AFCA NL Spring-2007 - Association of Filipino Canadian Accountants

NEWSLETTER OF THE ASSOCIATION OF FILIPINO CANADIAN ACCOUNTANTS
Volume 29
Issue 2
SPRING 2007
AFCA RUNS 9 TAX CLINICS
FROM TORONTO TO BARRIE
The March 4 AFCA Barrie-Simcoe tax clinic. L-R: AFCA Director Rene Cabrera,
Barrie MP, Pres. Elmore Cudanin, VP Rod Bacani and Sec. Susan Barcenas.
The KCCC tax clinic on March 10 was staffed by Past Pres. Marlo Mallari, Past
Pres. Resty del Rosario, Arlene Martirez, Arnel Vicente and Eden Sambile.
The Kababayan Centre tax clinic in Toronto on March 17 attracted a large crowd
of clients for Leader Mercy Gonzales and her team to manage.
In the frenzy of the tax season, Al Tupe and
Mercy Gonzales, the chair and co-chair of
AFCA’s Tax Clinic 2007 campaign launched
an ambitious schedule of 9 tax clinics all over
the Greater Toronto Area and all the way
north on Highway 400 to the site of the
AFCA-Barrie-Simcoe chapter.
The free tax preparation service has been a
landmark annual project for low income tax
filers, namely those with incomes up to
$30,000. Anyone showing up at the clinic sites
with slightly higher incomes were assessed a
contribution.
The sites and teams are as follows: Team 1—
Gateway Centre in Mississauga on March 31:
Leader Jezz Garvez, Members Rene Cabrera,
Yolly Manalo, Agnes Gajonera, Edna Bondoc,
Felix Maceda, Ted Dayno, Al Tupe. Team 2—
KCCC in Mississauga Northeast on March 10:
Leader Marlo Mallari, Members Rene
Cabrera, Lani Kennedy, Edna Bondoc, Eden
Sambile, Arlene Martirez, Ted Dayno, Resty
del Rosario. Team 3– Silayan Seniors in Mississauga
Square 1 on March 10: Leader Demi
Padilla, Members Yolly Manalo, Agnes Gajonera,
Antonio Mandrique, Cynthia Mandrique,
Carlos Padilla, Al Tupe. Team 4—
Federation of Filipino Canadians in Brampton
on March 10: Leader Joe Ragual, Members
Felix Maceda, Jezz Garvez, Jaen Perez,
Rodolfo Perez, Alex Palmero, Al Tupe, Ted
Dayno, Carlos Padilla, Demi Padilla. Team
5—Kababayan Community Centre in Toronto
on March 17: Leader Mercy Gonzales, Members
Lani Kennedy, Jezz Garvez, Rene
Cabrera, Zeny Aguinaldo, Lynn Suero,
Gloria Dy, Nancy Gonzales, Beth Gabriel,
Antonio Mandrique, Cynthia Mandrique, Alex
(Continued on page 12)
IN THIS ISSUE:
AFCA Runs 9 Tax Clinics from Toronto to Barrie 1
President’s Message—Ted Dayno 2
Professional Notes: Ballroom Dancing and Taxes 2
Foto Galleries, AFCA Toastmasters F/S 4, 6, 7
47 New Members Admitted , AFCA to Study Bill 124 8
NCPACA Convention Registration and Forms 9-11
AFCA Toastmasters Club, Stretch and Grow 12,13

