Investigative Tax Prep:  Top Ten Changes to Probe

Tax season 2025 has started with a focus on the increased income levels some taxpayers may report due to proposed changes in capital gains tax laws.  But aside from this there are new questions to probe with clients to ensure the family’s tax returns are filed to their very best benefit, given change in their life and financial events as well.  Here are top 10 queries to add to your interview checklist:

It’s important to keep up with breaking tax news and that includes provincial tax changes, to help clients make important lifecycle decisions like whether to start a job or business in another province.  Here’s what’s new from the budget in Quebec, brought down March 12, 2024. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to save on critical professional tax education launching this month – pre-publication specials end March 15! Register now and start anytime in the next two months.

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In this final month of the first quarter of 2024, significant new tax filing milestones arise, but with a twist, because both March 30 and 31 are on a weekend and April 1 is a Monday.  For these reasons it’s important for tax and financial specialists to step up the tax filing conversation on critical issues like any potential RRSP excess contributions and everything related to trusts!  Here are the significant dates to know for March and April:

It’s Provincial Budget Time! First out of the gate on February 22, the BC government introduced a substantive budget which introduces a BC Family Benefit Bonus, increases the Climate Action Tax Credit, extends training tax credits, exempts farmers from participating in provincial agricultural insurance programs and most important, changes the taxation of real estate in the province, and introduces a new Home Flipping for 2025.  This is a substantive matter to discuss with clients during tax season 2024. Details follow:

February 29 was the date that compelled three provinces to release their 2024 provincial budgets:  Nunavut, Alberta and Nova Scotia.  Here are the tax highlights: