CRA Data Mining & Monitoring Social Media To Detect Tax Evasion

You have to report all worldwide income including income from the shared economy such as Airbnb or Uber. If you don’t you will be charged civil tax penalties and may be prosecuted for tax evasion. CRA is becoming increasingly sophisticated in their tax audits, They monitor social media sites to see if there are any clues as to unreported income, such as expensive purchases. They also use data mining techniques for everything from real estate flipping to credit card sales of business. When you file your 2016 tax return make sure to report all income, no matter how minor. If you have failed to report income in the past and CRA has not contacted you, you can submit a voluntary disclosure application (VDP or tax amnesty) to avoid tax evasion prosecution and civil tax penalties.