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Almost 9 million Canadians have $1.4 billion in uncashed CRA checks — could you be one of them?
Good news from the Canada Revenue Agency for a change? Now that’s a treat. Next month, the CRA, Canada’s revenue agency, says it will begin sending reminders to tens of thousands of Canadians to let them know they’re owed money they haven’t yet claimed. On Monday, the CRA said it has about $1.4 billion worth of uncashed checks on its books, some of which were due as far back as 1998. As of May, 8.9 million Canadians had some type of uncashed check in their name . The average amount owed is $158, the tax agency said. While the CRA administers billions of dollars in taxes and deductions each year, not all of it is in the hands of eligible Canadians, mostly because people have either lost the checks or changed addresses, meaning they never received them in the first place. “We want to make sure this money ends up where it belongs. In the taxpayers’ pockets!” said the tax agency. The CRA said it will soon notify about 25,000 recipients of the Canada Child Benefit and related provincial/territorial programs, the GST/HST credit and the Alberta Energy Tax Refund if they are owed money, and that another two groups of 25,000 will be notified this November and May 2023. But if you think you might be one of those lucky Canadians, you might want to be a little more proactive. read more You can check if you have unclaimed payments from the Canadian Revenue Agency by logging in or registering for an online CRA account. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)
Customers scream as Air Canada, WestJet continue to deny some compensation claims despite new directive
Judging by a lot of anecdotal evidence, flying has been a bit of a headache lately. Long flight delays and crew shortages have led to chaos at many Canadian airports. However, a recent decision by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) was supposed to help clear the air on at least one source of frustration: the rules around flight reimbursement. In ruling on a WestJet case on July 8, the transportation regulator clarified that, in general, airlines cannot deny passengers compensation for flight disruptions caused by crew shortages. However, the clarification has angered some passengers, including Frank Michel, who was denied compensation by Air Canada, and Jennifer Peach, who was denied by WestJet, due to crew shortages and restrictions and safety concerns. “It’s offensive,” said Michel of Marquis, Sask. Under federal rules, airlines must pay compensation — up to $1,000 per passenger — only if the flight disruption is within the airline’s control and not safety-related. WestJet and Air Canada declined to comment on individual cases, but both said they comply with federal air passenger regulations. WestJet said safety is its top priority. Air Canada said airlines should not be penalized for canceling flights for safety reasons. But Michel says the company doesn’t play by the rules. “The CTA has already made it clear that crew limitations are not an acceptable excuse,” he said. “It’s not about security. It’s about management. You have to manage your resources.” read more Leigh and Frank Michel of Marquis, Sask., were not compensated by Air Canada after flight cancellations in June left them sleeping on the airport floor. (Frank Michel)
You tip your hairdresser, but what about your mechanic? It may only be a matter of time
You’re probably tipping the guy who cuts your hair. Should you do the same for the person who fixes your car? Customers are increasingly seeing a tipping option at card payment machines in industries where tipping was never previously part of the cost, from car dealerships to fast-food giants. Dubbed “tip creep,” the phenomenon leaves a bad taste with some consumers, who were asked online if they want to pay an extra 15 percent or more on top of the price of a takeout pizza, oil change or propane tank refill. “Tipping is spreading to a lot more places now, so where we wouldn’t have been asked to tip before, it now seems to be a lot more common,” says Simon Pek, associate professor at the University of Victoria’s Gustavson School. Businesses investigating tipping practices. As customers move away from carrying cash, it’s easier than ever for any business to ask for a little extra cash by adding the automated message — what psychologists call a “tip” — to the card payment machine. Inflation can also play a factor. Business owners, for example, might see adding a tip button as a way to give in to employee demands for higher pay without necessarily affecting their bottom line. “We’ll see an even lower sticker price, continue to buy the product, and then add 10 to 20 percent afterwards — it can be frustrating, but people still do it, and that’s often cheaper for a company than having to pay them wages,” Peck said. read more Do you have an inflation story to share? Email us at [email protected] With fewer customers carrying cash, companies are moving away from the traditional tip jar at the counter to add a tip option to their card payment machines. Here, a tip jar is pictured at a Vancouver cafe on April 30, 2019. (Jan Zeschky/CBC)
What else is going on?
Cineplex posts quarterly profit of $1.3 million — its first since the pandemic began 11 million people saw a movie at a Cineplex location during the quarter, up from 1 million last year. Polio has been largely eradicated thanks to vaccines. So why is it now coming back to more countries? Contaminations, sewage samples in the UK, US and Israel point to challenges in eradicating the virus worldwide. Climate change is harming our mental health. These researchers want to help Scientists across Canada are trying to learn enough about climate stress to prevent and deal with it.
Marketplace needs your help
Marketplace is marking its 50th season and you’re invited to celebrate with us! Join us for a live taping in Toronto where you’ll get a sneak peek at our launch episode this fall. Prizes and light refreshments will be available, but tickets are limited. Register here Have you been traveling recently and noticed that your hotel no longer provides services like they used to, such as breakfast or daily housekeeping? We’d like to hear about products and services where you think companies are ‘getting away’. Email us at [email protected]
