Insights
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued the guide to be used by taxpayers who are reporting business or professional income, commission income, and income from farming and fishing received during 2...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced that, beginning February 27, 2021, its Individual Tax Enquiries line will be available on Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. That service is also available ...
The prescribed leasing interest rate mandated by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) must be calculated using bond yield information found on the Bank of Canada website. That calculation shows that the pr...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced that its individual income tax enquiries line will be open for extended hours during the upcoming tax filing season. That line — reachable at 1-800-959-...
The Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) NETFILE service for the online filing of individual income tax returns for the 2020 taxation year will be available starting Monday, February 22, 2021. In order to ...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows a significant decline in employment during the month of January, and a corresponding increase in the overall unemployment rat...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued the individual income tax forms and guides to be used by Canadian residents in filing an income tax return for the 2020 taxation year. The particular form to...
The federal government has launched the consultation process leading to the release of the 2021-22 federal Budget. This year, there are three components to the consultation process. The government wil...
The prescribed leasing interest rate mandated by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) must be calculated using bond yield information found on the Bank of Canada website. That calculation shows that the pr...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on January 20 the Bank of Canada indicated that, in its view, no change was needed to current rates. Accordingly, the Bank Rate remains at 0....
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued an updated version of Guide T4044, Employment Expenses 2020, which outlines the tax treatment of various employment expenses, and will be used by taxpayers i...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Survey shows that the rate inflation rose by 0.7% during the month of December 2020, as measured on a year-over-year basis. The rate for...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has released the automobile expense deduction limits and benefit rates which will apply during the 2021 taxation year. Most of the rates and limits which applied during...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that the overall unemployment rate for the month of December 2020 increased to 8.6%. The comparable rate for the month of Nov...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the interest rates which will apply to amounts owed to and by the CRA for the first quarter of 2021, as well as the rates that will apply for the purpose ...
The Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) NETFILE service for the filing of individual income tax returns for the 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 taxation years will be available until Friday, January 22, 2021. ...
Post-secondary students in Canada are eligible for a range of tax credits and deductions, including a tuition tax credit, deductions for moving expenses, and a claim for qualifying student loan intere...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced that a new temporary home office tax credit may be claimable by qualifying individuals who worked from home during 2020. Taxpayers are eligible to use thi...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) permits taxpayers to designate another person, firm, or business to communicate with the CRA on the taxpayer’s behalf, where a written authorization has been provided...
Taxpayers may apply to the Minister of National Revenue for administrative relief from interest and penalty charges imposed or, in some cases, for permission to late-file tax elections. In order to be...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on December 9, the Bank of Canada announced that no change would be made to current interest rates. Accordingly, the Bank Rate remains at 0.5...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that the rate of unemployment declined by 0.4% during the month of November. The unemployment rate for the month was 8.5%. Fu...
The prescribed leasing interest rate mandated by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) must be calculated using bond yield information found on the Bank of Canada website. That calculation shows that the pr...
On November 30, the Minister of Finance released the Fall Economic Statement, which included updated deficit projections for the current and future fiscal years. The deficit is now projected to reach ...
The federal government has announced that the program providing a wage subsidy to eligible businesses experiencing a pandemic-related revenue loss has been extended to be available until June 2021. Th...
The federal government has announced that its Fall Economic Statement for the 2020-21 fiscal year will be released on Monday November 30, 2020. The press release announcing the date and time of the St...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Survey shows that the rate of inflation for the month of October rose by 0.7%, as measured on a year-over-year basis. The comparable inc...
The federal government has released the premium rates and amounts which will apply in 2021 for purposes of the Employment Insurance (EI) program. For 2021, the EI premium rate will be 1.58% and maximu...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced upcoming changes in the allowable contribution limits for a range of retirement savings programs. For registered pension plans, the 2021 money purchase l...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that the overall rate of unemployment stood at 8.9% for the month of October. While the unemployment rate for the month was l...
The tax treatment of non-monetary benefits provided by employers to their employees can vary widely. Some such benefits must be included in the employee’s taxable income for the year, while others a...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the contribution rates and amounts which will apply for purposes of the Canada Pension Plan during 2021. For 2021, the employer and employee contribution ...
The prescribed leasing interest rate mandated by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) must be calculated using bond yield information found on the Bank of Canada website. That calculation shows that the pr...
In its October 28 announcement, the Bank of Canada indicated that, in its view, no change to current interest rates was needed. Accordingly, the Bank Rate remains at 0.5%. The press release announcing...
The Bank of Canada has released its schedule for policy interest rate announcements to be made during the 2021 calendar year, and that schedule is as follows: Wednesday, January 20 Wednesday, March 10...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows that the rate of inflation rose 0.5% on a year-over-year basis in September, up from a 0.1% increase in August. While pric...
In September, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit program came to an end, and three new programs to provide financial assistance to individuals impacted by the pandemic were launched. One of those p...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that Canada’s overall unemployment rate declined by 1.2% during the month of September. For the month, that rate stood at 9...
The federal government has created three separate benefits which can be claimed by qualifying Canadians, following the end of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) program. Applications for two...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued a warning to taxpayers with respect to a tax scam currently operating, which involves claims for bad debt write-offs. While bad debts can be written off for ...
The federal government has created three separate benefits which can be claimed by qualifying Canadians, following the end of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) program. Applications for two...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the interest rates which will apply to amounts owed to and by the CRA for 2020, as well as the rates that will apply for the purpose of calculating employ...
The Old Age Security benefit received by Canadians over the age of 65 is indexed quarterly to changes in the Consumer Price Index. The federal government has announced that the basic OAS benefit of $6...
The prescribed leasing interest rate mandated by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) must be calculated using bond yield information found on the Bank of Canada website. That calculation shows that the pr...
As part of its pandemic relief plan, the federal government provided eligible post-secondary students and recent post-secondary and high school graduates who were unable to find work for pandemic-rela...
Canadian taxpayers who pay income tax by instalment usually make four instalment payments each year, by the 15th day of March, June, September, and December. Earlier this year, the federal government ...
Earlier this year, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced that the deadline for payment of individual income tax balances for the 2019 tax year, which is usually April 30, was being extended to Wed...
The September release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that the overall unemployment rate for the month of August stood at 10.2%. That rate represented a decrease of 0.7% from the ra...
The federal government has announced an increase in the amount of any overtime meal allowance, or meal portion of a travel allowance, that employers can provide to employees on a non-taxable basis. Th...
