Fuel Excise Tax on Hold But Inflation is Not

The U.S.-Israel war on Iran has thrown global oil prices into turmoil and there is plenty of fallout for consumers. Travelling to Europe this summer? That’s in jeopardy, as jet fuel may run out.  Looking for relief at the pumps instead? The recently announced suspended federal excise tax on gasoline, unleaded aviation gasoline, diesel fuel and aviation fuel here in Canada will soften the blow, but only temporarily: it will be zero from April 20 to September 7, 2026. Here’s what you need to know:

The May 20 Virtual CE Summit: The most important virtual summit you can attend to help your clients with their tax, retirement and estate planning for 2021. The federal budget provisions will have an effect on the tactics you need to use for sound retirement planning in a post-pandemic world, and with the height of this tax season behind us, it’s time to look ahead to the future.

Looking for new professional development and networking opportunities?  Be sure to mark your calendar now! In addition to the May 20 Virtual CE Summit, we have two complimentary events on May 26 and 27 for those in strategic wealth planning fields looking to network with like-minded individuals and expand upon your value proposition with new conversation starters and approaches. Take a look and register now:

Jay Stark, MFA-P™ shares how this philanthropy planning focused designation program will help him apply new skills in his effort to help Canadians make better decisions about philanthropy and bring plans to life.

The pressure is on! Taxpayers and their tax accountants are buckling under the strain of lockdowns in the midst of a very a complex tax season. Recent statistics from CRA show that we were only at the halfway point on April 19 as only 16.6 million of approximately 31 million tax returns expected had been filed. It’s notable too that 19% of tax filers have a balance due. Here are nine last minute tax tips for those who owe and those who have to break it to them:

What did the April 19, 2020 Federal Budget tell us about required new approaches to retirement planning? Rising inflation is a new concern, and this requires a reworking of retirement projections, as well as projections for the funding of ongoing needs of survivors and heirs.  More specifically, there are two tax provisions to take note of:

An astounding 98% of Knowledge Bureau poll respondents have given CRA’s service standards a thumbs down this year. It’s not too late for you to weigh in, too and share your thoughts on the question: “In your view, has CRA’s service level to professional tax advisors improved this year?”