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?

Managing the economy is a complex challenge for government and Canada's near-term economic outlook remains uncertain, according to the March 28, 2023 Federal Budget.  For taxpayers, however, there is certainty: the impact of increasing carbon taxes and with that, higher GST costs. This perhaps is  the bigger story, based on new information from the Parliamentary Budget Officer, released on March 30.

As March came to a close, the CRA had received 9.3 million returns, and according to data to March 13, average tax refund amounts had declined slightly from February: coming in at $2,172. Over the year, the size of the tax refund has been steadily increasing.  We asked you to tell us whether CRA should cut back on withholding taxes so that Canadians could keep more in their pockets every two weeks.  The no’s won at 62.96%.  Here were your comments:

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Did you know: the accounting, tax, bookkeeping and payroll services represent 23.6 billion, showing an 8.9% increase annually.  This according to Statistics Canada shows that this is a healthy, and essential, industry for Canadians.  That’s why now may be the right time to enhance your professional education with the Certificate Course Bookkeeping in a Digital World.

Are you ready to consider incorporating your proprietorship, navigating family dynamics within your company or considering philanthropic donations through investments that match your values then you’ll want to check out our latest collection entitled Building Your Business, which provides you a new opportunity to earn 5 CE Credits.

The Special Report on the 2023 Federal Budget is a Knowledge Bureau subscriber exclusive!