is discriminative, and looks like based on the author’s preconceptions.

AntiRacist: the fact that you are so upset about the previous comment makes me think that you ARE racist

First and foremost, let me congratulate you on a great site. I have enjoyed reading many of the articles related to taxes! This Article, “Audit Defence Plans. Is it for you?” is well done and a great deal of the information is spot-on. I did want to review a few points that are not quite correct or needed a little clarification:

1. We all know the world is not made up of just French and English speakers. We have subscribed for years to Language Line Services which provides us with interpreters fluent in over 170 languages. This is at no cost to our members.
2. And while you, and many others, will be pleasantly surprised, our firm handles extremely complicated issues at that one low price. We have had a few cases, not the norm, that lasted two to three years. You are correct that due to mathematical properties, most cases only take one or two meeting or two to five letters and telephone calls to CRA to handle. Yes, that low price does provide peace of mind for the “simple” things, but if you look at what an accountant would charge you for this same service ($1,000 up to +$5,000 for complicated issues, as you have described), then you have one great bargain! Same great price if you are “a little or a lot off-side.”
3. Normally, there really is very little extra “organizing” required for the taxpayers’ records as these are the same records the taxpayers used to complete their tax returns in the first place.
4. Lastly, you inadvertently stated we do not cover “late filed returns” but as the information in QuickTax shows, we will honor Audit Defence for the 2009 tax year if the return is filed before January 1, 2011.

In closing, keep up the good work! Your information is well appreciated.

Great article! Very informative and helped me decide whether or not to take the service.

One thing bothered me though, I know several people (including myself and my wife) whose first language is not English or French and our taxes are quite beyond “plain vanilla”. I take it you meant to say that people who don’t speak English or French at all have a tendency to have plain vanilla tax returns as most likely they work a low paying job. Which I also take for a trip because that is also profiling, racist and discriminative in nature. Dealing with Canadian stereotyping and racism is way harder than American racism. At least those guys you know for sure they are racist, but Canadians are very subtle to discriminate and meaner. With Americans if you can make them make money, you are in, with Canadians, you will be lucky if they buy a piece of gum from you.

A better statement would probably have been to say that low income families or individuals tend to have simpler tax returns and may benefit from the service. Actually, better still: “If your tax returns is mainly composed of employment income and nothing fancy, this service is for you.”

I will also have you know that many immigrants to Canada are highly educated and oh surprise, more so than many Canadians. A lot have quite the experience and expertise and are unfortunately underemployed, but end up creating a business and making a living for themselves (pretty much as me and my wife’s case).

Last point: In my business I hire other people for different jobs (a marketing agency). In my experience, if you bring immigrant subcontractors or employees, people treat you with deference and doubt your capacity, but if you bring a white, blonde, blue eyed, no accent person (not necessarily Canadian born, just with those characteristics), its like magic. First they are amazed that a “Canadian” would submit to working for an immigrant and then they start treating you with more respect. Subtle, but very visible when you deal with a client for months and suddenly they change. Even had people ask in amazement how the work relationship came to be… love Canada, hate discrimination and racism. Canada, you can do better and each of us can help.