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.

CRA is proposing changes to its Voluntary Disclosure Program (VDP). In response, Knowledge Bureau submitted the following comments for government review in advance of the August 8, 2017, consultation deadline: 

Renting out the basement, or even just a room, in one’s home has long been a great way to tap into an additional stream of income to improve cash flow, enhance savings or reduce debt.

If your clients own assets abroad, they must submit Form T1135 Foreign Income Verification Statement to CRA to disclose whether they had “specified foreign assets” held during the year, if the total cost at any time exceeded $100,000 Canadian. 

New provincial rules were finalized earlier this month governing the use of Pooled Retirement Pension Plans in Manitoba. 

  “The way we communicate with others ultimately determines the quality of our lives.” – Anthony Robbins

With all the “back-to-school” ads playing now, perhaps you’re also thinking about putting your professional education plan in place to map out how you will achieve your CE/CPD credits this fall.