Ted Dayno, AFCA President 2006-2007
MESSAGE FROM
THE PRESIDENT—
TED DAYNO
These past few months have seen a
tremendous burst of energy on the
part of AFCA members, officers and
past presidents. I certainly consider
myself to be fortunate in that my
presidency is basking in this supernova
of activity that exhibits in no less
fashion the power of the AFCA reactor.
Without the clasp of all those talented
hands on the AFCA atom, I
could not have done it alone. But, the
fusion, when all those hands provide
each their grip of power, is tremendous—let’s
look at the 9 tax clinics
that have just swept through the
Greater Toronto Area all the way
north to Barrie/Simcoe, the Community
Outreach program under past
president Carlos Padilla that is just
about to blast out, the AFCA Toastmasters
that has waxed strong
through the years, the career options
sessions, the tax seminars and software
training, the 2007 NCPACA convention
under past president Marlo
Mallari, the 2008 NCPACA Philippine
convention by past president Buddy
Ibe and now the Bill 124 initiative by
past president Pempe Saavedra’s
committee.
I can only say Thank You All for the
dedication and enthusuasm for AFCA!
Professional notes -
BALLROOM DANC-
ING AND TAXES
Are You a Dance-Pro or D. I.?
A DJ or Independent Dance
Teacher or in the Party Business?
In the last ten years, the ballroom dancing
craze has swept through the Filipino-
Canadian communities across Canada. This
has lately been fuelled further by TV programs
that focus on dancing abilities and the
accompanying movies like “Shall We
Dance” and many others. You’ve probably
heard someone say, “If Emmett, the football
player, can do it, how about me?” referring to
a recent TV dance contest, where the championship
trophy went to an MVP of the Dallas
Cowboys and his partner, who I understand
is a mestiza Filipina.
Just as in any craze, opportunities arise to
make money out of the interest in dancing.
For example, one could acquire a ballroom
and let it out to Filipino groups for dance parties
or balls with catering included, a person
or couple could invest a few thousand dollars
in some expensive sound system and computer
to provide DJ services for these groups,
or a person who has developed some expertise
in ballroom dancing could teach dance in
their homes or rented halls, or a person could
simply organize a dance and make money
from the sales of tickets minus the costs of
the hall, catering and advertisements, and
finally we have the individual who decides to
project himself or herself as a knowledgeable
dance professional or “D.I.” (dance instructor)
for a fee, gratuity or gift (there is really
no difference in the words for tax purposes).
Only the Filipino group or association, as
long as it follows the rules to maintain its
non-profit status, may be tax exempt in these
scenarios, but all the rest are considered to be
in the business, profession or trade that is
taxable within the Income Tax Act.
Now that it’s tax time, just like the adage
“death and taxes” we should, therefore, take
a hard look at the “ballroom and taxes” angle.
In it’s recent Sunday edition, the Toronto
Star (February 4, 2007) featured an article
about how Filipinos in Toronto have caught
on to the passion. During an interview, a 35year
old Filipino professional dancer from
the Philippines, let’s refer to him as Jo
C, works as a cook in a Toronto hotel
but moonlights as a D.I. Because of his
dance expertise, he hires himself out as
a D.I. for an average of three to four
events a week. A Canada Revenue
Agency tax auditor can easily extrapolate
this to mean 3 x 52 x $100 fee or
gratuity = $15,600 professional or business
income for the year, even if only
based on his lower estimate of 3 rather
than 4 times a week. Chances are Jo C
may “forget” to include this in his 2006
and prior year income tax returns depending
on when he started being a D.I.
Just like a tennis pro or a golf pro, the
dance pro or D.I. as he is known in the
Filipino community is a person engaged
in a “professional” business and is,
therefore, engaged in a taxable activity.
The same goes with the dance teacher,
who teaches dance to a few couples in
the basement of his or her home or even
rents a hall for this purpose, or the DJ
who provides music services to Filipino
associations. Such DJ, who charges an
average of $500 per party and does 20
parties a year could easily make
$10,000 taxable income a year at a
minimum.
The fact that engaging in the business
of providing dance instruction or the
business of conducting dance parties is,
in effect, conducting a business, means
that the service provider is entitled to
expenses specifically related to the income
earned. In effect, if the business
of dance instruction is conducted in the
basement of one’s home, one should be
able to deduct a proportionate share of
the costs of owning that home, which
includes such expenditures as mortgage
interest, property taxes and maintenance
costs. The D.I., in the meantime, may
incur transportation expenses, e.g. the
costs of owning and maintaining a car,
laid out for running to and from dance
parties. The dance party organizer, on
the other hand, would have expenses
comprised of hall rental, advertisement,
food catering, printing of tickets, and
wages of waiters. The criteria for deductibility
of expenses is laid out in
what tax jurisprudence refers to as the
“business purpose” test, being that for
an expense to be deductible, it must
have been “laid out for the purpose of
(Continued on page 12)
Page 2 SPREADSHEET

