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.Time to Reduce Debt as Fixed Mortgage Rates Decline
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.
Debt and Fear: Tax Season Can Bring Peace of Mind
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.
Avoid a Tax Trap: Separate Business and Personal Assets
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.
Driving for Uber: Tax Requirements in the Gig Economy
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.
New Legislation: Correcting Phoenix Salary Overpayments
It’s a potential administrative and tax filing nightmare. On January 15, the federal government introduced new draft legislation prompted by the debacle created by their Phoenix Payroll System. These changes are designed to reduce the burden on employees who are now required to repay amounts paid to them in error.
The Tax Refund: Friend or Foe to Wealth Management?
The Statistics Canada’s Individual Income Tax Report*released on January 8, highlighted just how much Canadians are being over-taxed by the CRA. With average tax refunds coming in at $1,757 for the 2018 filing season, many taxpayers are effectively providing the government with interest-free loans of approximately $150 per month for up to 16 months before they see their refund. Just how much is that really costing you?
