SMES: Carbon Tax Rebates on the Way?

July 15 was an important day for carbon-tax weary taxpayers. A Canada Carbon Rebate payment was  made to individuals who have filed their 2023 personal tax returns.  What about the long-awaited $2.5 billion Carbon Tax Rebate For Small Businesses? The delivery date and amounts to be received remain elusive, but one thing is clear: many businesses will have disqualified themselves by missing the July 15 date for filing 2023 T2 returns.  Here’s what you need to know. 

The last couple of weeks, we’ve been featuring the details of a brand new account – the First Home Savings Account (FHSA). This week we’re focusing on transfer opportunities with the FHSA, which is especially relevant to those working with millennial clients looking to buy their first homes. What order should the FHSA, TFSA and RRSP be funded as part of a strategic savings plan? For some the choice will be evident, for others this is a great leveraging opportunity and as an advisor, this is an opportunity to be prepared with the answers.

After three years of engaging in online meetings, it remains surprisingly common to witness certain advisors who demonstrate a lack of familiarity with virtual settings. In order to avoid appearing unprofessional, it is essential to steer clear of certain faux pas that can easily be avoided.

In May we asked tax and financial professionals to weigh in on the following question: “Do you think that the government should subsidize tax return filing fees so people can get more accurate results and benefits for free?” The verdict is in and 60% of tax and financial advisors who participated answered “no”.  They share why in their insightful comments and offer alternative solutions that recognize it’s a system that requires reformation to help more low-income and vulnerable Canadians access their benefits.

The 2023 Distinguished Advisor Conference (DAC Acuity) takes place November 12 to 14 at the beautiful Banff Springs Hotel. It is going to be an outstanding industry event for several reasons: the incredible education from Canada’s top thought leaders in the tax, accounting and financial services, as well as our 20th Anniversary celebrations!  We invite you to experience all that this year’s event has to offer by visiting the new interactive agenda where you can enrol there for events, travel, hotel and sign up by June 30 for early bird tuition reductions.  Hurry - reserve the incredibly low hotel rates (rooms will sell out fast):

As we all enjoy family weddings and graduations, nurturing beautiful flowers and sharing long evenings admiring Canada’s summer splendor, there are important tax filing and planning milestones to observe, despite these compelling distractions.  Make sure the Knowledge Bureau’s Summer Time Financial Checklist below is covered off before hitting the beach, or your favorite links, over the next 8 weeks.  Plus check out the KB Glossary of Tax Terms and Acronyms to discuss with newcomers and new clients to increase their tax and financial literacy:

The last thing that may be on the minds of prospective First Home Savings Account holders is a withdrawal, considering how new the plan is.  Available since April 1, 2023, many advisors and clients are just now gearing up to engage clients in the significant opportunity for first home savings.   However, it’s important to look at every investment holistically, and that means understanding the tax consequences going in and coming out of the FHSA.