In March, the Canada Revenue Agency announced that electronic signatures on Form T183 and Form T183CORP would be accepted as having met the requirements of the Income Tax Act. They introduced this measure to help alleviate some difficulties that Canadians were experiencing while trying to file their income tax returns in the middle of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In light of this new measure, ProFile has made it easy to collect your clients’ digital signature by partnering with DocuSign® – a safe and secure way to get the signatures you need in a timely manner.

What is T183 & T183CORP and What are they Used For?

The CRA requires that taxpayers sign the appropriate sections of Form T183 Information Return for Electronic Filing of an Individual’s Income Tax and Benefit Return or Form T183CORP Information Return for Corporations Filing Electronically before you can you electronically file on behalf of your clients and their corporations.

Form T183

Form T183 is for taxpayers who are filing electronic individual tax returns. This form will allow you to file taxes on behalf of the individual.

The following sections must be filled out by your client:

• Part A: Identification and address as show on your tax return
• Part E: How do you want to receive your notices of assessment and reassessment
• Part F: Declaration and authorization

Form T183CORP

Form T183CORP is for taxpayers who are filing electronic tax returns for their corporations. This form will allow you to file taxes on behalf of your clients’ corporation. This form is the equivalent for T2 corporate tax returns.

The following sections must be filled out by your client:

• Part 1: Identification
• Part 3: Certification and authorization

What Do These Changes Mean for your Workflow this Tax Season?

Convenience is a top priority for many people these days, and the new changes will have a positive impact on your workflow. By allowing eSignatures, your workflow will be efficient and eco-friendly. You can easily send a protected email with your clients documents and collect signatures without having to ever print a single page of paper. Plus, your clients can quickly fill out forms and send them back to you within hours.

The CRA’s new allowances have many benefits for you and your clients. Read more below.

Benefits of the CRA Changes

Modern and efficient way to sign returns

Your clients don’t have to physically sign a tax return before filing. You can offer a modern and easy way to sign returns. With eSignatures you can send multiple forms to multiple clients who can then quickly e-sign their documents and send it back on the same day. This means you can get started on their tax returns quicker than before.

Save money by going green

Take one more step in reducing your firm’s carbon footprint. Accepting eSignatures means that you can move towards making your firm paperless. Save on costs associated with printing, shredding, and mailing. Plus, you won’t have to worry about keeping filing cabinets filled with your clients’ documentation.

Easily access electronic files

Storing electronic files also means your clients’ information and documentation is more accessible. With digital files this means you can grant access to multiple staff members, making your job, and theirs, easier. Accessibility will help increase collaboration and keep projects moving.

Staying safe

Collecting eSignatures will help you keep your staff, clients, and communities safe by reducing social interaction. Electronic signatures drastically reduce social interactions by eliminating in-person meetings, receiving documentation through mail, or in-person drop-offs. You’re doing your part in keeping your community safe.

Collect eSignatures With Your Favourite Professional Tax Software

ProFile, Intuit’s professional tax software has partnered with DocuSign® to integrate digital signature capabilities into its software.

With ProFile you can now:

• Manage eSignature requests, delivery, and signature statuses while tracking your work on client returns.
• Automate audit trail reports for every eSignature, including timestamps that show when a request is sent, viewed, printed, signed, and completed.
• Archive an unalterable copy of important documents, or purge documents by specifying an expiration date.
• eSignature is available on any forms across T1, T2, T3, and FX modules
• Keep client data protected using encryption technologies. DocuSign®, meets some of the most stringent global security standards such as SOC1, SOC2, ISO 27001: 2013 and PCI DSS.

ProFile customers can try DocuSign® for free or get an exclusive 25% off if ready to buy now.* Learn more here.

—

Important offer details

*Terms, conditions, pricing, subscriptions, packages, features, service and support options are subject to change at any time without notice.

Must have an active current year ProFile license to use eSignature.

eSignature is not available for trials or OnePay customers.