@ThisCrazyTrain No, we don't use names. The card number is considered a unique identifier and meets the CRA’s requirements.
— PRESTO card (@PRESTOcard) February 18, 2015@PRESTOcard So this is *now* happening: @CanRevAgency is asking for TUR with NAME on it. I raised the flag in Feb! pic.twitter.com/DNdP3R9GJI
— CJ Smith (@ThisCrazyTrain) September 22, 2015
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Well, I am sure hoping PRESTO will reimburse you for the full credit amount.
ReplyDeleteThey were the ones who screwed up, even knowing they screwed up. And therefore they screwed a TON of people out of their credit.
WHAT COVER LETTER???
ReplyDeletePresto does't mail anything! The report is downloaded. This is crazy.
Bizarre. For the second year in a row I submitted my Presto TUR (and, I THINK, a photocopy of my Presto card) and haven't had any problem with them demanding something with my name on it. I downloaded the TUR (never heard of them being sent by mail, so no cover letter).
ReplyDeleteWhat gives? Is this going to now be a problem next tax season??? That's a credit of several hundred dollars right there that I would NOT be pleased to find missing because PRESTO can't figure out how to attach a name to an account (even though we have to provide our name in order to register the card in the first place).
It's only a problem if Revenue Canada chooses to audit you and the credits you claimed. It is not every single taxpayer. Mostly those who file electronically and especially those if the amount claimed is higher than previous years or seems too high, period.
ReplyDeleteLots of GO pax will claim the total amount of the report when in fact, many of the trips DO NOT qualify. If your claim is around $2800, it's my opinion you're ok. No flags.
I live in Oshawa, traveling to Union. Because of vacations and short months due to holidays or illness, only 9 months of the year peg me at the required 32 one way trips. My claim was $2894.94 for 2014. No letter yet for me. I think I'm good.
I am gonna be soo pissed.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, how difficult is it for Presto to put your name on the report?
ReplyDeleteDifficult enough for the preschoolers who run Presto it seems.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering...why didn't you mention this problem when you were speaking with Matt Galloway on Metro Morning? Metro Morning made a big deal, about a year ago, about TTC finally adopting the Presto card. Golden opportunity to warn them that they were backing a loser.
ReplyDeleteThe interview had nothing to do with PRESTO and this wasn't an issue then because audits are done at this time of year. It wasn't even on my mind.
DeleteAnonymous @ 4:35 PM
ReplyDeleteThat interview was short and fast paced. It wasn't intended to be an inquisition of all things pertaining to Metrolinx.
Metro Morning was made aware of this matter via Twitter this morning. Ref: http://bit.ly/1V8D40H (copy/paste to browser address bar).
Okay... WTF? Seriously. Presto's refusal to acknowledge a problem with transit usage reports with no name is beyond passive aggressive. I refuse to believe that, in this day and age, Presto lacks the capacity to produce electronic reports with sufficient information to satisfy the CRA requirements.
ReplyDeleteHonestly... what would it take for someone from CRA and someone from Presto to get on the phone and sort this out? This affects thousands of transit users. Cover letter? Really? Did anyone from CRA even think to pick up the phone or open their e-mail and contact Presto to inquire about these transit usage reports? Nope. Each auditor (or whatever) dinks around with the tax returns he or she is assigned to screen, and the ball gets lobbed back in the individual taxpayer's court.
It's been mentioned several times to the higher-ups at GO Transit. They keep insisting there's no issue with how they're sending the reports (that is, with no name). They say you can send a copy of the PRESTO card with your signature along with your report and it should be fine.
ReplyDeleteEXCEPT IT'S NOT!!!
How effing hard is it to include a name, when there's a field on the report that says "Name"?!?!?!?!
Oh boy Im still waiting to hear back from the CRA, what was your timeline? I received my letter on August 4th asking for back up and sent transit report the same day and still havent heard back, its never usually this long, CRA must be backed up.
ReplyDeleteGot the same response from the CRA, they won't take my TUR because it doesn't have my name on it.
ReplyDeleteTypical stupidity from the government and its crown corporations (Metrolinx)