Draft Legislation Released July 23, 2026
While Canadians were enjoying the height of summer 2026, Finance Canada released draft legislation for a number of previously announced tax measures including new rules for the disabled, apprentices in the trades, those with automobile benefits, farmers on the prairies and business owners buying assets or remitting GST/HST. A consultation has been issued on the proposed new rules, which must be emailed to the department by September 4. There are some important changes, some summarized below, which will also be covered in the September 23 CE Summit.Value-Based Education Matters to Advisors: Invest in Summer Training
According to this year’s Report Card on Banks from Investment Executive, tax and financial advisors place significant value on professional education, and have increased job satisfaction when ongoing educational opportunities are provided to them by their employers. This comes as no surprise at a time when it’s becoming more important than ever to transition from transactional processes, to holistic advice- and relationship-driven practices.
OAS and GIS Increases: Canadian Seniors Get a Small Raise
New rates for Old Age Security (OAS) and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) programs went into effect as of July 1, 2018, and as a result, Canadian seniors are getting a small raise each month this quarter. But, the windfall is meek.
Solving the Unethical Advisor Dilemma: Higher Standards for Education Credentials Needed
The debate is on for our July poll, with respondents split down the middle on whether or not more regulation is required to protect consumers from unethical tax and financial advisors. Many commenters agree that unscrupulous practices are an issue, but what’s the answer? Some believe the solution lies in higher educational standards. Share your thoughts!
Bank of Canada Increases Interest Rate to 1.5%
Bank of Canada raised its benchmark interest rate to 1.5 percent (up from 1.25 percent) as anticipated, in an announcement from Governor Stephen Poloz this morning.
Consumer Woes: New Surtax hits Cross-Border Shoppers, While Interest Rates Rise
Canadians spend anywhere from $4.7 to $8 Billion on cross-border shopping and if you spent the July long weekend looking for bargains in the U.S. you may have had an unpleasant surprise: despite the loonie holding some ground against US currency, a new 10% surtax on certain consumer goods came into effective July 1, when if you exceeded your exemption limit.
Despite Obstacles, Canada’s Growing Labour Force Points to Strong Economy
Despite all the doom and gloom reported lately, Canada’s economy is actually growing. All signs point to an increase in Bank of Canada rates later today, as a new Labour Force Study from Statistics Canada indicates that for the month of June, the country’s labour force increased with the creation of 31,800 new jobs. The report also cites increasing self-employment levels.
