What's new for T1/T2 version 6.30?

DT Max version 6.30 contains the T1/TP1 program for tax years 1996 to 2002 and the 2003 tax planner, as well as the T2 program for fiscal periods ending in 1994 onwards. It fully supports T1 efile, T2 efile, corporation Internet filing and Ontario CT-23 D-file.

Installing DT Max v6.30 on Windows 95, 98 or ME

Users who have DT Max v6.25 or earlier installed on a computer running Windows 95, 98 or ME should uninstall DT Max before attempting to install v6.30. This is necessary due to an incompatibility between the Microsoft Installer Engine and DT Max v6.20 in these Windows operating systems.

To uninstall, click the Start button and select Settings -> Control panel -> Add or remove programs, then locate DT Max in the list of programs and select Remove. This will uninstall your existing version of DT Max without affecting your DT Max database files or any of your existing DT Max settings.

In this edition

System changes

DT Max T1

Program highlights
Known issues


DT Max T2

Certification
Known issues
Keywords
Forms
Miscellaneous

System changes

Extract and merge

Long file names are now supported for the extract and merge features. File names were previously limited to the 8.3 format. This improvement enables you to create more descriptive file names, e.g. indicating the taxpayer's name, reasons for the extraction, etc.

Quickstart tutorials

New introductory tutorials have been created for the T1 and T2 programs. They are designed for new users of DT Max, and will automatically be offered to those who install the program for the first time.

If you wish to view these tutorials yourself or use them to help train a new employee, you may run them from inside DT Max by selecting Quickstart tutorials from the Help menu.

Knowledge base structure

The DT Max knowledge base has been extensively revised and reorganized.

Back and forward icons

The display of the tax return now features "back" and "forward" icons on the toolbar and in the dialogue frame that is displayed when right-clicking on a tax return.

These work in a similar way to a Web browser, i.e. clicking the "back" icon will take you to the previous page of the return that you viewed.

Fiscal year-end filter (T2)

The fiscal year-end filter in the client list is now working properly, and users will no longer get the numeric list instead of the year-end list. Please note that in order to remedy the situation you have to rebuild your database. To do so, select Advanced utilities in the Tools menu, and choose the option Rebuild database.

Keywords CLIENTCODE and LIST-MEMO in the client list

The keyword CLIENTCODE is now available in the client list. To enable this feature you must rebuild your database with this new version in order to get existing CLIENTCODE entries to appear in the client list. To rebuild your database, select Advanced utilities in the Tools menu, and choose the option Rebuild database.

The keyword LIST-MEMO has been created to allow users to enter a short memo in the data editor that will then appear in the client list for a given client. The LIST-MEMO keyword is available in T1 and T2 for years 2003 and later.

To enable the display of CLIENTCODE and/or LIST-MEMO in the client list, tick the appropriate box under Client list settings in the Preferences menu.

DT Max T1

Program highlights

Federal and provincial personal income tax forms have been updated to reflect the majority of the 2003-2004 budget changes. However, these forms are NOT approved by the government and should only be used for planning purposes.

Note that starting in 2003, the Manitoba non refundable tax credits will be independent from the federal amounts. However, this change has not been incorporated in this version.

The 2003 calculations can only be submitted to the government in the cases of returns for deceased or bankrupt taxpayers. DT Max calculations will reflect the 2003 amounts but will be printed on 2002 forms, as per government specifications. Note that while the federal government requires the authorization number to be printed on the tax forms for these returns, the MRQ does not want the authorization number to appear for the current year. You should contact the MRQ if any returns for bankrupt or deceased taxpayers have been rejected for 2003 due to the absence of an authorization number.

The new federal and provincial tax brackets and rates, the new non refundable tax credits, and the 2003-2004 budget changes are summarized in the following documents:

Non refundable tax credits (2003)
Tax brackets and rates (2003)
Tax changes in DT Max (2003)

Known issues

Since version 6.20

Ontario EETC granted to both spouses

DT Max T2

Program certification

Federal

DT Max is fully certified for RSI's, efile, and corporate Internet filing under the CRA's specifications of February 28, 2003. Users can file returns with year-ends up to October 31, 2003.