Eligibility for a number of refundable tax credits and benefits, including the harmonized sales tax/goods and services tax credit and the child tax benefit is based in part on a taxpayer’s income fo...
The pandemic emergency benefit program provided by the federal government for post-secondary students and recent secondary and post-secondary graduates ended on August 29, 2020. Those eligible for suc...
Since March 15 of this year, Canadians who have lost income as a result of the pandemic have been able to receive $500 per week from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). The CERB program will...
Earlier this month, a cyberattack on the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and other agencies of the federal government compromised the personal tax and financial information of approximately 5500 taxpayers...
On July 17, the federal government announced that the existing Canada Employer Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program would be extended to be available until November 21, 2020, and that eligibility criteria for ...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows that the rate of inflation for the month of July, as measured on a year-over-year basis, stood at 0.1%. The comparable rate ...
The prescribed leasing rate mandated by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) must be calculated using bond yield information found on the Bank of Canada website. That calculation shows that the prescribed ...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that the unemployment rate for July was 10.9%. The change means that the unemployment rate has fallen by 1.4 percentage poi...
Individual taxpayers who pay income tax by instalment are required to make four such instalment payments each year. The usual deadlines for such payments are the 15th day of March, June, September, an...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has posted a notice on its website indicating that it is experiencing delays in the processing of paper-filed individual income tax returns for the 2019 taxation year. ...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced that an interest waiver period will be provided to individual taxpayers with respect to income taxes owed. That waiver period will run from April 1 to Sep...
Earlier this year, the deadline for payment of individual income tax amounts owed for the 2019 taxation year was extended from April 30 to September 1, 2020. The federal government has now indicated t...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on July 15, the Bank of Canada indicated that, in its view, no change to current interest rates was required. Accordingly, the Bank Rate rema...
The prescribed leasing rate mandated by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) must be calculated using bond yield information found on the Bank of Canada website. That calculation shows that the prescribed ...
Canadian employers whose businesses have been affected by the pandemic may be eligible for a federal government wage subsidy – the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS). The CEWS, which pays the empl...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows a slight decline in the rate of unemployment during the month of June. The unemployment rate for June stood at 12.3%, a decli...
On July 8, the federal government provided an update of its fiscal position for the current (2020-21) fiscal year, taking in account expenditures made in connection with the pandemic. That “Economic...
Earlier this year, the federal government announced that, as part of its pandemic relief measures, recipients of Old Age Security would receive an additional one-time payment. Such payment is intended...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued a Tax Tip reminding Canadians that its online filing services for the filing of individual income tax returns for the 2019 tax year are still open. Such indi...
The Old Age Security benefit received by Canadians over the age of 65 is indexed quarterly to changes in the Consumer Price Index. The federal government has announced that, as the rate of inflation d...
The prescribed leasing rate mandated by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) must be calculated using bond yield information found on the Bank of Canada website. That calculation shows that the prescribed ...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the interest rates which will apply to amounts owed to and by the CRA for the first three quarters of 2020, as well as the rates that will apply for the p...
The federal government has announced that the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) program has been extended to be available for a further eight weeks in some circumstances. As originally designed...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Survey shows that the rate of inflation fell by 0.4% during the month of May, as measured on a year-over-year basis. Prices were up in f...
The prescribed leasing rate mandated by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) must be calculated using bond yield information found on the Bank of Canada website. That calculation shows that the prescribed ...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that the unemployment rate rose slightly during the month of May, from 13% to 13.7%. The StatsCan analysis indicates that une...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on June 3 the Bank of Canada, as anticipated. made no change to current rates. Accordingly, the Bank Rate remains at 0.5%. In its announcemen...
Self-employed Canadians and their spouses must file an individual income tax return for the 2019 tax year on or before June 15, 2020. As part of the federal government’s pandemic response plan, howe...
Individual Canadians who pay income tax by instalments would normally be required to make the second instalment payment for this year on June 15, 2020. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has indicated, h...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced that the deadline for filing of T2 returns by corporations and T3 returns by trusts has been extended. That announcement provides that all businesses and ...
Each year community organizations across Canada operate a number of tax clinics at which individual income tax returns are prepared and filed free of charge to the taxpayer. Due to concerns surroundin...
The benefit year for many federal benefits, like the Canada Child Benefit and the Goods and Services Tax Credit runs from July 1 to June 30. Eligibility for and the amount of such benefits are based, ...
The Canada Revenue Agency has issued a reminder to Canadians that there are circumstances in which the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) must be repaid. In particular, individuals who return to...
The federal government has announced that, in order to help seniors with additional costs resulting from the pandemic, a one-time supplement will be provided to Canadians who already receive Old Age S...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued an alert on its website warning Canadians of a scam operating with respect to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). That Benefit, for which more than...
As part of its pandemic response, the federal government is providing eligible employers with a partial wage subsidy through the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program. The CEWS program provides...
The prescribed leasing rate mandated by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) must be calculated using bond yield information found on the Bank of Canada website. That calculation shows that the prescribed ...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the interest rates which will apply to amounts owed to and by the Agency for the first half of 2020, as well as the rates that will apply for the purpose ...
The April release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows a sharp decline in the rate of inflation for the month of March. That rate stood at 0.9%, as measured on a year-over-year basis. T...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows a significant increase in the rate of unemployment during the month of March. The April release of the Labour Force Survey, w...
The federal government has announced that required repayments of Canada Student Loans will be suspended until September 30th, 2020. Where payments are usually made by pre-authorized debit, such paymen...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on April 15, the Bank of Canada indicated that, in its view, no change to current interest rates was required. Accordingly, the Bank Rate rem...
The federal government will be providing a wage subsidy program to eligible employers who have experienced a recent reduction in revenues of 30% or more. That program—the Canada Emergency Wage Subsi...
As of April 6, 2020, Canadians can apply for the federal Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which provides eligible individuals with $500 per week for a maximum of 16 weeks. The benefit is gene...
The federal government will be providing businesses with an extension with respect to remittance deadlines related to goods and services tax (GST) and harmonized sales tax (HST). The deferral will app...
In an unscheduled announcement made on March 27, the Bank of Canada lowered interest rates for the third time this month. In that announcement, the Bank reduced current rates by one-half percentage po...
The federal government has announced that, for the current benefit year only, the amount of Canada Child Benefit will be increased by a one-time payment of $300 per child. The $300 additional benefit ...
The deadline for filing of most 2019 individual income tax returns, as well as payment of any balance of tax owed for the 2019 taxation year by individual taxpayers would usually be April 30, 2020. Th...
Citing the negative shocks to Canada’s economy arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent drop in oil prices, the Bank of Canada has announced a further reduction in interest rates. The unsch...
The federal government has announced that the filing deadline for individual Canadian tax filers who would usually be required to file by April 30 has been extended to June 1, 2020. (Returns for 2019 ...
Canadian taxpayers who buy or sell a property during the year may be subject to requirements to report that transaction on their annual return and, in some cases, to pay tax on sale proceeds. The CRA ...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows little change in the overall unemployment rate during the month of February. That rate rose by 0.1%, to 5.6%. During the mont...
The Canada Revenue Agency’s individual income tax enquiries telephone service will be available for extended hours during tax filing season. That enquiries service, which can be reached at 1-800-959...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on March 4 the Bank of Canada indicated that, in its view, a reduction to current interest rates was required. Accordingly, the bank rate was...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has released its 2019 Guide to Self-Employed Business, Professional, Commission, Farming and Fishing Income for 2019. That Guide is used by taxpayers who are reporting ...
The Canada Revenue Agency’s NETFILE service for the filing of individual income tax returns for the 2019 taxation year is now available. The current NETFILE service, which can be found on the CRA we...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced that contributions to a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP), in order to be deducted on the return for 2019, must be made on or before Monday March ...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows an increase in the rate of inflation for the month of January. That rate stood at 2.4%, as measured on a year-over-year basi...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that that unemployment rate dropped slightly during the month of January, from 5.6% to 5.5%. During that month, employment in...
The rates and limits for deduction and credit claims for meal and travel expenses are now posted on the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website. Such rates and limits apply to meal and travel expense clai...
In the 2019 Budget, the federal government introduced a new tax credit for digital news subscription costs incurred by individuals. That tax credit is available starting in the 2020 tax year. Individu...
In the 2019 Budget, the federal government introduced a new tax credit for digital news subscription costs incurred by individuals. That tax credit is available starting in the 2020 tax year. Individu...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) publishes a guide for post-secondary students which outlines the rules governing typical tax situations for such students. Those rules include the tax treatment of tuit...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced that the NETFILE service for online filing of individual income tax returns for the 2019 tax year will be available beginning Monday, February 24, 2020. M...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has released the Individual Income Tax Return and Guide for all provinces and territories for the 2019 tax year, and those forms and guides are posted on its website at...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on January 22, 2020, the Bank of Canada indicated that, in its view, no change was needed to current rates. Accordingly, the Bank Rate remain...
The Canada Revenue Agency has announced the rates and limits which will apply for purposes of automobile-related benefits and deductions in 2020. Most such rates and limits are unchanged, as follows: ...
The federal government has announced the Old Age Security (OAS) and related amounts which will be paid during the first quarter (January 1 to March 31) of 2020. OAS payments are indexed quarterly to c...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that employment increased by 35,000 jobs during the month of December and that the overall unemployment rate fell by 0.3%, to...
The federal government has announced that the basic personal tax credit, the spousal credit, and the eligible dependant credit amounts will increase, in four stages, from $12,298 to $15,000. The first...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the interest rates which will apply to amounts owed to and by the CRA for the first quarter of 2020, as well as the rates that will apply for the purpose ...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) formerly provided taxpayers with a listing of prescribed interest rates for leasing, with such listing including the applicable rate for the upcoming month, as well as ...
The federal government has announced the amounts which will be paid under the climate action incentive program during 2020. Such amounts are claimed when filing the individual income tax return for 20...
Taxpayers who have not yet filed their individual income tax returns for 2018 (or the three prior years) can file those returns on NETFILE until Friday, January 24, 2020. Until that date, the Canada R...
The 2019 Economic and Fiscal Update released on December 16 by the Minister of Finance shows a significant increase in the projected deficit for the current fiscal year. In the 2019-20 Budget announce...
Canadians who pay income tax by instalments are required to pay the fourth and final instalment payment of 2019 on or before Monday December 16, 2019. Taxpayers subject to the instalment payment requi...
Under the federal government’s Taxpayer Relief Program, the Minister of National Revenue can provide relief to taxpayers from interest or penalty charges which have been assessed. Such taxpayer reli...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on December 4, the Bank of Canada indicated that, in its view, no change was needed to current rates. Accordingly, the Bank Rate remains at 2...
The Canada Revenue Agency has announced that personal income tax brackets and credit amounts for the 2020 taxation year will increase by 1.9%. Each year, such individual income tax brackets and cred...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index indicates that there was no change in the rate of inflation recorded for the month of October. That rate stood at 1.9%, as measure...
The Canada Revenue Agency has issued the 2020 version of Guide T4127, Payroll Deduction Formulas, which is intended for use by payroll software providers or companies which develop their own in-house ...
On Wednesday November 27, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will be hosting a webinar on payroll requirements for Canadian employers. The webinar, which will start at 1:00 p.m. EST, is free of charge fo...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has updated and re-issued its tax guide for post-secondary students. That guide (P105, Students and Income Tax) reviews the tax treatment of common deductions and credi...
The federal government has announced the Employment Insurance (EI) premium rates which will be levied during 2020. For 2020, maximum insurable earnings for the year will be $54,200. The premium rate f...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that there was no change in the overall unemployment rate for the month of October 2019, with that rate remaining at 5.5%. Am...
The Canada Revenue Agency has issued its Employer’s Guide: Payroll Deductions and Remittances for 2020 (T4001(E)). That guide provides employers with information on the deductions which must be made...
The federal government has announced the contribution rates and amounts and maximum pensionable earnings which will apply for purposes of the Canada Pension Plan in 2020. Employee and employer contrib...
Employers are required, by the end of February 2020, to issue T4 slips for their employees for the 2019 taxation year. Those T4s will summarize the amount of remuneration received by the employee duri...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on October 30, 2019, the Bank of Canada indicated that, in its view, no change was needed to current rates. Accordingly, the Bank Rate will r...
As previously announced, changes are to be made to the Canada Pension Plan over the next 5 years, with the goal of increasing the amount of CPP retirement benefits available to contributors. The next ...
The federal government provides a detailed online retirement income calculator which can be used by taxpayers planning retirement. The online calculator allows users to input income amounts from vario...
