Tag: Ira Smith Trustee

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CANADA REVENUE AGENCY SCAMS: IF YOU READ ONE ARTICLE, READ THIS ONE

canada revenue agency scams
canada revenue agency scams

Canada Revenue Agency scams

Canada Revenue Agency, or as it is also known, CRA, has noticed an increase in telephone scams where the caller claims to be from the CRA but is not, and is asking Canadians to beware. There is a CRA newsletter on the issue of Canada Revenue Agency scams and the fake Canada Revenue Agency scammers. These calls are fraudulent and could result in identity and financial theft, or vulnerable people being bullied into making a payment to a bogus Canada Revenue Agency officer. They will try to make you believe that the payment is going to a legitimate CRA account, but it isn’t. There is no such CRA program.

Canda Revenue Agency scams: Anyone is a target

Everyone is at risk of having their identity stolen and it’s easy to be taken in. Most people get a little nervous when they receive a phone call from the CRA; it’s like having a police car driving right behind you even if you’re not doing anything wrong. Recognizing the importance of warning the public about identity theft, we have already published several blogs on the subject:

Canada Revenue Agency scams: It will never happen to me, right?

A recent event prompted us to reach out and let you know that anyone can be a target. Ira Smith of Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. recently received a voicemail at home from someone claiming to be from CRA collections. Being a seasoned, professional trustee and aware of the recent uptick in identity fraud scams, Ira was immediately on guard when the caller asked him to have his SIN number ready for security purposes. Ira Googled the phone number that was left on the voicemail and sure enough, it was a scam.

Click below to listen to the CRA scam voicemail

Canda Revenue Agency scams: Do the RCMP know about this?

According to Corporal Josée Rousseau of the RCMP’s anti-fraud department, police first started seeing the scam two years ago. Callers work from boiler rooms and randomly phone people from purchased calling lists. They tell their victims they’re from Canada Revenue Agency, and they owe money in unpaid taxes. The RCMP also stated the callers are aggressive and often claim they will come to the victim’s house and arrest them if the money is not paid. They say many of the callers speak with a foreign accent and insist the money be paid immediately, either by credit card or via Western Union.

If you get a call from someone claiming to work for the CRA and want to confirm the authenticity of the call contact the CRA at 1-800-959-5525 for business-related calls and 1-800-959-8281 for individual calls. Or you can do as Ira did and Google the number and see what other people are reporting.

Canda Revenue Agency scams: Tips to identify possible scams

Here are some tips from the Canada Revenue Agency to help you identify possible tax scams:

The CRA:

  • never requests prepaid credit cards;
  • doesn’t ask for information about your passport, health card, or driver’s license;
  • does not share your taxpayer information with another person, unless you have provided the appropriate authorization; and
  • never leaves personal information on your answering machine or asks you to leave a message containing your personal information on an answering machine.

When in doubt, ask yourself the following:

  • Is there a reason that the CRA may be calling? Do I have a tax balance outstanding?
  • Is the requester asking for information I would not include on CRA forms with my tax return?
  • Is the requester asking for information I know the CRA already has on file for me?
  • How did the requester get my email address or telephone number?
  • Am I confident I know who is asking for the information?

If you have too much debt you need to take action NOW

Have you been a victim of identity theft or financial theft? If for any reason you’re facing serious financial difficulties, contact Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. today. We will review your file and take immediate action to get you back on a path towards debt-free living Starting Over, Starting Now.

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407 ETR DEBT SETTLEMENT: OUR NEWEST GUILT FREE WAY TO DO IT

407, 407 ETR, 407 ETR debt, 407 ETR debt settlement, Matthew David Moore, bankruptcy, Supreme Court of Canada, SCC, Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, BIA, 407 debt, debt settlement, 407 debt settlement, plate denial, Moore Decision, Highway 407 Act, professional trustee, trustee, trustee in bankruptcy, Superintendent of Bankruptcy, bankruptcy alternative, credit counselling, debt consolidation, consumer proposal, 407 ETR bill, starting over starting now, Ira Smith Trustee407 ETR debt settlement

This 407 ETR debt settlement blog was reviewed earlier this week by Mr. Brian Empey, Partner, Goodmans LLP. We wish to express our thanks to Mr. Empey who made a valuable suggestion which we incorporated.

We have updated this blog for 2018 where 407 ETR has implemented some changes. Check out our blog 407 ETR RATES: THE ONLY 407 ETR RATES DEBT SETTLEMENT PLAN GUARANTEED TO ACTUALLY WORK for the update.

