News — Letters

It’s Your Health

Regarding “To Test or Not to Test” [January/February], when it comes to my health, I don’t much care about saving the government money. I’ll risk a false positive or negative.

Don’t Let Scammers Intimidate You

The other day, I received a phone call purporting to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). I don’t normally answer calls from phone numbers that I don’t recognize, but the area code was 613, which I know is for eastern Ontario including Ottawa. A recorded voice told me that I owed money and that a warrant was out for my arrest.

Olev Edur’s answer to a reader’s question about Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) in the November issue [page 46] was very good, clearly explaining that you can take out any amount and recontribute the same amount the following year. Nevertheless, many readers will still miss that very important phrase, “the following year.” If you return any or all of the money in the same year you withdrew it, you are assessed a tax of 3% on that amount. Believe me: I got stuck for a huge fee four years ago, and it isn’t fun trying to get any relief. Even my...