The overall inflation rate was unchanged for the month of September, with that rate matching the 1.9% year-over-year increase posted for the month of August 2019. The greatest contributor to the infla...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows a sharp increase in job creation for the month of September. During that month employment rose by 54,000, mainly in full-time...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) formerly provided taxpayers with a listing of prescribed interest rates for leasing, with such listing including the applicable rate for the upcoming month, as well as ...
The federal government has announced the Employment Insurance premium rates and amounts which will be levied during the 2020 calendar year. For 2020, the Employment Insurance premium rate is decreased...
The federal government has announced the Old Age Security (OAS) and related amounts which will be paid during the fourth quarter (October 1 to December 31) of 2019. OAS payments are indexed quarterly ...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the interest rates which will apply to amounts owed to and by the Agency for 2019, as well as the rates that will apply for the purpose of calculating emp...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has updated and re-issued its publication on the conduct of tax audits. The updated publication (RC4188E)) outlines the process by which the CRA chooses a file for audi...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) formerly provided taxpayers with a listing of prescribed interest rates for leasing, with such listing including the applicable rate for the upcoming month, as well as ...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows that the rate of inflation for the month of August stood at 1.9%, as measured on a year-over-year basis. The inflation rate ...
Finance Canada has released the Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada for 2018-19, which provides an overview of the federal government’s financial results for the 2018-19 fiscal year ...
Each September thousands of international students move to (or return to) Canada to attend Canadian secondary or post-secondary educational institutions. Depending on their residency status, those stu...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that employment increased by 81,000 positions during the month of August 2019. Notwithstanding that increase, the unemploymen...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on September 4, the Bank of Canada indicated that, in its view, no change was needed to current rates. Accordingly, the Bank Rate remains at ...
Individual taxpayers who make quarterly instalment payments of tax must make the third such instalment payment for the year on or before September 15. As that date falls on a Sunday this year, payment...
The Bank of Canada has released a listing of the eight dates on which it will make regularly scheduled interest rate announcements during 2020. That listing is as follows: Wednesday, January 22 Wednes...
The Canada Revenue Agency has issued a Tax Tip warning owners of self-directed RRSPs about a current tax scheme which they may encounter. Promoters of such schemes falsely promise owners of self-direc...
The Canada Revenue Agency has updated and re-issued its Information Circular outlining the rules and requirements which apply to taxpayers who keep business and tax books and records in electronic for...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows that the rate of inflation recorded for the month of July was unchanged from the previous month. For both June and July, tha...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) formerly provided taxpayers with a listing of prescribed interest rates for leasing, which includes the applicable rate for the upcoming month, as well as the rates in ...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows a slight increase in the unemployment rate for the month of July, as measured on a year-over-year basis. For that month, the ...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued a Tax Tip reminding taxpayers of the procedures which it utilizes to protect their personal information, particularly with respect to contacts between taxpay...
Individuals who are required to pay income tax by instalments must make their third quarterly instalment for 2019 on or before September 15, 2019. As that date is a Sunday, such payments are considere...
The federal government provides tax relief to livestock producers who are experiencing severe weather or climate conditions during the year. Such relief is provided through the livestock tax deferral ...
The Bank of Canada has released the listing of dates on which it will make scheduled interest rate announcements during calendar year 2020. There will be 8 such scheduled interest rate announcements d...
Prospective mortgage borrowers in Canada are subject to a “stress test” as part of the assessment of their credit-worthiness. Under that test, such borrowers are required to qualify for a mortgage...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows that the overall rate of inflation during the month of June 2019 stood at 2%. The comparable rate for May was 2.4%. The decr...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) formerly provided taxpayers with a listing of prescribed interest rates for leasing, with such listing including the applicable rate for the upcoming month, as well as ...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that, although the unemployment rate for the month of June rose by 0.1%, employment increased by 132,000 positions during the...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on July 10, the Bank of Canada indicated that, in its view, no change was needed to current rates. Accordingly, the bank rate remains at 2%. ...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the interest rates which will apply to amounts owed to and by the Agency for the first three quarters of 2019, as well as the rates that will apply for th...
July 1, 2019 is the start of the 2019-20 benefit year for many provincial and federal child and tax benefits, including the federal GST/HST credit and the Canada Child Benefit. As of that date, the pa...
The federal government has announced the Old Age Security (OAS) and related amounts which will be paid during the third quarter (July 1 to September 30) of 2019. OAS payments are indexed quarterly to ...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the prescribed interest rate for leasing rules which will be in effect during the month of July 2019. The prescribed rate for July is 2.75%. A chart showi...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows that the rate of inflation for the month of May 2019, as measured on a year-over-year basis, stood at 2.4%. Inflation during...
Under the Canadian tax system, employee stock options receive preferential tax treatment. In this year’s Budget the federal government indicated that, in its view, the existing rules on stock option...
In this year’s federal Budget, a new program was announced to benefit first-time home buyers. Under that program, the First-Time Home Buyer’s Incentive, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation...
Effective as of July 2019, the amount of Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payable to eligible Canadian families will be increased to account for inflation. Starting with the July payment (which will be made...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows a small decline in the overall unemployment rate recorded for the month of May. The unemployment rate for that month stood at...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the prescribed interest rates for leasing rules which will be in effect during the month of June 2019. The prescribed rate for that month will be increase...
Individual taxpayers who pay income tax by instalments must make their second instalment payment for 2019 on or before June 17, 2019. Such taxpayers will have received an instalment notice setting out...
Self-employed taxpayers (and their spouses) have until Monday June 17, 2019 to file their income tax returns for the 2018 tax year. Returns filed after that date will be subject to late-filing penalti...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on May 29, the Bank of Canada indicated that, in its view, no change was needed to current interest rates. Consequently, the Bank Rate remain...
The federal government and many of the provinces provide benefit programs for which both entitlement and benefit amount are based, at least in part, on the income of the recipient taxpayer. Those bene...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows that the rate of inflation for the month of April stood at 2%, as measured on a year-over-year basis. Seven of the eight maj...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued a Tax Tip confirming that the filing deadline for individual income tax returns filed for the 2018 tax year by self-employed individuals and their spouses is...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows growth in employment during the month of April for nearly all demographic groups. The overall unemployment rate for the month...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued a warning about a current tax scheme involving Health Spending Accounts (HSAs) which are being marketed to small businesses. HSAs are self-insured health pla...
