For you nerds with kids

[[JT]]

FYI – CRA came out with a new tax credit for children’s art fees. It is essentially the same thing as the fitness tax credit ($500 per child) except it is for art, cultural, etc activities.

According to the CRA:
To qualify for this amount, a program must:
• be ongoing (either a minimum of eight consecutive weeks long or, in the case of children's camps, five consecutive days long);
• be supervised; and
• be suitable for children.
The program also has to meet one of the following criteria:
• it contributes to the development of creative skills or expertise in an artistic or cultural activity;
• it provides a substantial focus on wilderness and the natural environment;
• it helps children develop and use particular intellectual skills;
• it includes structured interaction among children where supervisors teach or help children develop interpersonal skills; or
• it provides enrichment or tutoring in academic subjects.

[joel]

[geForce]

I guess people like Winnie, who offers piano lessons to kids, will be getting more requests from parents for receipts so they can claim this tax credit.

[nature boy]

that's going to suck since we don't claim that income.

if we do that, we might have to start paying tax, in which case this credit may come in handy. thanks jt!

[Duncan]

[joel]

[Duncan]

do you guys pay rent? i vaguely remember you mentioning that kitty doesn't charge you guys rent

[nature boy]

no, we pay rent. and we buy a lot of the groceries and stuff too.

[joel]

i wonder if things like vbs or awana could be considered under this tax credit too.

[nature boy]

it could if you paid for those things. but you don't.

[Duncan]

lol... awana is like a $1 drop in fee isn't it? maybe i'll ask for a tax receipt after each visit

[nature boy]

you serious? when did that start?

what's next? a fee to drop in for worship?

[joel]

i think awana is 2$ a week, and they've always had an weekly fee. even when i used to go as a kid. if you add up the books/uniforms/badges/etc it's even more. i think most awana programs will make exceptions for families that really can't afford it. also most week long church camps/vbs that i went to had a registration fee too.

[Duncan]

yea, the awana at nl has a drop in fee. I'm not sure if they do it at all awanas, but i know for sure nl does it

and yea, vbs at nl had fees too haha

and yes, there's a drop in fee for worship... it's called offering... jkjk

[nature boy]

actually, now that i think about it, i guess awana did have those fees, i think i used to even collect it haha.

i always thought that it was free. having said that, awana should have a system where you can pay a few months at a time so they could issue receipts (you need to spend $10 or more i think to get one).