As we enter the last three days of tax filing season, I feel obligated to share my skepticism that our efforts to secure a short filing extension will be successful. 

At this point, I urge all tax preparers to make their very best efforts to file by Friday's deadline.  I suspect that all preparers are aware that if their client and / or their client's spouse / partner carries on a business (regardless of size), that they don't have to file until June 15.

For those unable to meet the filing deadline resulting in their client being subject to a late filing penalty and / or interest charges, either because they owe tax or for failure to submit a form (such as a T1135) on a timely basis, I encourage you to consider making an application under the taxpayer relief provisions.  I can think of no more worthy set of circumstances to qualify for such relief than a national pandemic lockdown.  After tax season, I will work with other tax advisors and post on this petition site some sample wording for tax preparers to include with their fairness applications. 

I'm very sorry that our campaign was unable to accomplish our reasonable request for a short filing extension.  This petition has always been and will remain a non-partisan campaign.  I know for certain that our petition and pleas ended up on the desks of the most senior members of cabinet but, for whatever reason, they were simply unwilling to act.  Considering that sole practitioners and small accounting firms have been massively overworked for the past 12 months assisting their small business clients in applying for government benefits to help them try to survive, I believe that a show of compassion by our government with a short filing extension would have been the better course of action.

I know many of you are exhausted and exacerbated and I would like to sincerely thank-you all 77,410 (and counting) of you for your unwavering support of the past month.  Best of luck over the next three days and please take care.