The Importance of Provincial Budgets: Elbows Up and No Bracket Creep!

Some of the right things are happening in Nova Scotia, from the perspective of improving standards of living in that province.  And that’s important news because according to the Fraser Institute, Canadians have suffered the worst five-year decline in their standard of living over the 2020-to-2024 period since the Great Depression.  It notes, our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per person decreased by 2.0% (0.4% annually) ; this despite aggregate GDP growth of 1.5% over the period.  Further, all ten provinces are experiencing stagnation, which is unique in our history.  So what’s the good news in Nova Scotia, at this critical juncture?

"There is learning in every experience. Change your attitude about your presumed outcome and simply ask yourself, what did I learn from this experience?"   — Debbie Donsky, educator and principal in York Region

Many Canadians have properties in the U.S. and regularly spend time there. Unfortunately, many of them also tend to take an “ostrich” approach to the related tax issues. That can be very expensive in the long run. If you are a tax or financial advisor serving snowbirds or other clients with U.S. assets, it is imperative to take a proactive approach to protect their wealth from the tax consequences in multiple jurisdictions.

Income earned by an estate during any tax year must be reported as a T3 return. Knowledge Bureau’s new T3 Basic Tax Preparation course will help students learn who should file a T3 return, as well as when and how best to file it. The course also introduces the types of trusts that may be created in Canada and how each of them is taxed.

Have you marked your calendar yet to attend the fourteenth Annual Distinguished Advisor Conference (DAC)? With the Canadian dollar being so low, there never has been a better time to jet off to British Columbia than now. And that’s especially important when you’re looking to stretch your professional development budget.

Add value to your career with the MFA-Business Services Specialist designation, like Johnson Obayuwana from Regina, SK.

Students and their parents will be looking for new ways to fund post-secondary education this year, as tax relief has been significantly curtailed with the removal of the monthly education and textbook amounts.