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 on escalator symbolizing capital gains inclusion rate increase

Capital gains inclusion rate changes align with those proposed in Budget 2024

When the federal government this week tabled a notice of ways and means motion providing technical details of planned changes to the capital gains inclusion rate, the news was more about what wouldn’t be included in future legislation than what would. Despite feedback from a diverse group ranging from economists to organizations representing Canada’s physicians—that […]

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 […]

Canada Revenue Agency prescribed rate

Canada Revenue Agency prescribed rate drops to 5 per cent for Q3 2024

For the first time in nearly two years, the Canada Revenue Agency prescribed rate will not rise, instead decreasing to 5 per cent from 6 per cent for the third quarter of 2024 (July 1st, 2024 to September 30th, 2024. The prescribed rate crested at 6 per cent earlier this year, after lingering at record […]

Canada Revenue Agency sign that depicts prescribed rate

Canada Revenue Agency prescribed rate remains at 6% for Q2 2024

The Canada Revenue Agency prescribed rate will remain at 6 per cent for the second quarter of 2024 (which extends from April 1st, 2024 to June 30th, 2024). The prescribed rate last reached 6 per cent in the second quarter of 2001; it hovered at only 1 per cent during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current […]

Lawyer discussing a family trust with his clients

February tax news: Benefits of a family trust and a last call for 2023 RRSPs

THE BENEFITS OF ESTABLISHING A FAMILY TRUST Estate planning is an important consideration for all individuals, irrespective of their level of wealth. Poor planning, or no planning, can result in an excessive proportion of your estate being lost when you die, in the form of either probate fees or taxes, or both. Luckily, there is […]

Business colleagues having a meeting in a transparent boardroom discussing capital gains share sales

January tax news: Claiming capital gains exemptions, reporting assets outside Canada–and more

CLAIMING YOUR CAPITAL GAINS EXEMPTION ON THE SALE OF SHARES The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption (LCGE) is an incredibly valuable tax exemption. Every individual is entitled to this exemption and it can currently (for 2024) exempt a gain of up to $1,016,836 (the amount is indexed to inflation each year). In Ontario for example, the […]

Houses illustrating how CRA has simplified Underused Housing Tax

December tax news: Simplified Underused Housing Tax rules, capital gains or income—and more

OTTAWA TAKES STEPS TO SIMPLIFY UNDERUSED HOUSING TAX COMPLIANCE As discussed in our April 2023 Tax Newsletter, the Underused Housing Tax (UHT) regime was introduced last year to try to combat the underuse of residential property, particularly property owned by non-residents. The regime imposes an annual tax of 1 per cent of the relevant property’s […]

Couple relaxed at home discussing moving as a tax deduction

October tax news: Moving as a tax expense, having CRA penalties waived–and more

MOVING EXPENSES—AN OVERLOOKED TAX EXPENSE? Moving expenses can generate a vast array of deductible items that one can use to offset against new employment location income. People often will neglect a portion of moving expense claims, simply because they are unaware of the long list that constitutes possible moving expenses. This is a very useful […]