Posts

July tax news: Non-arm’s length property transfers, superficial losses–and more

NON-ARM’S LENGTH PROPERTY TRANSFERS Overview There are special rules under the Income Tax Act (the “Act”) that apply to property transfers to a non-arm’s length person. The rules, discussed below, can override the actual proceeds or sales price received on the property transfers. For most purposes, “related” persons, as defined in the Act, are non-arm’s […]

May tax news: Estate strategies, tuition tax credits–and more

ESTATES AND THE “PIPELINE” STRATEGY When a person dies, they are deemed to dispose of most of their capital properties at fair market value. This deemed disposition may trigger capital gains or losses, depending on the tax cost of the properties relative to their current fair market value. The person who acquires the property as […]

What’s the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion?

In recent weeks we saw the publication of a landmark investigation into U.S. President Donald Trump’s business dealings surrounding the sweeping real estate empire built by family patriarch Fred Trump, all the way up to the present-day management of the business under Trump scions Donald Jr. and Eric. Indeed, the venerable New York Times declared […]

CRA proposes major changes to Voluntary Disclosure Program

A new Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) directive is about to make it much harder for entrepreneurs to correct legitimate tax errors without significant repercussions. The CRA recently proposed changes to the Voluntary Disclosure Program (VDP), an initiative that allows taxpayers to correct mistakes or oversights on their Canadian tax returns, or make new submissions, for […]

The good, the bad and the ugly of Ottawa’s proposed corporate tax changes

The federal government last week took another step towards implementing sweeping tax changes that could have a disproportionate impact on small and medium-sized business owners across Canada. The Trudeau Liberals announced plans for a 75-day consultation period during which they’ll be seeking feedback on changes to three common tax-planning strategies for private corporations. The government’s […]

A KRP Case Study: Section 160 of the Income Tax Act and why proper documentation matters

Many aspects of the Income Tax Act are difficult for taxpayers to understand and navigate, but Section 160 is perhaps one of the most obscure. In fact, most taxpayers are not aware that this section exists, let alone do they understand its full implications. That’s because Section 160  gives the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) broad […]

The benefits of a tax-planning second opinion–A KRP case study

Obtaining the right accounting and tax planning advice is critical for every business owner. That requires a strategic approach that takes both their personal and professional finances into account, while also incorporating long-term goals into any financial plan. At least that’s a best practice we reinforce here at KRP. But in some cases, we take […]