 

In January 2014 in our blog titled 407ETR FAIRNESS-ONTARIO COURT OF APPEAL ENSURES FRESH START we described to you the decision of the Court of Appeal for Ontario in 407 ETR Concession Company Limited v. Superintendent of Bankruptcy (In the Matter of the Bankruptcy of Matthew David Moore) (the Moore Decision).

The highway’s owners appealed that decision to the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC). On Friday, November 13, 2015, the SCC released three decisions all dealing with the same basic issue: does the federal Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA) take paramountcy over provincial laws purporting to deal with the issue of debt and bankruptcy in Canada. The SCC answer was a resounding YES!

What did the SCC decide about the provincial law about 407 debt settlement?

The SCC dismissed the appeal of the ETR. The SCC considered whether the plate denial provisions of the Highway 407 Act conflicted with the discharge provisions of the BIA. ETR’s position was that provincial law about plate denial should apply following a person’s discharge from bankruptcy. The Attorneys General for several provinces, including the Province of Ontario, advanced positions in support of the provinces’ jurisdiction to legislate in vehicle licensing.

The SCC’s decision upheld the Moore Decision which found that the discharge provisions of the BIA override the plate denial provisions of the Highway 407 Act.

What is the effect on ETR debt settlement?

The effect of the SCC’s decision is that pre-bankruptcy amounts owed to the ETR are deemed to be provable claims under the BIA and can no longer be collected through plate denial under the Highway 407 Act following a customer’s discharge from bankruptcy. Therefore, 407 etr debt settlement is possible.

Where a person has been discharged from bankruptcy and has pre-bankruptcy amounts in plate denial, which are provable claims under the BIA, 407 ETR will credit these amounts (plus interest and fees incurred on those amounts) on the person’s 407 ETR bill, upon receipt of a Notice of Bankruptcy, and an Order of Discharge or a Certificate of Discharge.

In both cases, once the amount owing is credited, then the person is free to get plate renewal from the Province.

What will 407 ETR do next?

407 ETR must and is abiding by the SCC decision. They will set up a protocol whereby those who have already been discharged from bankruptcy and have been denied a plate renewal will be able to prove they have been discharged, get the 407 ETR debt, including penalty and interest, reversed, and get a plate renewal.

Those who are still in the middle of their bankruptcy proceedings and not yet discharged will be able to apply to have a plate renewal, once they are discharged from bankruptcy and prove it to 407 ETR.

Interestingly enough, there was no evidence whatsoever in any of the Court cases, including this one before the SCC, as to the 407 ETR’s right to deny anyone credit. When you get your transponder, the 407 ETR is actually extending credit to you, in the form of use of the toll highway in return for the toll charges they expect you to pay. It is no different from the bank loaning you money, and expecting you to repay it in full, with interest.

Will 407 ETR deny extending credit to discharged bankrupts? Will they only issue a new transponder to discharged bankrupts who give them a large cash deposit so that use of the 407 ETR will only be on a “cash and carry” basis? We don’t know, they have so far been silent on the issue, but it is still early in the game.

Do you need 407 etr debt settlement and a plan for your other debts too?

Instead of going deeper into debt seek help from a professional trustee, even if you’re not considering bankruptcy at this stage. A trustee in bankruptcy will evaluate your situation and help you to arrive at the best possible solution for your problems, whether that solution is a bankruptcy alternative like credit counselling, debt consolidation or a consumer proposal or bankruptcy. With immediate action and the right plan, the Ira Smith Team can solve your financial problems Starting Over, Starting Now. We’re just a phone call away.

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SENIORS DEBT RELIEF CANADA: STRESS FREE THROUGH SENIORS DEBT RELIEF CANADA

SENIORS DEBT RELIEF CANADA: STRESS FREE THROUGH SENIORS DEBT RELIEF CANADA

The topic of seniors debt relief Canada has been described in the media frequently over the last year. Last week we published our blog THE MODERN RULES OF SENIORS CARRYING DEBT. Before that we’ve done a series of blogs about seniors in debt:

Many Canadian seniors are struggling financially in what should have been a carefree retirement. They desperately need seniors debt relief Canada.

However, the problem with seniors carrying indebtedness into retirement is not going away. In fact, seniors have now become so accustomed to living this way that they are using it to finance their lifestyles instead of downsizing or cutting back on expenses.

The full story has not yet played out. Given that retirees and working seniors are less likely to be taking steps to accelerate their liabilities repayment, the stress on them will get worse.

The number of seniors in this situation is not only in low rate mortgages right now but is also increasing in other credit categories, such as auto loans, bank loans, lines of credit and credit cards.