ASSOCATION OF FILIPINO
CANADIAN ACCOUNTANTS
4800 Sheppard Avenue East, Unit 123
Scarborough, ON, Canada M1S 4N5
Tel. (416) 609-8912, (416) 738-8912
Fax (416) 609-3843
Website: www.afcatoronto.org
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
President Ted Dayno
Executive Vice
President Joe Ragual
Vice President
-External Edgardo Gonzales
Vice President
-Internal Frank Aquino
Secretary Roselie Apo
Assistant
Secretary Janessa Javier
Treasurer Connie Celino
Assistant
Treasurer Cecile Barrameda
Auditor Al Tupe
P. R. O. Jess Carlos
Immediate Past
President Julito Longkines
Directors Renato Cabrera
Minerva Garcia
Mercy Gonzales
Jaric Justo
Lani Kennedy
Maria Evelyn Marquez
Juliet Perez
Maria Corazon Santos
Chair , Auxiliary Minda Longkines
PAST PRESIDENTS
Marlo Mallari (2002-2003)
Nestor Perez (2001)
Librado Ibe Jr. (2000)
Jose Saavedra Jr. (1998-99)
Beato Amiel dela Cruz (1995-97)
Enrico Falco (1994)
Demie Padilla (1992-93)
Resty del Rosario (1990-91)
Elmar Sabundayo, dec. (1989-90)
Dan Palis (1988-89)
Carlos Padilla (1986-87)
Roger Calabio (1983-85)
Winston Lim (1978-82)
AFCA is affiliated with the
National Council of
Philippine American
Canadian Accountants
(NCPACA)
VOLUME 29
tHERE
Commentary...
Tell Your Friend
About AFCA
by W. Lim, Founding President
If you have a friend who is a Filipino accountant but has
not yet joined the AFCA, why not invite him or her to join
Winston Lim, CGA up? There are benefits to joining the association, namely
the ASSOCIATE professional EDITOR sessions, career options seminars, the sharing of information about
career opportunities, the leadership training, camaraderie and social functions. There
is the opportunity to improve one’s public speaking skills through the AFCA Toastmasters
Club, which adheres to the rigorous standards of Toastmasters International.
If you were involved this season, you must have participated in one of AFCA’s community
tax clinics with the accompanying income tax theory and software training
provided by experienced members. So, why not share AFCA with your friends!
IN RECOGNITION—TED DAYNO
Worthy of mention is Ted Dayno’s recent appointment to Board Member of the
Community Care Access Centre of the Ministry of Health for Central East, which
covers the area of Durham, Peterborough and part of Scarborough. This high profile
appointment puts Ted in a position to help oversee the huge budget for the program
that will be of benefit to the most vulnerable members of our community.
THANKS FOR THE PHOTO CONTRIBUTIONS
To Connie Celino, Rene Cabrera and on the last issue, Jess Carlos.
Invitation to
INFORMATION SESSION ON
ACCOUNTING DESIGNATIONS
(CGA, CMA, CA, US CPA, CIA, CISA)
Friday, May 4, 2007
6:00pm
DAYS HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE
30 Carlton Street
Toronto, Ontario
(East of Yonge beside the old Maple Leaf Gardens,
close to College Subway Station)
A minimal fee of $10 will be charged at the door to cover the cost of facility and
light refreshments. Please confirm attendance so we can advise the hotel on the
number of participants.
For further details and confirmation of attendance, please call:
Ted Dayno, AFCA president—(416) 738-8912
Juliet Perez, AFCA Director, Event Chair—(905) 896-3106
Page 3

Page 4
Foto Gallery-Member’s Induction
Ladies at the Registration Desk. New members getting sworn in.
Elmore Cudanin, Princess Lim, Carolyn Mallari and Cristina Gamo. The members were sworn in by President Ted Dayno.
President Ted Dayno presenting service awards. More of the new members getting sworn in.
SPREADSHEET

