dbd33

Payroll systems in Canada are very simple, they don't try and work out your tax for the whole year and proportion that every pay day. Instead they look at your pay and calculate as if you earned that much every pay day. The result is that on days with higher pay more tax is deducted than is necessary. This is a shit on the day but lessens the pain next April.

BristolUK

Shows how little live TV I watch as this one I caught today has apparently been around a while.


What I think particularly funny is how everyone just stands there not getting uppity.

scrubbedexpat091

True. I get a small refund some years. Before I was married I got nice refunds though...oh those were the days.

BristolUK

You want to be careful how that might sound.

Seriously though, getting nice refunds just shows how much you paid throughout the year when you needn't have.
I wonder if CRA had to pay interest on money deducted and then refunded they'd find a different way.

Former Lancastrian

Nope Im sure CRA don't do refunds for that. Strange if you owe them money then after X amount of time they charge you interest but on what they owe you for a tax refund doesn't attract interest unless there was an almighty screw up and you were owed the money for years.

Souvy

Almighty screw ups are not unknown.

My wife gets 'paid' via Phoenix. Just as well I have a regular income!

plasticcanuck

The Phoenix debacle is a wonderful advert for pen and paper accounting.

Almost Canadian

But that is because you screwed up by paying them more than you should have. Why should they compensate you for your mistake?

Souvy

Not necessarily. The various computer-based systems that it replaced actually worked.

All Phoenix did was attempt to cut costs by centralising everything (and firing lots of people) and then end up costing a vast amount to fix. It hasn't been fixed and won't for quite some time.

In terms of cock ups, it's right there with Montreal's Olympic stadium and Mirabel airport.

scrubbedexpat091

How does one control what an employer takes out?

The forms given on employment start don't have any way to say hey take less out that I can see. I claim what I can on the form but still end up over paying each year.

BristolUK

My stepdaughter was (xmas) wrapping something to take with her on a works 'do' this evening and was distracted part way through.
"Now where did I put the scotch tape" she said looking around.
"Inside the present?" I joked. "No, I couldn't have taped that last bit."

So I thought of the most unlikely place. "In the fridge?"

I was surprised to see her actually open the fridge door. Even more surprising was there on the shelf...

caretaker

Here's some art.
German photographer takes pictures of Sask. people at work - Saskatoon - CBC News

Former Lancastrian

When you go onto a payroll system the system deducts the information that is input by someone. Now as you have possibly heard that the Phoenix system is somewhat a tad unreliable. There has been the odd year where I have owed CRA money but in most years they owe me. So its not my mistake when the info has been input and my personal situation hasn't changed.

Teaandtoday5

Tape does this on purpose. So do scissors. In fact there are many seemingly inert objects that are out to get you.

BEVS

Before I read further down the article, I felt the photos not so much art but more comments on a modern life which would be great for the generations coming behind us all.
Then he wrote as much himself. His project is working as it is meant to.