The UHT May Be Cancelled, But Vacancy Taxes Remain

As tax professionals, you are keenly aware of the constant changes our federal government makes to the Income Tax Act. Adjustments are made, and you must adapt. Not often, though, is a tax eliminated altogether. But in the case of the Underused Housing Tax (UHT), that is exactly what has happened – it was cancelled in the federal budget of November 4, 2025, but Canada’s underused housing taxes have not been eliminated. Here’s what you need to know for tax season 2026.

Successful retirements, from a financial point of view, are about three phases of planning:  pre-retirement, in-retirement and after-retirement. While a regular process for saving, investment performance metrics and deaccumulation methods are all very important, retirement income planning is really about one strategic goal:  what matters is what you keep.

It is so important for tax and financial advisors to help distill fears and knee-jerk reactions in light of the April 16 Federal Budget.  Join members of the Society of Real Wealth Managers on May 7 at Noon CT for a frank discussion and open forum online, about the need for tax literacy and a multi-stakeholder approach to intergenerational wealth management that pushes back on the fear factor.

The April 16 Federal Budget proved once more that one of the most important skills people working in the financial services can offer is a deepened knowledge of personal, corporate and trust filing requirements. This is an essential financial service to help households navigate the increasingly broad – and expensive - reach of the CRA, especially for investors and business owners.  Knowledge Bureau’s suite of newly updated certificate tax, bookkeeping and retirement planning courses are now available online, together with a special offer.  Course benefits and descriptions follow:

Governments are long on promises but short of money these days, as deficits grow both provincially and federally.  Will prior tax preferences be maintained in the next federal budget, or will they be clawed back?  Here are some provisions worth watching:

CRA may be taking a closer look at interest deductibility costs now that interest rates are higher and that line item on the tax return contains bigger numbers.  Tax deductible interest paid on money borrowed to earn investment or business income  must be justified with back up documentation that includes the demonstration of use of the funds, which is always more complicated with a line of credit, for example, has mixed personal and business/investment uses.  Here is what you need to know: 

Did you know that 93% of Canadians voluntarily participate in the tax system, with 90% filing on time every year?  Not only that but 91% of Canadians pay their tax liabilities on time.  Recently the trust factor has been declining according to CRA’s performance indicators and, with the faulty implementation of two new taxation regimes in Canada, there have been calls for accountability in CRA procedures.  However, this may be somewhat unfair to CRA, as tax law-making begins with the Federal Budget; the next one on April 16.  Here’s what’s at stake: