Employees using company time, resources to file taxes

29 per cent of workers say practice is common: Survey

Employees using company time, resources to file taxes
As the Canadian tax deadline approaches, some employees are prioritizing personal income tax preparation over work responsibilities, according to a survey. Shutterstock

As the Canadian tax deadline approaches, some employees are prioritizing personal income tax preparation over work responsibilities, according to a survey of 500 office workers.

Twenty-nine per cent said it's common for employees at their firms to prepare their taxes during business hours, with 38 per cent indicated employees use company equipment and resources to complete paperwork.

Examples of preparation include printing paperwork, filling out forms or talking to an accountant during work time.

The Accountemps survey found some companies are proactively addressing potential tax-time distractions, with 12 per cent providing perks like discounts for financial software/services or onsite tax preparers to their employees.

"Your taxes don't belong on your office to-do list," said David King, Canadian president of Accountemps in Toronto.

"Not only can there be professional ramifications for using company time and resources to work on them, you also run the risk of potentially exposing sensitive information or overlooking important details. Schedule time outside of work to give your taxes the attention they deserve."

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