You know what I submitted in good faith? My 2013 PRESTO-issued transit usage report. I also included a scan of my Presto card. Last year, the CRA asked me to prove I actually owned a PRESTO card. This year, the CRA asked me to prove the transit usage report I was asked to submit was actually mine. The problem? My name was no where on the report. I checked 2012 and the report had my name. Check your 2013 report. I bet you a million dollars your name is missing, too.
Below is a screenshot of Twitter user @GOvoygr's PRESTO transit usage report.
This is a photo of my report - downloaded directly from the Prestocard.ca website. My name is missing.
If you haven't been called out by the CRA yet, perhaps you weren't part of the coin toss. If you do, you will have to ask PRESTO to reissue your report with your name and enclose a scan or photocopy of your PRESTO card.
I can tell you this much, if I ran a company like how PRESTO is run, I'd be fired - no question.
This kind of sloppiness pushed onto the backs of tax paying transit customers is appalling. I spent close to $9 in postage and courier fees, and it took three months to fix this mess.
Last week, I received a letter from the CRA saying I've satisfied the request and no further action of my part is required.
It shouldn't have been a problem in the first place.
20 comments:
It was so much easier to photocopy your monthly pass and send them in. Never a problem in the past for me.
This year will suck for PRESTO. Probably can't claim a lot, so it will be fun and games trying to figure out which months qualify.
PRESTO just denied on Twitter that they have no knowledge of anyone having issues with the CRA and the transit usage report.
Or, you can open the PDF in Acrobat PRO - any version - and type your name in and reprint it and submit it.
Yeah. That sounds about right. Why, after 2 years of goofing up the reports, would they admit they were in the wrong?
FRED
I did the same. I noticed it when I printed it out. Now I'm kicking myself. I should have left it so I could go after them for their stupidity.
Altering a document for tax purposes is forgery - DON'T DO IT. Get PRESTO to fix it for you. My name is also missing but I submitted a copy of my card with mine so I guess that's why I am ok.
My name is printed on mine.
Tina
I don't think adding your name to a document that is legitimately yours is forgery.
Actually, oopsie, my name WAS on the 2012 report. It is not on the 2013 report. Guess I owe you a million dollars and the CRA...?
^ Time to pay up!!!
Isn't the name kind of the most basic piece of information required?
I can't imagine why the CRA would make you prove you actually own a PRESTO card, when you don't actually need to own one to claim the transit expenses if you paid for them and they are for yourself, your spouse or your children. http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/ncm-tx/rtrn/cmpltng/ddctns/lns360-390/364/wh-eng.html
For example, I have a PRESTO card but I rarely use it. My son lives with his Mom, but he has a card that I will likely be funding for him in 2015 so he doesn't have to walk to school. When it comes time to file taxes, you can be sure that I'm claiming his transit expense on my return if I'm the one paying for it.
Also, you don't need to have your name on the report, just the card number. My name is not on my Transit Usage report either, but the card number is.
CRA requires:
•the identity of the rider, either by name or unique identifier.
I'm pretty sure that the card number qualifies as a "unique identifier". CRA may then require a copy of the card to match it up, but that's about the only reason I can think of why they'd want to see proof of the card.
This was brought to the attention of GO Transit officials at the last Customer Service Advisory Committee meeting. I know this for a fact.
I'll be ticked if they didn't forward that information on to the PRESTO folks.
I got my CRA letter back in September. I can't recall if my name was on the report or not, but I do know that the copy of my card came out pretty bad - you could hardly see the serial number or my signature. I sent it all as is and got my clearance two months later. I guess it depends on who opens the package and what kind of day they are having.
Thanks for the heads up, CJ. I checked and my name was missing from my report as well. I'm away from home so I might have a letter from the CRA waiting for me when I get home :-(
Anyway, the report does have my PRESTO card number, so it should be easy enough to prove that the card is mine...
@MATT: CRA's reasoning for needing a name is that by just the number on the report, it could belong to anybody. No proof it's your report.
If you also submit a copy of the side of your card with the number and your signature, you'd be fine.
Looking forward to seeing if the report will be accurate this year. There's a first time for everything!
I had the same problem - the CRA sent me a letter telling me I had to submit a front and back photocopy of my Presto card, since my transit usage report did not have my name on it. You think including the cardholder's name would be a no-brainer.
Sometimes, the copy of the card showing your signature and number are not enough.
A friend of mine sent that in with her other documentation and CRA said "we need more information". What else do they need?
I told my friend to call PRESTO and have them reissue the report properly. Her situation has been going on since July, for frig's sake!
My report was actually missing rides when compared against my transaction history reports I print off every month.
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