See the main page for New Initiatives such as Salary vs Dividend analysis, vtCourier for Secure Email, Virtual Tax Office, etc. Legislative changes will be added to this section later in the year.
Click for Expected Program Release Dates
Click for Expected Program Release Dates
Items implemented in 2018:
1. New T7DR(A): This Bar-coded/OCR-Coded Remittance Voucher, replaced the old Ink-Coded form, that CRA stopped producing
2. User interface: Option to use Visualtax classic, or modern Ribbon interface, Small Icons or large icons. See Configure ->General Options -> Display-> Choose Interface or click the the 'Choose Interface' button (Next to the question mark on the menu Toolbar)
3. Additional T2 Electronic Services
5. T661 Research and Development projects increased to 48
Items implemented in 2017:
1. The T3-2017 is now a separate application, and not part of the TF program.
2. The TF-2017 now covers NR4 slips in addition to T3010 (Charity), T5013 (Partnership), T5018 (Contract Payments) and miscellaneous other forms
3. The T-Force program that used to handle T4, T4A and T5 slips has been redesigned to conform to the VT redesigned architecture. The T4/T4A/T5 slips and summaries are now included and they are part of the 'All-In-One' Vt-2017 program. The T4/T4A/T5 user interface is now identical to T1, T2, T3 and TF programs i.e. One file for each Employer/Payer containing its slip data. Its Client Book, contains a list of all Employers/Payers. The program includes conversion/rollover from last year's T-Force program.
4. Custom Reporting: This new feature allows users to select the data and design their own reports, and export data to Excel for further use.
1. VT-2016 (Multi-App/Multi-year version): The new Multi-App / Multi-year version, introduced for the 2015/2016 tax season in July 2016 as VT-2015, will also be offered for the 2016/2017 tax season, under the name of VT-2016. It will include the following tax modules in a single program: T1-2016, T2-2017, TF-2016, TForce-2016, FP-2017, TR-2016 and VtSCAN-2016. See details in vtRedesign
2. Amended T1 returns (Re-File) in T1-2016: CRA is finalizing the details for the T1-2016 tax season
3. Accelerated Notice of Assessment (NOA) in T1-2016: CRA is finalizing the details for the T1-2016 tax season
4. Pre-Authorized Debits (PDA) in T1-2016: T1 Efilers do not currently have an electronic method to submit a payment to the CRA on behalf of a taxpayer. To pay an amount owing on a return filed electronically, Efilers must provide taxpayers with a paper remittance voucher, form T7DR(A) Electronic Filing Remittance Form.
To allow T1 Efilers to have an electronic method of payment, a web service will be created for Pre-Authorized Debits (PAD). The consent of the PAD agreement will be obtained on the signed T183 form
5. Ability to Efile Multiple Jurisdictions (MJ) tax returns: CRA is finalizing the details for the T1-2016 tax season
New Email addresses for Orders and payments (Interac, Paypal, etc): sales@visualtax.com
Technical Support: support@visualtax.com
Discontinued: visualtax@sympatico.ca
Prices: They remain the same as last year. However, we reserve the right to change them at any time during the year.
Licensing: It remains the same except the following: The T2-2016 is licensed up to Oct 31, 2016. This coincides with the CRA certification periods which are April 1 - October 31 and then November 1 - April 30 of the following year.
We released some very powerful enhancements for the 2015 tax products. The above coincided with the Windows 10 version, released by Microsoft in 2015.
1. Auto-fill my return. Also called Tax Data Delivery (TDD): This is a welcome CRA initiative. See details below.
2. Multi-Application version: A single program called VT-2015 was released to run T1-2015, T2-2016, TF-2015 and FP-2016.
This is a breakthrough in convenience of integration and speed, via an exceptionally compact design and program size. It simplifies and speeds up the overall tax preparation for users who subscribe to more than one Visual Tax application module. Users only have one link in their machine to start this composite program. Of course, this change did not come overnight. It was the result of a major and thoughtful architectural redesign of the programs that started a couple of years back.
3. Data base engine: CUp to now all VisualTax programs were using the Borland Data Base engine (BDE- DBF) to support the Client Data Base and other functions of the program. With the advance of MS Windows, the BDE would not be well supported in the future, so we replaced the data base engine and data base format with a new one that is and will be more in sync with the evolution of MS windows.
4. Cloud support: It allows you to store client data on the cloud so you can get access and process returns from any computer, from any place, as long as you have Internet access. This can be useful to geographically dispersed offices that share the same client data base. Next year we plan to enhance cloud support with vtMobile.
5. vtMobile: This a new facility that allows users to view certain client data using smart phones and or tablets, while on the go.
AUTO-FILL MY RETURN (TDD)
VisualTax offered the 'Auto-fill My Return' as announced by CRA. This allows tax preparers to retrieve tax data from the CRA computers and the program uses them to partially fill the tax return. The original CRA name of the 'Auto-fill my Return' was Tax Data Delivery (TDD).
See more at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/esrvc-srvce/tx/bsnss/fl/tdd-ldf-eng.html
Examples of data available from CRA:
- Slips (T4, T4A, T5, etc)
- Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP)
- Home Buyers’ Plan
- Lifelong Learning Plan
- Non-Capital Losses
- Capital gains and losses
- Capital gains deductions
- Federal tuition, education, and textbook carryover amounts
- Provincial tuition, education, and textbook carryover amounts
Auto-fill CRA Announcement
(Below is the message we received from CRA).
In February 2015, with your collaboration, the CRA successfully launched the Tax Data Delivery (TDD) service for tax preparers using EFILE certified software. In February 2016, TDD is being extended to individuals using NETFILE certified software.
For the purposes of marketing and communicating the TDD service to both individuals and tax preparers, the CRA has renamed TDD as Auto-fill my return. Although the name will change, the service introduced in 2015 will only get better! We’ve enhanced the service functionality and expanded the list of tax information for the 2016 tax filing season. One of the exciting new enhancements is the addition of Client Data Enquiry (CDE) related information. This will replace the System for the Electronic Notification of Debt (SEND) web service, which will be permanently discontinued effective February 12, 2016. Auto-fill my return will now deliver taxpayer information that is available with SEND and CDE. You will receive the same comprehensive and detailed tax information with specific amounts and robust messaging that is available using CDE.
Please note you will need to disable the SEND functionality within your software products once the web service is discontinued.
This renaming is consistent with the CRA’s approach to communicate actions rather than services. All CRA communication products, including: the T1 General Income Tax and Benefit Guide, the website, and all new releases for the upcoming 2016 filing season, will inform tax filers to Auto-fill my return using a NETFILE/EFILE certified software product.
We hope that you will reflect the same terminology within your products and marketing.
Thank you for your continued support.
See CRA changes implemented in the program for 2014 tax season:
http://www.efile.cra.gc.ca/l-blltnbrd-eng.html
CRA is discontinuing the Batch Efile for 2013 tax season and beyond.
VisualTax will provide an alternative method that allows volume Efilers to submit multiple returns at a time.
See more at: 2013BatchEfileElimination.html
Noticeable Program Changes:
All T2 forms are now continuous: This means you can scroll from beginning to the end without having to jump from page to page. You can still jump to a specific page or print a specific page of a multi-page form such as the T2 Jacket, Schedule1, etc.
Noticeable Program Changes:
All forms are now continuous: This means you can scroll from beginning to the end without having to jump from page to page. You can still jump to a specific page or print a specific page of a multi-page form such as the T1 Jacket, Self employment statements, etc.
Provincial Tax Summary (PrvSum): It is a complement to the existing Federal Tax Summary (T-SUM) and Family Tax Summary (F-SUM)
Self-employment Yearly Comparative Summaries (5 year): Available for all self-employment statements: T2125SUM, T2042SUM, T2121SUM, T1163SUM, T1273SUM and T776SUM. Data are captured during the Rollover process.
T1013 Efile capability. (First year CRA accepts T1013 electronically)
From CRA
Great savings: The T1013 can be Efiled in the 2010 tax season and VisualTax will provide for it!
December 13, 2010: CRA starts accepting SEND requests.
January 24, 2011: CRA starts accepting EFILE On-Line Plus transmissions.
February 14, 2011: CRA starts processing returns.
Three new SEND messages will now show if a debt is owing to the Canada Revenue Agency for the BC Harmonized Sales Tax Credit, the Ontario Sales Tax Credit, or the Ontario Sales Tax Transition Benefit.
T1-2009:
- ClientDocs: T1-2009 alllows you to attach and retrieve scanned client documents in electronic format.
- Conversion from CanTax: T1 and T2 will be offered as a built-in function.
- All products work on Windows 7
- The Archives CD that contains T1 and T2 programs since 1991 was re-configured to install in current windows versions such as Vista 64 and Win 7
Other improvements over the T1-2008 version
- Ditto (") - save data entry time - Copying from the line above: In certain forms with potentially the same repeating entries, you can enter the ditto symbol (") to indicate that the data is identical to the previous line. The ditto can be entered either with the Shift Key as one character or two consecutive apostrophes without having to use the Shift key.
Ditto can be used in the following forms:
Donations, Student Loans, Fitness, TL2, S3, S3 Supplementaries, Public Transit and Home Renovation (S12). This potentially will reduce data entry time.
- Medical form - Save data entry time: If you enter the patient-id on the first line, then in subsequent lines the patient id defaults to the patent-id of the previous line. This saves you time in the event you are entering multiple payments for the same family member.
- Asset class 10 in form AssetsB: Added indicator in the event class 10 does not refer to an automobile
- T3 slips: Multiple slips per page (similar to T5 slips)
- Schedule 3 and Supplementary schedules: Spouse's % is allowed on item by item basis
(Some of the above improvements are not available on the Dec 15 draft version. They will be available via an update)