Some of my clients received surprises this year while they used their employer’s supplied internet and email services to send me tax records. Their records were either not received or were corrupted.

This is of principal consideration for those working for the Federal Government, but the restrictions are expanding to Provincial and Municipal Governments as well as to private employers.The Canadian Federal Government has imposed restrictions on the use of the employer supplied email service and internet.

Be advised that:

1. If you have personal tax records on your employer’s computers, you may no longer be able to remove those personal tax records from the computers. Your employer now considers those files their property. They may deny you access and/or erase those files without warning,
2. If you wish to email tax records from your employer’s computers, including T4 and Releve 1 slips that you have downloaded from the employer’s systems (including mainly Phoenix,) you can’t, and
3. If you use your work email address to obtain your utility and other bills, or use the computer to access your bank, that access may be cut without warning. There will be no sympathy from your employer.

Given that there were some publicized hacks of the government computers over the last two years, further restrictions are anticipated.

If your only internet and/or email access is through your employer, I highly recommend that you make alternative arrangements which no longer depend on your employer’s infrastructure.