playing out a component of government; and
Lodging organizations occupant of Canada and excluded from charge under Part 1 of the Income Tax Act.
The CRA could give you authorization to store your electronic records outside of Canada. Assuming this is the case, the CRA may acknowledge duplicates if:
The CRA is fulfilled that the duplicates of the records are genuine duplicates;
They are made accessible to CRA authorities in Canada in an electronic arrangement intelligible by CRA programming; and
They demonstrate enough subtleties to help the profits documented with the CRA.
CRA Requirements for Record Keeping – How Long Do I have to Keep my Records?
When all is said in done, you should save all records and supporting documentation for a time of 6 years from the finish of the last expense year they identify with. The assessment year will be the financial period for companies and the schedule year for people.
The multi year rule applies to the accompanying enactments:
The Income Tax Act;
The Excise Tax Act (incorporates the GST/HST);
The Employment Insurance Act;
The Canada Pension Plan;
The Excise Act, 2001; and
The Air Travelers Security Charge Act.
In any case, there are times when you should save your record for more. A portion of these include:
In the event that you document an annual assessment form late, you should save your records for a long time from the date you document that arrival;
In the event that you have not documented a GST/HST return for a detailing period that finished over 6 years back, you are as yet required to record the arrival and hold the records to help the sums wrote about the arrival;
On the off chance that you documented a complaint or an intrigue, you should keep every important record until the most recent of the accompanying dates:
The date the complaint or claim is settled;
The date for recording any further intrigue has passed;
The six-year record keeping period has passed;
At the point when a partnership is broken down, it must save the accompanying records for a long time after the date of its disintegration:
All records and supporting archives to check its expense commitments and privileges;
Every other record that organizations need to keep;
At the point when you are the legal delegate of a perished citizen or trust, you can decimate the records subsequent to getting a leeway certificate(s) to convey property under your influence.
CRA Requirements for Record Keeping – Am I permitted to Destroy my Records?
So as to annihilate your records before the lapse of the compulsory period, you should get composed authorization from the CRA.
To get this authorization, you or your approved agent can:
Complete Form T137, Request for Destruction of Records and;
Apply recorded as a hard copy to your expense administrations office.
Note that the CRA isn't approved to favor the obliteration of records that you should hold under other government, common, domains, or civil laws.
On the off chance that your records were wrecked because of a calamity, you have to contact the CRA to educate them with respect to this.
On the off chance that you are uncertain about to what extent you are required to keep your records, or if the CRA is assessing or reviewing you or your business call us today! Best Lawyers Torontoâ„¢ can help!