To simplify the corporate Internet filing process, DT Max now allows users to connect directly to the CRA's Web site after having generated the returns in electronic format.

For an overview of T2 Internet filing with DT Max, please refer to Filing corporate tax returns electronically.

Alberta

DT Max is now fully certified under the new specifications of Alberta Revenue.

The general tax rate for Alberta has been reduced from 13% to 12.5% effective April 1, 2003. This change has been incorporated in this version.

The increase in the business limit (from $350,000 to $400,000) to which the low rate of corporate income tax may be applied is also incorporated into this version.

Ontario

DT Max is newly certified under the new specifications of the Ontario Ministry of Finance.

Note that the CT23 capital tax $5,000,000 exemption changes from the 2002 budget have not been incorporated into this version. The Ontario MoF did not consent to the implementation of these changes as finalized forms were unavailable.

Known issues

Since version 6.20

Incorrect optimization of the provision for taxes
Incorrect small business limit


Corrected in this version

Ontario tax rates in 2003

Keywords

The keyword TECH-LEVEL can be used to enter information about the technical level of the SR&ED project (schedule 32).

Use the keyword Material.p to enter the total cost of materials consumed during the SR&ED project (schedule 32).

Use the keyword Contract.p to enter the total contract expenditures of the SR&ED project in the current tax year (schedule 32).

Use the keyword HomePage to identify the corporation's Web site for purposes of federal schedule 32.

The keyword Consent tells DT Max whether or not to print a letter of authorization with the tax return, and whether the corporation consents to the release of confidential information to a representative, or cancels consent for an existing representative.

Use the keyword Cancel.rep to indicate whether the corporation is cancelling consent to the release of confidential information for all representatives or for a specific representative.

The keyword Year-Info is used to indicate the period to which the consent to the release of confidential information or the cancellation of such consent applies. This replaces the keyword AUTHORIZE. DT Max will automatically convert this information if the AUTHORIZE keyword is present in a given file.

Use the keyword Account to indicate to which accounts the consent applies, or does not apply. This replaces the keyword INFO-TYPE. DT Max will automatically convert this information if the INFO-TYPE keyword is present in a given file.

The keyword Branch-Tax opens up a group to enter information pertaining to Part XIV tax for non-resident corporations (schedule 20).

Forms

Federal

New

Schedule 20 - Part XIV tax - Branch tax
Schedule 366 - New Brunswick corporation tax calculation
Schedule 383 - Manitoba corporation tax calculation
Schedule 411 - Saskatchewan corporation tax calculation
Schedule 427 - British Columbia corporation tax calculation


Revised

RC59 - Business consent form
Schedule 5 - Tax calculation supplementary - corporations
Schedule 32 - Claim for SR&ED carried out in Canada
Schedule 340 - Nova Scotia research and development tax credit
Schedule 424 - British Columbia two-year tax holiday for new small businesses


Alberta

Revised

Alberta Corporate income tax return
AT1 Schedule 1 - Alberta small business deduction


Ontario

Revised

2002 CT23 Short-form corporations tax annual return
2002 CT23 Corporations tax and annual return
Schedule 17 - Additional deduction for credit unions
Schedule 18 - Ontario capital gains refund
Schedule 111 - Ontario foreign tax credit

Miscellaneous

Corporations' business numbers

The CRA has informed us that they have been receiving corporate tax returns with 123456782RC001 as the corporation's business number. Please avoid using this number. While it is technically a valid business number, these returns are subject to processing delays as the information for the particular corporation is fictitious. If your client is not a registered corporation, enter NR where a business number is required. If your client is registered, then enter the proper business number assigned to that corporation.

GIFI totals

DT Max calculates the sub-totals of the GIFI entries based on the data entered. There is now an "override" description appearing next to the GIFI item to tell the user which GIFI fields are totals.

The CRA has informed us that some DT Max users are only entering the total fields without any breakdown of the amounts. Therefore, if you are using an override, make sure that all GIFI entries that comprise the total are entered, and that everything balances correctly.

Also, you need only enter GIFI fields that are applicable to the corporation. Entering irrelevant GIFI fields with a "0" value may lead to processing delays with the CRA.