Red Ink on the Prairies

A day after Quebec’s Finance Minister Eric Girard brought down a Budget featuring a $6.3 Billion deficit, Saskatchewan’s Finance Minister Jim Reiter tabled his government’s budget on March 19. Next up was Finance Minister Adrian Salas, who tabled the Manitoba Budget on March 24. The common thread: there’s lots of red ink on the Prairies. But that’s where the budget documents differ between Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Here’s the latest tax news and why it matters to the advice you give your clients.

TFSA Advantages are back in the news. The CRA has issued a warning about a tax scheme that promises a tax-free opportunity to transfer funds out of an RRSP or RRIF into a TFSA, without regard to the annual TFSA contribution limit using an MIC. That is, a special-purpose mortgage investment company. Sophisticated investors with large RRSP or RRIF balances and significant equity in a personal residence were targeted and could soon be subject to audit. The scheme worked like this:

The stock market has been hot this year, and some investors have been cashing in. Dispositions in non-registered accounts will be taxable and in the case of securities, that can be complex.  Advisors who can illustrate the tax consequences with simple examples will add much-appreciated value. In this first of a series on capital gains and losses, we provide illustrations to assist in conversations, excerpted from the new Advanced Retirement and Estate Planning Course.

Of special interest to financial advisors, RWMs and experienced tax and bookkeeping professionals providing advice to their clients: the new Retirement and Estate Planning Update course is now available and includes the recorded instruction from the May 20 CE Summits.  It’s the perfect solution for those who can’t join us on May 20. Graduates earn 30 CE Credits and a full course credit towards the MFA™- Pension & Estate Services Specialist Designation Program. Take advantage of a long weekend special, too:

Knowledge Bureau is pleased to welcome back Investment Executive and Advisor’s Edge as the exclusive media partners for the 2021 Virtual DAC Acuity Conference from October 17-19.

A seasoned philanthropy professional, Kathy Arney has outstanding matchmaking skills.  She shares why the MFA-P™ Philanthropy Designation Program helped to improve them.

Good news for business investors!  The April 19, 2021 federal budget contained over $2 billion dollars in tax write-offs for investments made on or after budget day and before 2024 to a maximum claim of $1.5 million.  There are a few exceptions, but most property acquired used by CCPCs will qualify for a 100% write off when available for use, and this includes digital assets and intellectual property.