This can be a recipe for disaster if interest rates rise. Where is the extra income going to come from? If you’re one of these seniors or anyone else who is relying on credit to support their lifestyle, give the Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. Team a call before interest rates rise and while you still have options. With immediate action and the right plan, we can solve your financial problems and set you on a path to a debt free and stress-free living Starting Over, Starting Now.

seniors debt relief canada
Seniors debt relief Canada – Picture courtesy of The Globe & Mail
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40 PARK LANE CIRCLE, 44 PARK LANE CIRCLE TORONTO FOR SALE: ARE FINANCIAL PROBLEMS CONTAGIOUS?

40 Park Lane Circle, 44 Park Lane Circle Toronto

40 Park Lane Circle, 44 Park Lane Circle Toronto for sale, 44 Park Lane Circle, 40 Park Lane Circle, debt, budget, collection agencies, trustee, financial plan, starting over starting now
40 Park Lane Circle, 44 Park Lane Circle

40 Park Lane Circle, 44 Park Lane Circle Toronto for sale: it seems that life in Toronto’s very exclusive Bridal Path is not always what it appears to be. We tend to categorize the people who own these properties as “the rich and famous” while in reality some of them are “not so rich and infamous”. Two Bridal Path properties have garnered quite a bit of attention #40 Park Lane Circle which used to be owned by Mahvash Lechcier-Kimel and #44 Park Lane Circle which used to be owned by Norma Walton and Ronauld Walton.

Are financial problems contagious?

Are financial problems contagious between 40 Park Lane Circle, 44 Park Lane Circle Toronto for sale or just the entire street? Of course not; but when you get caught up in a high flying Bridal Path lifestyle and have to support a massive property like either one of these, or any other property that the average person would describe as a mansion, it’s very easy to accumulate enormous amounts of debt, leaving you to house rich and cash poor. And, if the spending is not controlled and the debts keep piling up it can be easy to lose everything.

Everyone needs a realistic and proper budget

A realistic and proper budget should be an important part of your life. It will keep you from overextending yourself while trying to keep up with your next-door neighbours. Without a proper budget, it’s very easy to get caught up in a cycle of overspending – bigger houses, faster cars, and exotic vacations. The lure of luxury is intoxicating, especially in the low-interest-rate environment we currently live in; but what happens when you wake up and find letters from creditors in the mail demanding payment? How many of those demand letters do you think found their way to the mailboxes of these two luxury Bridle Path?

Call us for a no-cost consultation

So whether you are in over your head with debt due to the ownership of a massive property or for other reasons, such as you’re living a lifestyle that you can’t afford and are being hounded by creditors and collection agencies, now’s the time to contact a professional trustee today. The Ira Smith team can set you back on a path to financial health with immediate action and a solid financial plan. Starting Over, Starting Now you can live a debt-free life.

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GREY DIVORCE IN CANADA CAN CREATE SERIOUS DEBT FOR BOOMER RETIREES

grey divorce in canada“Divorce is the one human tragedy that reduces everything to cash”. – Rita Mae Brown

The terms “silver separation” and grey divorce” sound very benign, but their financial ramifications have spelled disaster for many boomer retirees. Instead of travelling the world or spending carefree days on the golf course, many retired baby boomers may now be saddled with a mountain of debt and are trying to figure out how to pay their bills because of grey divorce in Canada.

A study done in 2012 by Bowling Green State University in Ohio revealed that the divorce rate among people who are retired or near retirement had more than doubled in the United States in just 20 years. According to Statistics Canada, divorces among couples 65 years of age and older are becoming more and more common and that the average age at which Canadians divorce has been rising steadily for a number of years. And, this trend is expected to continue. Susan Eng of the national seniors’ advocacy group CARP said that in recent years her office has been seeing an increase in calls from divorcees who are unsure of how they were going to make ends meet now that they were alone.

Although women seem to be the hardest hit, men are not immune. The nest egg that you have accumulated for retirement now has to be divided and you may also be supporting minor children and helping to support adult children and/or ageing and ailing parents. The financial challenges of your new reality may have created more debt that you can handle.

Grey divorce in Canada summary

Debt is a four-letter word but it can be managed with professional help. If you are experiencing serious debt problems because of grey divorce in Canada, or for any other reason, contact Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver. Credit Counselling, Debt Consolidation, and Consumer Proposals are all options that we can explore and then we will come up with a plan that will work best for you. Although life can be difficult after a grey divorce you can start over and live a debt-free life Starting Over, Starting Now.

Call a Trustee Now!