by Scott Ronalds

Even though nearly 40,000 Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) employees are on strike, your tax return still needs to be filed by Monday, May 1 (unless you or your spouse or common-law partner are self-employed).

As of last week, more than 40% of taxpayers hadn’t yet filed, according to Financial Post columnist Jamie Golombek.

If you’re in this camp, or if you’ve already submitted your return but are keen to learn some tax saving strategies for the long run, we’ve got a few tips to consider, courtesy of tax planning experts Tim Cestnick and Cynthia Kett. We hosted a webinar in February with Tim and Cynthia, where they provided a trove of valuable information and advice. Among the biggest takeaways:

• Claim all deductions to which you’re entitled! These may include child care expenses, moving expenses, carrying charges, and home office expenses. Indeed, you may be surprised at what you can claim.
  
• Fully utilize all tax credits afforded to you. The list here may include age credits, caregiver credits, disability credits, medical expenses, and donations.
  
• Use RRSPs!
  
• Split your income with your spouse or family members where possible.
  
• Don’t forget about losses from previous years.

The full discussion can be watched below. Happy filing!