Posts

Person earning tax-free income

July Tax News: Earning tax-free income, GST-HST quirks–and more

WOULD YOU LIKE SOME TAX-FREE INCOME? There are several kinds of income and  benefits that are not subject to tax under the Income Tax Act. To the extent you can get any of these, you won’t need to pay tax on the income, or, in many cases, even report it. Here are some of the […]

Federal government housing plan

June tax news: The federal housing plan, CRA information demands–and more

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S HOUSING PLAN The Liberal government’s Budget of April 16, 2024 (budget.canada.ca) has committed billions of dollars to support building new housing, recognizing that the shortage of housing in Canada has become a serious crisis, and hoping to get almost 4 million new homes built over the next 7 years. Some of the measures proposed […]

Person quitting a job

May tax news: The tax cost of leaving (or losing) your job, deducting interest–and more

THE TAX COST OF LEAVING (OR LOSING) YOUR JOB     What happens for tax purposes if you leave your job — voluntarily or by being terminated — and your employer pays you money? Typically, you might receive one or both of the following kinds of payments: An extension of your salary during a period while […]

Parliament Hill where 2023 Fall Economic Statement was delivered

2023 Fall Economic Statement runs counter to Ottawa’s claims of fiscal prudence

In the 2023 Fall Economic Statement  tabled yesterday, the federal government was keen to boast about maintaining its ‘fiscal anchor’—the budget guardrails that seek to limit spending and deficits. Yet its recent policy commitments suggest otherwise. With debt-servicing costs skyrocketing, the fiscal picture is anything but pleasant. While the 2023 Fall Economic Statement is light […]

condominium under construction to assign residential purchase agreement

January Tax News: ‘Assigning’ residential purchase agreements, tax instalments–and more

“ASSIGNING” A RESIDENTIAL PURCHASE AGREEMENT Purchasers of new homes and condominiums sometimes sell their rights to the property before the closing. This happens frequently with new homes or condos that take years to be built. It may happen because of a change in circumstances, or simply because the buyer wants to profit from an increase […]

residential property flipping

November tax news: Property flipping, rules around investment income in a corporation–and more

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY FLIPPING If you buy a home or condo, and then sell it soon after you get title — certainly if it’s within 18 months or so — the CRA will usually consider that you have “flipped” the property, and that any gain is fully taxed as business profit, not half-taxed as a capital […]

yacht tax in Canada

December tax news: Luxury tax updates, calculating entertainment expenses—and more

PROPOSED LUXURY TAX ON EXPENSIVE CARS, BOATS AND PLANES The Liberal government is planning to introduce a new Luxury Tax, to take effect on January 1, 2022. It will apply to: new cars, SUVs and pick-up trucks costing over $100,000 boats costing over $250,000 certain aircraft costing over $100,000 The tax will be 20% of the […]

September tax news: Share transfers to an RRSP, charitable donation receipt rules–and more

TRANSFERRING SHARES TO AN RRSP   Should you transfer shares that you already own to your RRSP? The prospect can be attractive. The shares you transfer are considered a contribution to your RRSP. If you have unused RRSP contribution room, you can thus get a substantial tax deduction for shares that you already own. If […]