Charity volunteers packing bags

CRA changes pre-approval process for charity purposes and activities

From filing an annual T3010 Registered Charity Information Return to meeting disbursement quotas, maintaining regulatory compliance is an ongoing—and often cumbersome—challenge for registered charities in Canada. One of those requirements includes stating (and updating) the charity’s purposes and activities, which must continually qualify as ‘charitable’ under Canada Revenue Agency rules (based on Income Tax Act […]

Canada Revenue Agency building depicting prescribed rate for Q2 2026

Canada Revenue Agency prescribed rate to remain unchanged for Q2 2026

For the fourth consecutive quarter, the Canada Revenue Agency prescribed rate will hold steady at 3 per cent. The rate will be in effect for the second quarter of 2026, from January 1st to March 31st, 2026. The prescribed rate is “used to calculate taxable benefits for employees and shareholders from interest-free and low-interest loans.” Entrepreneurs […]

Supermarket checkout where the GST credit relaunch will help consumers afford groceries

Ottawa announces revised GST credit, new support measures for SMEs

On the heels of his widely covered speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, it appears that Prime Minister Mark Carney has been paying attention to poll numbers showing his Liberal party trailing the opposition Conservatives on the cost-of-living file. That would explain his government’s move yesterday to propose a new package […]

Canada Revenue Agency office Ottawa

Canada Revenue Agency prescribed rate holds steady for Q1 2026

The Canada Revenue Agency prescribed rate for the first quarter of 2026 will remain at 3 per cent. The rate will be in effect from January 1st to March 31st, 2026. This will mark the third consecutive quarter that the prescribed rate has held steady. As noted in our ongoing updates, the prescribed rate is “used […]

Canada Revenue Agency prescribed rate Q4 2025

Prescribed rate to remain unchanged for Q4 2025

The Canada Revenue Agency has confirmed that the prescribed rate for the fourth quarter of 2025 will hold steady at 3 per cent. The rate will be in effect from October 1st, 2025 to December 31st, 2025. In Q3 2025, the rate reached its lowest level since the fourth quarter of 2022, after increasing to […]

windmills symbolizing Canada's Carbon Tax rebate

Ottawa confirms that federal carbon rebates will not be taxed

The federal government recently confirmed that rebates issued under the Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses will not be taxable for the years that the fuel charge was in effect (the levy was cancelled on April 1st, 2025). That includes payments received by corporations for the 2019-20 to 2023-24 fuel charge years, along with the […]

U.S. tax return and Section 899 removed from U.S. tax legislation

Relief for Canadian investors: Section 899 seemingly removed from U.S. legislation

Individual Canadian investors and Canadian businesses with U.S. assets are breathing at least a tentative sigh of relief today. At the Trump administration’s request, U.S. Senators appear to have agreed to remove the contentious Section 899 from the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, the tax and spending legislation currently before Congress. While this is a […]

Middle class tax cut and GST reduction on new homes

Ottawa tables middle class tax cut, GST relief for some first-time home buyers

The recent federal election campaign featured the usual policy one-upmanship among party leaders who made competing pledges covering everything from social program spending to tax cuts. One of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s signature platform planks was a middle class tax cut. Last week his Liberal government tabled a Notice of Ways and Means motion in Parliament […]

Parliament building where prescribed rate is set

Prescribed rate for Q3 2025 drops to lowest level since 2022

The Canada Revenue Agency has announced the prescribed rate for the third quarter of 2025, with welcome news for affected taxpayers. The rate on loans to family members—which is in effect from July 1st, 2025 to September 30th, 2025—will decrease to 3 per cent from 4 per cent, its lowest level since the fourth quarter […]

Section 899 and a U.S. tax return

Section 899 of ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill Act’ could be a nightmare for Canadian investors, businesses

Of all the economic disruption caused by the Trump administration in recent months—roiling markets and global investment patterns with tariff threats, upending longstanding agreements with trade partners and generating widespread economic uncertainty—his One Big, Beautiful Bill Act could have the most direct non-tariff impact on Canadian business owners and investors. Indeed, Section 899 of the […]