Employee v.
Self-Employed
A CRA Audit Nightmare
By Ed Sarmiento, AFCA co-founder and First
Treasurer, retired Senior Tax Auditor and
Appeals Officer, Canada Revenue Agency
You hired workers as independents or
self-employed individuals. CRA payroll
auditor examines your working relationship.
Problems? That may be an
understatement if CRA decides to assess
you for failure to deduct CPP, EI
and income tax from the workers earnings.
You, HRDC, CEIC and even
CRA will have problems. How about
the worker?
Problems because the auditor will tell
you the assessment is payable immediately.
It is not fair (contrary to Spirit of
the Law, double collection of tax and
CPP), contrary to case law (higher
court decisions) and the CPP, EI and
Income Tax law, but you will need to
appeal. Fighting such an assessment is
usually very costly. You may even be
unfairly forced into bankruptcy.
CRA has problems because the Income
Tax, CPP and EI laws require
issuance of amended T4’s and reassessment
of all the workers. Pensionable
earnings will change and CPP law requires
this to be reported to HRDC to
amend records necessary to properly
calculate future CPP benefits. CEIC
also requires the change in Insurable
Earnings. And if you appeal and win,
CRA, HRDC and CEIC will need to
reverse all the amendments. Of course,
nobody likes messed records.
How about the worker? He/she may
be pleased because the tax and CPP
premiums assessed from you will be
credited/refunded to him/her. The
VOLUME 29
Ed Sarmiento, AFCA co-founder and
First Treasurer
worker effectively gets paid unfairly
more than agreed. But may only be
temporary. If you appeal and win, he/
she would be reassessed again to pay
back.
For a corporation that cannot pay,
CRA has authority to assess the directors
under the Directors Liability provisions.
If CRA’s Collection Officer is
not happy, they can garnish your bank
account and/or seize corporate assets.
What defences are available? Many,
if you and/or your representative have
the “know how”. CRA collection action
can be stopped under the Fairness
provisions of the law. Also the director’s
liability because you have very
good “due dilligence” defence. The
assessment can also be reversed. Not
easy and will usually take lots of time,
effort and representation cost.
Your position against the assessment
is very strong, contrary to a couple of
legal opinions received by one client.
Case law (court decisions) on “EE v.
SE” (Employee versus Self-Employed)
says that unless CRA has conclusive
evidence of sham, the agreed upon
working relationship between the parties
should be respected in law by third
parties (CRA of course). The higher
court also ruled that the parties’ agreement
outweigh the traditional “4-in-1
Tests” of Degree of Control, Ownership
of Tools, Financial Risk of Profit,
and Integration. The leading cases are
Federal Court of Appeal decisions that
clearly recognize the importance of
Taxpayer Right to Freedom of Contract.
“Let the Parties Decide”, wrote
one prominent lawyer in his legal commentaries
on one of the FCA decisions.
In fairness to CRA payroll auditors, my
experience shows they are not equipped
with the training and experience necessary
to deal with the question of fact on
“EE v. SE”, i.e., gathering the audit
evidence necessary to prove the existence
of sham and sustain it in Court.
With an “SE” or Self-Employed finding,
the Court rules that CRA made an
erroneous application of the law to the
facts.
Even if the Court finds in favour of
“EE”, there are specific provisions in
the law (Tax, CPP and EI) that say you
are not liable for the alleged failure to
deduct and remit. Here is where understanding
the Spirit of the Law is useful.
For income tax, the law used reverse
logic in the provision because it is not
necessary to be specific. The logic is
that any tax shortfall will be payable by
the individual come tax time. CPP and
EI laws also logically do not give absolute
authority to CRA on CPP/EI rulings,
apparently to discourage payroll
auditors from arbitrarily reviewing and
changing employment relationships.
Tax loss, if any, would be insignificant
and not worth the administrative problems.
Putting together the CPP and EI provisions
can make you win, even if you
lose on “EE v. SE”.
We acknowledge
Our Corporate
Sponsors
ADRIATIC INSURANCE
BROKERS LTD.
BECKER-CONVISER
BELLE OPTICAL
Page 5

Page 6
Foto Gallery—
Members’ Induction & Tax Clinics
The Kababayan Tax Clinic Team doing an interview. The large crowd of clients at the Kababayan Tax Clinic.
Team members of the Kababayan Tax Clinic take a break. Ladies having fun during the dance at Members’ Induction.
Kababayan Clinic Leader Mercy Gonzales and some members.
Lining up at the food table at Members’ Induction Night.
SPREADSHEET

