Canada Needs a Financial Plan

According to a July 23 publication by the Fraser Institute, we are getting poorer here in Canada and the prospects for economic growth are looking grim.  This should be of concern to every Canadian concerned about their “real income” – that’s their purchasing power – and by extension - their ability to fund consumption now and for important family milestones in the future:  retirements, education and homeownership.  It’s grim, but there are practical suggestions for a turn around plan. Here’s a synopsis of the report.   

Canada now has a nationwide standard for reducing carbon pollution, which means that starting in 2019, a federal “backstop” carbon pollution pricing system will apply to four provinces – Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick – that have not implemented their own systems. For taxpayers in these provinces, a new refundable tax rebate will be claimed on the 2018 tax return. But, like most tax provisions, it has its wrinkles.

Transitioning a business can be an emotional period of your life as an entrepreneur. True leaders, however, embrace the fact that businesses need succession plans and that sometimes these businesses can even outgrow the skills of the founder. Knowing when to let go is probably the hardest business decision you will make as a business but your trusted tax and financial advisors can help.

Late last week RBC lowered its fixed mortgage rate and it’s likely that the other big banks will soon follow suit. This gives Canadians more breathing room to get mortgage debt under control. The big question to consider is whether fixed or variable mortgages are right for you.

Tax season provides a trigger for advisors and their clients to have an important discussion: should the tax refund be used for debt reduction or savings? In some cases, the best strategy may be to do a little bit of both. But the big issue to uncover is whether taxpayers understand their credit health well enough.

Most people seem to understand that you can’t treat your business’ money as your own . . . or do they? How many small business owners expense personal items from the company general account? This can get you into trouble on a tax audit and worse; significantly erode personal wealth.

Beware the taxman, Uber drivers. The rise of the gig economy comes with its own unique challenges from a tax perspective, and an appeals case from Uber Canada Inc., currently with the Tax Court of Canada sheds light on the grey areas that exist.