Ministers Findlay and Paradis announce taxpayer relief measures for Canadians affected by the disaster in Lac-Mégantic

Ottawa, Ontario, July 25, 2013...The Honourable Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, Minister of National Revenue, and the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development, Minister for La Francophonie, and Member of Parliament for Mégantic – L’Érable, announced today that taxpayers who have been affected by the disaster in Lac-Mégantic will have access to the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) taxpayer relief provisions if they are unable to meet their tax obligations.

"All Canadians are deeply saddened by the devastation and loss of life that has occurred in Lac-Mégantic. I know that they join me in extending deepest sympathies to those who have been affected by this terrible tragedy," said Minister Findlay. "Our Government understands that this situation may cause great difficulties for affected taxpayers whose primary concerns are their families, homes, and community. Our goal is to ease the burden that taxpayers, including business owners and the self-employed, could be experiencing relating to their filing and payment obligations, so that they can focus on what is important during this difficult time – rebuilding their lives."

"Our community continues to suffer in the wake of this terrible tragedy" said Minister Paradis. "In order for the people of Lac-Mégantic to recover, they must be able to focus on their families, friends, and loved ones. It is of the utmost importance that the residents of our community be supported through every step of the recovery process. This announcement is a way of providing some peace of mind and to assure people that we will take the necessary steps to facilitate the process of healing, grieving, and rebuilding."

The CRA will consider requests for relief from taxpayers who are unable to meet their tax obligations due to the disaster in Lac-Mégantic. The CRA will review these taxpayer relief requests on a priority basis. The CRA’s taxpayer relief provisions use a balanced approach to assist taxpayers in resolving tax issues that arise due to circumstances beyond their control. Under these provisions, taxpayers can apply to the CRA, to have interest and/or penalties waived or cancelled in situations where they are unable to file a tax return and/or make payments on time because of a disaster. Taxpayers should submit their request in writing using Form RC4288, Request for Taxpayer Relief. The CRA will consider these requests on a case-by-case basis.

Impacted businesses can call 1-888-699-0735, extension 6312 for direct support in relation to taxpayer relief or any other federal tax obligation.All Canadians have access to the CRA's taxpayer relief measures and will be considered for relief if they are unable to meet their tax obligations because their lives were disrupted by disasters beyond their control.

For more information, go to www.cra.gc.ca/taxpayerrelief, or call the CRA at 1-800-959-8281 for individual enquiries, or at 1-800-959-5525 for business enquiries.

Canada Revenue Agency

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