Marlo Mallari, Treasurer
AFCA Toastmasters Club
AFCA Toastmasters Club treasurer
Marlo Mallari submitted the following
Financial Statements. Details may be obtained
by contacting Marlo Mallari or
president Maria Santos.
AFCA Treasurer Connie Celino and
Auditor Al Tupe have indicated they
should be ready with the AFCA Financial
Statements by next issue of the
newsletter.
VOLUME 29
ISSUE 2
Upcoming
Events 2007
Mar. 20—Release of Spreadsheet.
Apr. 20—Executive Council Meeting,
location TBA, chair R. Apo, co-chair
J. Javier.
May 4—Career Option Seminar, location
TBA, chair J. Perez, co-chair L.
Kennedy.
May 6—Fund Raising-Casino Rama,
chair F. Aquino, co-chair J. Carlos.
May 18—Executive Council Meeting,
location TBA, chair R. Apo, co-chair
J. Javier.
May 26—Professional Development
Seminar, details TBA, chair M Santos,
co-chair L. Kennedy.
June 1—Release of Spreadsheet.
June 10—Tennis Tournament, location
TBA, chair A. Bacarro, co-chair
R. Cabrera.
June 15—Executive Council Meeting,
location TBA, chair R. Apo, cochair
J. Javier.
CURRENT ASSETS REVENUES
June 30—Summer Picnic, details TBA,
chair E. Gonzales, co-chair M. Garcia.
July 20—Executive Council Meeting,
location TBA, chair M. Mallari, co-chair
J. Longkines.
Aug. 26—Golf Tournament, details
TBA, chair C. Padilla, co-chair J. Longkines.
Aug. 17—Executive Council Meeting,
location TBA, chair M. Mallari, co-chair
J. Longkines.
Aug. 31—Release of Spreadsheet.
Aug. 31—NCPACA Convention, Toronto—see
pages 9, 10 and 11, chair M.
Mallari, co-chair J. Longkines.
Sep. 21—Executive Council Meeting,
location TBA, chair R. Apo, co-chair J.
Javier.
Sep. 22—Annual General Meeting and
Elections, chair D. Palis, co-chair Resty
del Rosario.
Oct. 19—Executive Council Meeting,
location TBA, chair R. Apo, co-chair J.
Javier.
Oct. 28—Caroling Group formation,
details TBA, chair M. Santos, co-chair
F. Aquino.
Dec. 7—Christmas Party, chair M.
Santos.
No date yet—Bowling Tournament,
Cash in Bank $ 2,625 Membership Fees $ 3,330
Accts. Receivable 180 Collections—Snacks 607
Total Current Assets $ 2,805 “Ah” count 18
LIABILITIES
AFCA TOASTMASTERS CLUB
As of February 28, 2007 (Unaudited)
Balance Sheet Statement of Operations
Unearned Income $ 225 EXPENSES
Total Revenues $ 3,955
Accounts Payable 350 Membership Dues $ 966
Total Current Liabilities $ 575 Rent Expense 750
FUND BALANCE Foods & Snacks 565
Unrestricted Fund Balance $ 2,230 Trophies & Awards 149
Total Liabilities & Funds $ 2,805 Advertising &Other 254 $ 2,684
$ 1,271
CUMULATIVE EXCESS $ 959
UNRESTRICTED FUND BAL. $ 2,230
Page 7

