Now is the time to contact your tax preparer. Your time is running out to make any more RRSP contributions that will count towards your last year.

This applies to you if you have a regular job with a salary over about $40,000 per year. We all have to pay CPP and EI, these are deducted at source by your payroll. Both CPP and EI have a maximum annual amount, and that payroll does not spread out the amount throughout the year. The net effect is your take home pay is less at the start of the year, until you reach your maximums.

You can get this form here --> .

I tell you this each year. And around Dec 20 each year the CRA comes out with new versions of the TD1 forms. These are the forms you fill in and give to your payroll department where you work. They are used it to calculate the source tax deductions on your paycheque. Be sure to fill in both the federal and the provincial TD1 forms. There are several good reasons to update the forms at least annually, or if your situation changes.

As of Jan 1, 2008 the Federal Government is reducing the GST from six per cent to five per cent. This will cost the Government about six billion dollars per year, or perhaps a better way to think of it is that it will put six billion dollars per year back into the pockets of Canadians. That is roughly about $200 per person per year.