Downsizing Your CRA Tax Files?

Happy New Year! If one of your resolutions for 2026 is to downsize, or at least sort through all that stuff you don’t need anymore, you may inevitably run across those tax files you’ve been keeping for decades. Just how long do you have to keep them? Do you need permission to destroy them? From whom? Read on to learn more. 

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How big will your tax refund be?

On January 15, the Finance Department released legislative proposals, which amongst other things, changed contentious provisions related to the taxation of certain trusts and estates. Reproduced with permission is the following analysis of the proposals from guest contributor and tax expert Kim Moody.

Canadians have responded enthusiastically to the federal government’s pre-budget consultations; tens of thousands of Canadians have shared their thoughts, the highest-ever turnout for pre-budget consultations on record according to Finance Canada. Suggestions provided by Knowledge Bureau follow. Have you added your voice? It’s easy to do it online at the link above.

When fewer, younger taxpayers must pay most of the taxes while looking after both the elderly and minors, it’s much more difficult for them to accumulate assets for their future, and get good returns on their investments in this environment of de-population.

It has become easier to raise money for private businesses in Canada. Securities regulators in five provinces—Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and New Brunswick—announced last week that they were adopting a prospectus exemption for issuers listed on a Canadian stock exchange. The opportunity: to raise money by distributing securities without the need for an expensive prescribed offering document.