47 NEW MEMBERS
ADMITTED INTO
MEMBERSHIP IN
JANUARY 2007
President Ted Dayno of the Association
of Filipino Canadian Accountants officially
accepted into membership fortyseven
(47) Filipino accountants at the
January 27 AFCA Membership Induction
Dance held at the Kalayaan Cultural
Community Centre, 5225 Orbitor Drive,
Mississauga.
About one hundred fifty people attended
the annual acceptance of membership
event. According to executive vice
president Joe Ragual and internal VP
Frank Aquino, the record number of new
members accepted this year highlights
the dynamic growth of the association as
it continues its programs of professional
development and community outreach.
External VP Edgardo Gonzales pointed
out that the continued increase in membership
reflects the continued interest of
the association membership as well as
the exemplary reputation it projects as its
leaders pursue a course true to the ideals
and objectives laid out in its mission in
the Filipino Canadian community.
Carlos Padilla, a past president of the
association, who now heads its Community
Outreach Committee spearheads
AFCA’s program of offering to other
Filipino Canadian non-profit community
organizations a management accounting
and internal audit assistance service to
assist them in achieving organizational
fiscal transparency, assistance in laying
out a firm foundation in accounting recordkeeping
and maintaining an effective
program of financial control. Mr. Padilla
is a Certified Public Accountant who recently
retired from his executive position
as controller of the Canadian subsidiary
of a large U.S. corporation specializing
in industrial movement equipment. Filipino-Canadian
associations in the
Greater Toronto Area wishing to explore
how this service may improve its fiscal
transparency and management are invited
to contact either Past president Carlos
Padilla at cpadilla@ sympatico.ca or
President Ted Dayno at tedayno@rogers.
com. End
VOLUME 29
ISSUE 2
AFCA to Study BILL
124, Fair Access to
the Regulated
Professions Act
The March 13 issue of the Toronto Star
reported on its front page the appointment
of former Liberal MP Jean Augustine to
be Ontario’s first “Fairness Commissioner”
to address the problem of recognition
of overseas credentials of foreigntrained
professionals. In terms of AFCA,
this means the Philippine (1) Bachelors
degree in accounting, and (2) Certified
Public Accountant designation. Obviously,
on the other side of the spectrum
are (1) Ontario’s Ministry of Education
(or body responsible for foreign degree
evaluations), (2) CGA association, (3)
CMA association) (4) CICA and (5) to a
certain extent, the Public Accountancy
Council.
Discussed over the latest emails are the
need for AFCA to form an Ad Hoc committee
to:
(1) Study and research the relevance of
the new Ontario Fair Access to the Regulated
Professions Act,
(2) Review the evaluation criteria used
by the Ministry of Education and accounting
bodies on foreign degrees,
(3)Write a letter addressed to the new
Fairness Commissioner as to AFCA’s
concerns and interests with respect to
Bill 124, and
(4)Prepare and submit a formal presentation
brief (from the research undertaken)
outlining AFCA’s recommendations for
better recognition of Philippine bachelor
degrees in accounting and the Philippine
CPA designation with a request that
AFCA be invited to formally address the
Fairness Commissioner and her fellow
commissioners as to AFCA’s recommendations
for improved levels of recognition
of the Philippine bachelors degree
in accounting and the CPA designation.
End
During the New Members Induction Night event, President Ted Dayno presented
recognition awards to various officers, members and past-presidents.
Page 8

Page 9 SPREADSHEET

Page 10
VOLUME 29
REGISTRATION FORM

Page 11
PPPage
Page
Page
11
11

AFCA runs 9 clinics
(continued from page 1)
Palmero, Julito Longkines, Buddy Ibe,
Bryan Ganaba. Team 6—INTERCEDE
in Toronto on April 15: Leader Lani
Kennedy, Members Mercy Gonzales,
Rene Cabrera, Nancy Gonzales, Zeny
Aguinaldo, Lynn Suero, Eva Boliver,
Eden Sambile, Arlene Martirez, Beth
Gabriel, Agnes Gajonera,Irene Jovellano,
Jaen Perez, Rodolfo Perez, Jezz
Garvez, Jess Carlos, Buddy Ibe, Joe
Ragual. Team 7—St. Jamestown Safety
Committee in Toronto on March 25:
Leader Jezz Garvez, Rene Cabrera, Antonio
Mandrique, Cynthia Mandrique,
Edna Bondoc, Felix Maceda, Ted
Dayno, Al Tupe, Arlene Martirez, Jess
Carlos, Buddy Ibe, Julito Longkines,
Jorege Gonzaga. Team 8—Richmond
Filipino Group in Richmond Hill on
March 18: Leader Jess Carlos, Members
Jezz Garvez, Rene Cabrera, Gloria
Dy, Bing Eola, Irene Jovellano, Al
Tupe, Ted Dayno, Buddy Ibe, Joe Ragual,
Eva Boliver. Team 9—AFCA
Barrie-Simcoe in Barrie on March 4:
Leader Elmore Cudanin, Members Joe
Ragual, Ted Dayno, Rene Cabrera, Jess
Carlos, Buddy Ibe, Julito Longkines,
Carlos Padilla, Demi Padilla.
End
Professional notes:
Ballroom dancing...
Continued from page 2
earning income from business or property.”
Because of the severity of penalties to
those who forget to include this activity
and the income therefrom in the tax
return, it is advisable to seek the advice
of a good public accountant in this regard.
The lesser penalty of subsection
163(2) of the Income Tax Act for misrepresentation
and gross negligence is
still a stiff addition of 50% of the income
tax not reported to the tax that
should have been paid on the unreported
income.
Where the non-compliance has the
underpinnings of fraud, the penalties
are much more severe, as charges will
be laid not only under the Income Tax
Page 12
Act but also the Criminal Code. Something
to consider, also, is that once your
gross income from the above mentioned
activities go beyond $30,000 in
the year, you will also have to register
for the Goods and Services Tax and
include the 6% sales tax on your gross
fee or “gratuity,” otherwise the money
received for your services will be
deemed to be GST-included. In any
case, you will have to remit the net
GST collected or deemed collected to
the government.
End
AFCA
TOASTMASTERS
CLUB
OPEN TO AFCA MEMBERS AND
NON-ACCOUNTANT FRIENDS
To attend a free demo session email
maria.c.santos@sympatico.ca
limeagle@rogers.com
Maria Santos, President
AFCA Toastmasters Club
AFCA
TOASTMASTERS
CLUB
GOING STRONG
Improve Your
Public Speaking Skills!!!
By Ken Lim
The power of the spoken word can be
measured by its results. Therefore, for the
results-oriented person, mastery of the
spoken word is invaluable. Think of the
relationships broken, deals bungled and
opportunities missed by one’s inability to
convey an idea clearly, persuasively and
sincerely.
To get ahead in this highly competitive
world, one can never be too fluent,
too insightful, too prepared to express
oneself to others. Clear communication is
like hitting all the right notes in a song –
it could have a profound effect on the
listener. On the other hand, a mediocre
speaker often gets a mediocre response
characterized by puzzlement, boredom or
outright rejection.
My point is that the better speaker is
inside you and waiting to be freed, so let
him/her out already! You don’t have to
submit yourself to some .rigorous crash
course to achieve verbal liberation. There
is an easier, friendlier way to go about
it - you can join AFCA Toastmasters
Club.
The club was formed in 2002 by members
of the Association of Filipino-
Canadian Accountants, primarily those
who’d experienced Toastmasters in Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia and wanted to share this interest
with others. Although started as a project
by the AFCA professional development
committee, AFCA Toastmasters is not
governed by AFCA, but is distinct and
separate, under the auspices of Toastmasters
International, U.S.A. In its evolution
over time, AFCA Toastmasters has become
a healthy mix of professionals, not
just accountants.
Members learn to speak individually
in a group setting and pleasantly find
themselves being nurtured in a caring,
supportive environment. Everyone is encouraged
to play a role in club sessions,
be it as a meeting official, an impromptu
speaker, a presenter of a prepared speech
or as a speech evaluator. A new member
is started off with manuals and appointed
SPREADSHEET

