No receipts. Are you claiming these expenses?

In another thread that had nothing to do with this we starting 'talking' about claiming used items purchased without receipt (kijiji, garage sales, etc). I have always done may taxes myself through Turbo Tax and have never claimed these expenses. Turbo tax used to have service where accountants were available to guide or answer any question. I remember asking tons of questions and getting information on the web about tax filing, as well. Somewhere at that time I read that you should not claim expenses without receipts.

Could you share if you are claiming these expenses? What are your accountants telling you about it? Are they asking you for these expenses? What about the tax filing courses that you have taken? Have you heard anything about it?

Have any of you been audited by CRA? If so, did you claim any expenses without receipts? Did you get into trouble because of it during the audit?

I will be doing my taxes next year as well. I will be claiming some items without a receipt that I have printed the Kijiji ad or had the seller sign a receipt for me. A couple I forgot and wrote the receipt myself and signed it. I'm not too worried about claiming them. They are low cost items anyways.

Ideally if you bought something from kijiji you communicated by email with details or just print the ad you replied to that gives the item and price. Then on that put the date you picked up the items and how you paid - since most expect cash. In the event of an audit with the picture you could produce the item in question. You can do the same with a garage sale item to take a picture of it and record day and price paid but just writing down a description of the item, where bought from and the amount is good enough.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is things like a bill from the dollarstore or similar that just gives totals and not what the item actually is. Write on the back what it was - either item name or catagory ie craft supplies.