The federal government has announced that, effective with the July 2019 payment, Canada Child Benefit rates will increase.As of July, the maximum benefit for a child under the age of 6 will increase t...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the prescribed interest rates for leasing rules which will be in effect during the month of May 2019. The prescribed rate for that month will be reduced t...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued a press release reminding taxpayers who have been affected by this spring’s floods of the availability of relief with respect to their obligation to file a...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows a significant increase in the rate of inflation recorded for the month of March 2019. During that month, the CPI rose 1.9%, ...
The Bank of Canada, in its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on April 24, determined that no change was needed to current rates. The Bank Rate therefore remains at 2%. The press rele...
The federal government has announced the Old Age Security payment rates which will be in effect for the second quarter (April 1 to June 30) of 2019. OAS payment rates are indexed quarterly to inflatio...
All payments of individual income tax owed for the 2018 taxation year must be received by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on or before Tuesday April 30, 2019. There are a number of means by which paym...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued an updated guide to be used by taxpayers who are claiming medical expenses on their income tax returns for 2018. Individual taxpayers are entitled to claim a...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey indicates that there was no change in the overall unemployment rate for the month of March. That rate remained at 5.8%. Employment ...
The Canada Revenue Agency has announced the prescribed interest rates for leasing rules which will be in effect during the month April 2019. The prescribed rate for the upcoming month is 3.1%. A chart...
The Canada Revenue Agency has announced the interest rates which will apply to amounts owed to and by the Agency for the first half of 2019, as well as the rates that will apply for the purpose of cal...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has posted a number of Tax Tips for seniors and students on its website. Those Tax Tips list and explain particular credits, deductions, or benefits which are most like...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Survey indicates that the rate of inflation for the month of February, as measured on a year-over-year basis, stood at 1.5%. The compara...
Budget 2019 is proposing that the excise duty framework for cannabis products be amended to more effectively apply the excise duty on new classes of cannabis products, as well as to cannabis oils, whi...
Budget 2019 proposes to expand health-related tax relief under the Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) system to better meet the health care needs of Canadians by: providing GST/HST ...
Budget 2019 announces the Government’s intent to limit the use of the current employee stock option tax regime and move toward aligning the tax treatment with the United States for employees of larg...
Budget 2019 proposes that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will be allowed to send requirements for information electronically to a bank or credit union only if the bank or credit union notifies the CR...
Budget 2019 proposes that the joint and several liability for tax owing on income from carrying on a business in a TFSA be extended to the TFSA holder. The joint and several liability of a trustee of ...
Budget 2019 proposes to introduce a new rule that would deny a mutual fund trust a deduction in respect of the portion of an allocation made to a unitholder on a redemption of a unit of the mutual fun...
Budget 2019 proposes to prohibit Individual Pension Plans (IPPs) from providing retirement benefits in respect of past years of employment that were pensionable service under a defined benefit plan of...
To bring the Specified Multi-Employer Plan (SMEP) rules in line with the pension tax provisions that apply to other defined benefit RPPs, Budget 2019 proposes to amend the tax rules to prohibit contri...
Amounts paid for cannabis products may be eligible for the medical expense tax credit where such products are purchased for a patient for medical purposes in accordance with the Access to Cannabis for...
A recent court decision related to the interpretation of “national importance” has created uncertainty about the availability of these tax incentives. Budget 2019 proposes to introduce legislative...
Budget 2019 proposes to amend the Income Tax Act to clarify that financial assistance payments received by care providers under a kinship care program are neither taxable nor included in income for th...
Budget 2019 proposes to amend the Income Tax Act to clarify that an individual may be considered to be the parent of a child in their care for the purpose of the Canada Workers Benefit, regardless of ...
To ensure that the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) continues to respond to the needs of Canadians with disabilities, Budget 2019 proposes two changes that will better protect the long-term s...
Budget 2019 proposes to amend the tax rules to permit PRPPs and defined contribution RPPs to provide a variable payment life annuity (VPLA) to members directly from the plan. A VPLA will provide payme...
Budget 2019 proposes to amend the tax rules to permit an advanced life deferred annuity (ALDA) to be a qualifying annuity purchase, or a qualified investment, under certain registered plans. An ALDA w...
To improve the consistency of the tax treatment of owners of multi-unit residential properties in comparison to owners of single-unit residential properties, Budget 2019 proposes to allow a taxpayer t...
Budget 2019 proposes to increase the Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP) withdrawal limit to $35,000. This would be available for withdrawals made after March 19, 2019. Budget 2019 also proposes to extend acces...
Budget 2019 proposes this new, non-taxable credit that would help Canadians pay for training fees. Every year, eligible workers between the ages of 25 and 64 would accumulate a credit balance of $250 ...
Budget 2019 proposes to: extend the foreign affiliate dumping rules in the Income Tax Act to prevent a corporation resident in Canada that is controlled by a non-resident individual or trust from redu...
In Budget 2019, the Government proposes further amendments to the Income Tax Act to make the beneficial ownership information maintained by federally incorporated corporations more readily available t...
Budget 2019 proposes an amendment that introduces an additional qualification for the commercial transaction exception in the definition “derivative forward agreement” as the exception applies to ...
Budget 2019 proposes to add The Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Canada and the Respective Governments of the Flemish, French and German-speaking Communities of the Kingdom of Bel...
Budget 2019 proposes to repeal the use of taxable income as a factor in determining a CCPC’s annual expenditure limit for the purpose of the enhanced SR&ED tax credit. As a result, small CCPCs w...
Budget 2019 proposes to eliminate the requirement that sales be to a farming or fishing cooperative corporation in order to be excluded from specified corporate income. As such, this exclusion will ap...
Budget 2019 proposes that these vehicles be eligible for a full tax write-off in the year they are put in use. Qualifying vehicles will include electric battery, plug-in hybrid (with a battery capacit...
Budget 2019 proposes to introduce three new tax measures to support Canadian journalism: allowing journalism organizations to register as qualified donees; a refundable labour tax credit for qualifyin...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force survey shows that, while the rate of unemployment for the month of February was unchanged, employment grew by 56,000 positions. The unempl...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on March 6, the Bank of Canada indicated that, in its view, no change was needed to current rates. Accordingly, the Bank Rate remains at 2% I...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows a drop in the rate of inflation for the month of January. That rate, as measured on a year-over-year basis, was 1.4%. ...
The first instalment payment of individual income taxes for the 2019 tax year is due on or before Friday March 15, 2019. Individuals who have previously paid tax by instalments will have received an i...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced that its Individual Income Tax Enquiries line (1-800-959-8281) is now available for extended hours. Until April 30, 2019, telephone agents will be availab...
The Minister of Finance has announced that the 2019-20 federal Budget will be brought down on Tuesday, March 19, 2019. Once the Budget is released, at around 4 p.m., the Budget Papers will be posted o...
The 2018 T1 Individual Income Tax Return and Guide package is now available on the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/tax-packag...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced that its NETFILE service for the filing of individual income tax returns is available as of Monday, February 18, 2019. The current NETFILE service (which ...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued a Tax Tip for post-secondary students and graduates who will be filing an income tax return for the 2018 tax year. That Tax Tip, which can be found on the CR...
During the month of January, the number of people employed in Canada rose by 67,000, with that figure attributable for most part to increased employment of those aged 15 to 24 and those working in the...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the prescribed interest rate for leasing rules which will be in effect during the month of March 2019. That prescribed rate for the month of March will be...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has posted a Tax Tip which lists the tax deductions and credits which are most relevant to seniors, and which can be claimed by eligible seniors when preparing and fili...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced that its NETFILE service for the filing of individual income tax returns for the 2018 tax year will be available online on Monday February 18, 2019. The N...
Effective as of February 11, 2019, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will be merging its online mail and account alerts services. Notification of the change is being sent to users of those services, and...
Finance Canada has issued a reminder that the current consultation process with respect to the upcoming 2019-20 federal Budget will end on Tuesday, January 29, 2019. Interested stakeholders can make t...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows that the rate of inflation, as measured on a year-over-year basis, stood at 2% during the month of December 2018. The equiva...
Finance Canada has announced the automobile deduction limits and expense benefit rates which will apply to businesses and their employees during the 2019 taxation year. Most of the limits which applie...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on January 9, 2019, the Bank of Canada indicated that no change would be made to current interest rates. The Bank Rate therefore remains at 2...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the prescribed interest rates for leasing rules which will be in effect during the months of January and February 2019.The prescribed rate for January is ...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the interest rates which will apply to amounts owed to and by the Agency for the first quarter of 2019, as well as the rates that will apply for the purpo...
Over the next seven years, significant changes will be made to the Canada Pension Plan. Those changes will result, overall, in an increase of about 50% in the maximum retirement benefit. The first suc...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows that the rate of inflation for the month of November, as measured on a year-over-year basis, stood at 1.7%. The comparable r...
Taxpayers who have not yet filed their individual income tax returns for 2017 (or the three prior years) can file those returns on NETFILE until Friday, January 25, 2019. Until that date, the Canada R...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the prescribed interest rate for leasing rules which will be in effect during the month of January 2019. The prescribed rate for that month will be 3.39%....
Where taxpayers fail to meet their tax filing or payment obligations, penalties and interest are usually levied for that failure. However, the Minister of National Revenue has the authority to forgive...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that the unemployment rate for the month of November was the lowest recorded since 1976. The unemployment rate for the month,...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on December 5, the Bank of Canada indicated that, in its view, no change to current interest rates was needed. Accordingly, the Bank Rate rem...
The federal government will provide the following personal tax credit amounts for 2019: Basic personal amount ……………………………… $12,069 Spouse or common law partner amount …...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows a slight increase in the rate of inflation rate for the month of October. That rate rose 2.4%, following a 2.2% increase for...
Finance Canada has announced details of the consultation process leading up the release of the 2019-20 Federal Budget next spring. The budget consultation process will include both in-person and digit...
In the 2018-19 Fall Economic Statement, the Minister of Finance announced that three new tax initiatives would be introduced to support both traditional and digital news organizations. Those changes w...
In the Fall Economic Statement issued on November 21, the Minister of Finance announced new tax measures that would: allow businesses to immediately write off the cost of machinery and equipment used ...
Some of the non-monetary benefits which employers provide to their employees must be included in the employee’s income and taxed as such. Each year, employers must include the amount of any such tax...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) provides a mobile web app for small business owners and sole proprietors which enables them to manage their business tax accounts on any browser-enabled mobile device. ...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows a small decline in unemployment during the month of September. That rate stood at 5.8%, down 0.1% from the rate posted for Au...
The Canada Revenue Agency has announced the contribution rates and amounts for the Canada Pension Plan which will apply during the 2019 calendar year, and that announcement can be found at https://www...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the prescribed interest rate for leasing rules which will be in effect during the month of November. The prescribed rate for that month will be 3.43%. A c...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) (as well as other federal government departments and agencies) has issued information indicating how government payments will be handled during the current postal disru...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows that the inflation rate for the month of September stood at 2.2%, as measured on a year-over-year basis. The comparable rate...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on October 24, the Bank of Canada once again increased the bank rate, which now stands at 2%.In the press release announcing the increase, wh...
The federal government has announced the maximum Old Age Security (OAS) benefit amount which will be paid to eligible recipients in the last quarter — October, November, and December — of 2018. Th...
In some circumstances, taxpayers are entitled to request a reduction in the amount of tax being deducted at source from their income. An employee can request that the amount of income tax being deduct...
A number of changes have been made over the past few years to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), with those changes generally providing greater flexibility to CPP contributors. Some of those changes parti...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows a small decrease in the overall unemployment rate for the month of September. That rate decreased from the 6% rate recorded f...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the prescribed interest rate for leasing rules which will be in effect during the month of October. The prescribed rate for that month will be 3.33%. A ch...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the interest rates which will apply to amounts owed to and by the Agency for the fourth quarter of 2018, as well as the rates that will apply for the purp...
While the deadline for filing of individual income tax returns for the 2017 tax year (for both employees and the self-employed) has passed, the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA’s) NETFILE service thro...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows that the rate of inflation for the month of August 2018 stood at 2.8%, as measured on a year-over-year basis. The comparable...
Canada’s tax system is one based on residency, and individuals who are considered to be residents of Canada are subject to federal and provincial tax. The federal government has issued a fact sheet ...
The Minister of Finance has announced that the employment insurance premium rate payable by employees and the self-employed for the 2019 tax year will be reduced. The premium rate for that year will b...
The federal government has updated and re-issued its guide to child benefits paid by the federal and several provincial governments. The updated guide (T4114), which is available on the Canada Revenue...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows a small increase in the unemployment rate posted for the month of August. That rate rose by 0.2%, from 5.8% to 6%. Most of th...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) can provide interest and penalty relief to taxpayers who are unable to meet their tax filing or payment obligations due to circumstances beyond their control, including...
In its scheduled interest rate announcement made on September 5, the Bank indicated that no change would be made to current interest rates. Accordingly, the Bank Rate remains at 1.75%. The Bank acknow...
Each year the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) sends a letter and questionnaire to approximately 350,000 taxpayers, seeking to determine whether such taxpayers are receiving the correct tax credits and ben...
The due date for the third instalment payment of 2018 income taxes by individuals falls on September 15, 2018. As that date is a Saturday, instalment payments will be considered to be made on time if ...
The federal government has announced that changes will be made to the administrative rules governing the extent to which charities can engage in non-partisan political activities. The intended amendme...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Survey shows a significant increase in inflation for the month of July. That rate, as measured on a year-over-year basis, stood at 3%. T...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey indicates that the overall rate of unemployment was down slightly for the month of July. That rate stood at 5.8%, down by 0.2% from...
The Minister of Finance has announced that two major payment card networks have agreed to lower costs charged to small and medium-sized businesses. Both VISA and Mastercard have agreed to reduce domes...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) prepares and posts on its website a number of podcasts and webinars covering tax and tax-related issues of particular interest to small businesses. There are currently ...
The Bank of Canada has issued a listing of the dates on which it will make announcements during the 2019 calendar year with respect to current interest rates. There are eight such interest rate announ...
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has announced that, effective as of October 1, 2018, changes will be made to the process by which self-employed taxpayers are assessed for mortgage f...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has updated and re-issued its Form RC366, which allows businesses to have amounts owed to them deposited directly to a bank account. The updated form can be used to eit...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has updated and re-issued its publication RC4092(E) on Registered Education Savings Plans. The updated publication incorporates changes, originally announced as part of...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows that the overall rate of inflation for the month of June, as measured on a year-over-year basis, stood at 2.5%. That change ...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the prescribed interest rates for leasing rules which will apply during the months of July and August 2018. Those prescribed rates will be 3.28% for July ...
The Canada Revenue Agency has updated and re-issued its publication outlining the tax treatment of funds held in a RRIF on the death of the RRIF annuitant. The updated publication (RC4178(E)) also rev...
While employment rose by 32,000 during the month of June, the unemployment rate was also up, by 0.2%, a result attributed by Statistics Canada an increase in the number of individuals seeking to enter...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on July 11, the Bank of Canada indicated that it was increasing its benchmark interest rate by one-quarter of a percentage point. Accordingly...
Each year, the Canada Revenue Agency reviews approximately 3 million returns which have already been filed and assessed. Generally, such reviews are carried out to confirm income amounts reported, and...
Old Age Security (“OAS”) benefits received by Canadians are indexed to changes in the overall Consumer Price Index, and are adjusted each quarter to reflect increases in that Index.The federal gov...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index indicates the rate of inflation for the month of May stood at 2.2%. The same rate was recorded for the month of April, and both ra...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has re-issued the payroll deductions online calculator to be used by employers in calculating employee source deductions as of July 1, 2018. The updated version of that...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the prescribed interest rate for leasing rules which will be in effect during the month of July. The prescribed rate for that month will be 3.28%. A chart...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the interest rates which will apply to amounts owed to and by the Agency for the third quarter of 2018, as well as the rates that will apply for the purpo...
The Canada Revenue Agency has updated and re-issued its standard form for filing an objection to a Notice of Assessment or Reassessment. The 2018 T-400A E, Notice of Objection, can be found on the CRA...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows little change in unemployment during the month of May. For the fourth consecutive month, that rate stood at 5.8%. There was s...
The filing deadline for individual income tax returns for the 2017 year for self-employed individuals and their spouses is midnight Friday June 15, 2018. Returns can be filed using the Canada Revenue ...
For Canadians who make quarterly instalment payments of personal income tax, the next due date for such payment is Friday June 15, 2018. The Canada Revenue Agency has posted a notice on its website in...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued a reminder to taxpayers who have been affected by this spring’s floods of the availability of administrative tax relief. Under the federal government’s T...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on May 30, the Bank of Canada indicated that, in its view, no change was needed to current interest rates. Accordingly, the Bank Rate remains...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued updated payroll deduction formulas for use by employers for payroll periods beginning after July 1, 2018. The updated formulas reflect changes in provincial ...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows that the overall rate of inflation for the month of April stood at 2.2%, as measured on a year-over-year basis. The rate for...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will be making changes to its distribution method for GST/HST reporting and remittance forms for small businesses, with those changes generally directed toward reducing...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey indicates that there was no change during the month of April to either employment figures or the overall unemployment rate. That un...
The Canada Revenue Agency prepares and posts podcasts on a number of different tax topics, both individual and corporate. Those podcasts are available for download from the CRA website. The current se...
The Canada Revenue Agency has announced the prescribed interest rates for leasing rules which will be in effect during the months of May and June 2018. Those prescribed rates will be 3.22% during the ...
Taxpayers who have filed their return for the 2017 tax year and are expecting to receive a refund can track the status of that refund payment through a toll-free telephone line. That line, the CRA’s...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued a warning to taxpayers of the need to be particularly vigilant with respect to fraudulent text, telephone, and e-mail communications, which increase during t...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index indicates that the rate of inflation stood at 2.3% during the month of March 2018, as measured on a year-over-year basis. The year...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued a reminder that all individual income tax balances owed for the 2017 tax year must be paid on or before Monday April 30, 2018. April 30 is also the deadline ...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that the rate of unemployment for the month of March 2018 stood at 5.8%. The same rate was recorded for February 2018. Employ...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on April 18, the Bank of Canada indicated that no change was required to current interest rates. Accordingly, the Bank Rate will remain at 1....
It is not uncommon for taxpayers to discover an error or omission in an already-filed return, and the usual means by which such error can be corrected is the filing of a T1-Adjustment form. While a co...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued a reminder to taxpayers who receive income from the “sharing economy” that such income is taxable and must be reported on the annual tax return. Although...
The Bank of Canada’s regularly scheduled interest rate announcement dates for the remainder of calendar year 2018 are as follows: April 18, 2018; May 30, 2018; July 11, 2018; September 5, 2018; Octo...
Proceeds received from the sale of one’s principal residence are, in most circumstances, not taxable, as such sales are eligible for the principal residence exemption. However, as of the 2016 tax ye...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index shows a sharp increase in inflation for the month of February. That rate stood at 2.2%, while the rate for January 2018 was 1.7%. ...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the interest rates which will apply to amounts owed to and by the CRA for the second quarter of 2018, as well as the rates that will apply for the purpose...
