Tax planning Canada requires one uncomfortable truth to land first: CRA operates on a reverse onus. You have to prove them wrong, not the other way around.

Evelyn Jacks says most people miss that, and most people also miss that when CRA comes, they typically audit two to three years at once. The neighbour who has been doing something for years without getting caught is not proof it is fine. It is just proof they have not been selected yet.

The bigger opportunity Evelyn Jacks identifies is the other direction: most people are leaving money on the table because life events throughout the year, marriage, divorce, a new child, a side hustle, a severance package, all carry tax consequences they never follow up on. Knowing your status year-round rather than scrambling at filing time is both lower stress and higher return.

Topics: tax planning Canada, CRA audit, side hustle taxes, Knowledge Bureau, year-round tax awareness

GUEST: Evelyn Jacks | knowledgebureau.com

Originally aired on2026-05-06