a mentor from among the experienced
members. With twenty-six active members
as a driving force, AFCA Toastmasters is
currently conducting a recruiting drive for
the spring, after a winter hiatus. New members
will be greeted with welcoming smiles,
encouragement and all the help they will
need.
New members will not only learn to
speak well but will also develop leadership
skills by helping to conduct meetings,
plan programs and run club business.
They will learn to abide by parliamentary
procedure, be able to give and
receive constructive criticism and observe
proper decorum at all times.
Meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. on the
second and fourth Friday of each month,
at the Don Vale Medical Centre, basement
level, 597 Parliament Street (at
Wellesley), Toronto.
So what are you waiting for? Just
show up at the meeting, and we will do
the rest. End
STRETCH AND
GROW!
By Maria C. Santos, President
AFCA Toastmasters Club
Here’s the million dollar question,
Why join Toastmasters Club?
The mission of Toastmasters Club is to
provide a mutually supportive and positive
learning environment in which every
member has the opportunity to develop
communication and leadership skills, to
foster self confidence and personal
growth. Toastmaster Club is the most
inexpensive place to acquire quality self
development and it is proven globally.
The most valuable investment is your
time, supposedly to be spent with your
family and friends therefore, make sure to
achieve the returns of your time investment
and challenge yourself to STRETCH
beyond your comfort zone.
Let me share with you the “Rubber Band
Principle” which I learned from the numerous
Conventions I have attended.
“We are engineered to meet challenges,
we are made to stretch. We can be compared
to a rubber band. When it is not
being stretched, it is small and relaxed
and not doing what it was made to do. It
is only by stretching that you can improve
and grow, in the process we are
VOLUME 29
AFCA Toastmasters Club officers, members and mentors for 2006-2007: Back
row: Maria Santos, Marianne Romano-Lim, Claudia Mio, Agnes Acoba, Myrna de
Leon, Minerva Garcia. Front row: Alan Devine, Ken Lim, Daniel Clariet, George
Tabucan, and Nestor Ang. Not in the picture: Marlo Mallari, Arnel Vicente, Arlene
Babaran, and Sarah Uy. Past presidents: 2002-2003 Allen Bacarro, 2003-
2004 Minda Longkines, 2004-2005 Minerva Garcia.
tempted to compare ourselves to those
around us. You cannot afford to compare
yourself to any other person. The question
is NOT “Are you better than someone
else?” The question is, “Are you
stretching? Reaching? Growing? Any
goal that you reach without stretching is
set too low. Know what you are capable
of, it is only your personal evaluations
that matters.
We must be always hungry, hungry to
set a better example, give more support to
the causes, people and organizations we
strongly care about and believe in. Like a
rubber band when not stretched it is more
relaxed and in its comfortable state, however,
it is also unproductive. To constantly
strive produces tension, it has discomforts.”
To enhance your communication
and leadership skills, Toastmasters
Club is the perfect place to be. Stretch
beyond those fears and discover it yourself
that you have everything to gain
nothing to lose at all.
In Toastmasters Club it’s a two-way
learning process, you share your time ,
talent, yourself, and you will be
amazed on what you receive in return,
the fun, friendship, the confidence that
you run away with, that you apply in
your daily lives, at home with your
family, in your workplace, Priceless!
FEATURE VOLUNTEER
MEMBER
Rene Cabrera, Director
On March 4, Rene Cabrera drove all the
way north on Highway 400 amid a snowstorm
to join the AFCA-Barrie/Simcoe
members with their tax clinic. Rene works
for Bombardier Transportation Willowbrook
Facility as Buyer/Inventory Clerk. His wife
Ruby is a Philippine-trained dentist currently
working as a dental assistant. The
couple has a 5-year-old daughter named
Alexa. They are soon moving to a new
home they bought in Stouffville, Ontario.
Page 13

AFCA MARKS 3 FEBRUARY TAX SEMINARS
February 2007, was a banner month for
AFCA with three income tax seminars in
one month alone.
On February 3, the tax seminar held at
the Townshend College on a Saturday
afternoon turned out to be well-attended
with the room literally packed with attendees.
This event featured a seminar on
income tax theory basics covering updates
for 2006-2007 as well as principles
to know with respect to individuals and
tax return related subjects. This was followed
by a hands-on workshop on income
tax software by Ted Dayno with the
assistance of Al Tupe. Maria Santos and
Lani Kennedy who were in-charge of
Page 14
professional development managed the
event with the assistance of Connie Celino,
Sol and Frank Aquino.
The February 18 event was held in
Barrie at the City Library under the sponsorship
of the AFCA-Barrie-Simcoe
group led by Elmore Cudanin. A delegation
from AFCA Toronto participated,
namely: Ted Dayno, Carlos Padilla, and
Winston Lim.
On February 25, the afternoon tax
seminar was held at the auditorium of the
Golden Valley Foods at Principal Road in
Scarborough with a sizable attendance.
The event featured an income tax theory
as a start followed by software applications.
The AFCA holds such seminars in anticipation
of the tax clinics, particularly
for volunteers who staff the clinics all
over the Greater Toronto Area.
President Ted Dayno has also recently
received a request from the Philippine
Chamber of Commerce Toronto for
AFCA to present a Tax Seminar on Small
Business Taxation to its members, who
comprise Filipino-Canadian businesses in
the Greater Toronto Area. According to
Mr. Dayno, the seminar will likely be
later in March or mid-April. End
Lani Kennedy, Al Tupe, Maria Santos opening the seminar. The tax seminar team during the refreshment break.
Al Tupe delivering his opening remarks on the seminar. Seminar attendees at the Golden Valley hall.
SPREADSHEET

VOLUME 29
Dr. Shirley Salazar
OFFICE CONVENIENCES & HIGHLIGHTS
Page 15