While taxpayers fall victim to tax scams year-round, such scams are more prevalent during and just following tax filing season. During that time, taxpayers expect to hear from the tax authorities, a...
In December 2017, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced that substantive changes would be made to the Agency’s Voluntary Disclosure Program (VDP). That program enables taxpayers who are in defau...
The Canada Revenue Agency has issued its Guide RC4018, Electronic Filers Manual for 2017 Income Tax and Benefit Returns. That guide is for use by certified e-filers in filing individual income tax ret...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows a small decline in the overall unemployment rate for the month of February 2018. That rate declined from 5.9% in the month of...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index indicates that the rate of inflation for the month of January 2018 stood at 1.7%. The rate for the previous month was 1.9%. Inflat...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on March 7, the Bank of Canada indicated that no change would be made to current interest rates. Accordingly, the bank rate remains at 1.5%. ...
Budget 2018: No personal tax credits have been repealed, and there are no new personal tax rate changes....
Budget 2018: Foreign-born Status Indians may now be eligible for child benefits, retroactive to 2005....
Budget 2018: Eligibility of specially trained service animals will be expanded for the purposes of the medical expense tax credit....
Budget 2018: Taxpayers will no longer need to apply when filing their return in order to receive the Canada Workers Benefit....
Budget 2018: The Working Income Tax Benefit amounts are enhanced as of 2019, and the credit is renamed the Canada Workers Benefit...
Budget 2018: The non-resident surplus stripping rules are tightened to address the use of partnerships and trusts....
Budget 2018: Where a CRA compliance order or information requirement is contested, a new rule will “stop the clock” to prevent the tax year from being statute barred....
Budget 2018: A corporation will have two RDTOH accounts going forward: eligible and non-eligible RDTOH....
Budget 2018: A corporation with $100,000 of investment income will have its small business limit reduced to $250,000....
Budget 2018: A corporation’s small business limit will be reduced where the corporation earns investment income exceeding $50,000....
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) provides a 1-800 telephone service to provide tax information to Canadian taxpayers. Such information can be general in nature, or can involve the specific tax affairs ...
The Canada Revenue Agency’s NETFILE service for filing of individual income tax returns will be available starting Monday February 26, 2018. Taxpayers do not need to obtain an access code to file th...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labor Force Survey shows a slight increase in the overall unemployment rate for the month of January. That rate rose by 0.1%, from 5.8% to 5.9%. That c...
The Federal Minister of Finance has announced that the 2018-19 federal Budget will be brought down on Tuesday, February 27, 2018. The Budget will be released at around 4 p.m. and the full Budget Paper...
This year, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will be providing taxpayers with hard copies of the 2017 Income Tax and Benefit package through a variety of means, and at various dates. Individuals who pap...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the date on which NETFILE service for the filing of individual income tax returns for the 2017 tax year will be available. NETFILE service will be availab...
While the majority of Canadians now file their individual income tax returns electronically, there is still a significant minority of tax filers who file using a printed return. The Canada Revenue Age...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has posted a notice on its website that an “update” has been made to individual 2017 tax forms. Those forms are to be used by individual Canadians to file their ret...
For a number of years, taxpayers whose tax situation was relatively straightforward were able to file their return by telephone. That service, which was called TELEFILE, was withdrawn a few years ago....
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the interest rates which will apply to amounts owed to and by the Agency for the first quarter of 2018, as well as the rates that will apply for the purpo...
As widely expected, the Bank of Canada indicated, in its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on January 17, that an increase in the bank rate was required. The Bank’s announcement, w...
Finance Canada has announced that the consultation process leading to the release of the 2018-19 federal Budget will conclude on Friday January 26, 2018. Canadians can provide input by submitting thei...
The Canada Revenue Agency has released the T1 Individual Income Tax Return and Benefit form to be used by individual Canadian taxpayers in filing their return for the 2017 tax year. The T1 form is ava...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey indicates that the unemployment rate for the month of December 2017 stood at 5.7%. The last period for which that rate was recorded...
As previously announced, the federal small business tax rate is reduced to 10.0%, effective as of January 1, 2018. There is no change in the federal small business limit, which remains at $500,000. Th...
Finance Canada has announced the limits and thresholds which will apply for purposes of determining automobile benefits and deductions during 2018. Most such deduction limits and thresholds are unchan...
Planned changes to the federal income tax rules governing the taxation of small incorporated Canadian businesses are to take effect for 2018. One of those changes will include greater restrictions on ...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) provides an administrative program under which taxpayers who have failed to file returns or pay taxes on a timely basis can bring their tax affairs into compliance, usu...
Taxpayers who are turning age 71 during the year and who have available contribution room are entitled to make a final RRSP contribution for that year. Such contributions must be made by the end of th...
Taxpayers who have not yet filed their return for the 2016 tax year will have until January 19, 2018 to file that return using NETFILE. Until that date, returns for the 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 tax ...
In its regularly scheduled interest rate announcement made on December 6, the Bank of Canada indicated that, in its view, no change is required to current rates. Accordingly, the bank rate remains at ...
The most recent release of Statistic’s Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows a slight decline in the overall unemployment for the month of November. That rate declined by 0.4%, to 5.9%. The November ...
The Canada Revenue Agency has issued the 2018 version of its publication T4127(E), Payroll Deductions Formulas. The guide is intended for use by payroll software providers and by employers which manag...
The Canada Revenue Agency has issued the federal TD1 Form and Worksheet which will be used by taxpayers and their employers to determine required federal income tax source deductions for the upcoming ...
The most recent release of Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows an inflation rate of 1.4% for the month of October, as measured on a year-over-year basis. The equivalent rate for the...
Finance Canada has begun the consultation process leading to the release of the 2018-19 federal Budget. As part of that budget consultation process, the Minister of Finance is holding in-person public...
Effective as of January 8, 2018, administrators and representatives of qualifying Canadian trusts will be able to file trust income tax and information returns online, through the Canada Revenue Agenc...
The federal government has announced the premium rates and maximum insurable earnings amount which will be in place for the 2018 calendar year. The premium rate for the year for employees has been set...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced the contribution rates and amounts for both employers and employees which will apply for 2018. Maximum pensionable earnings for the year will be $55,900 (...
The provincial government has released the revenue, expenditure, and projected deficit figures for the third quarter (October 1 – December 31) of the 2020-21 fiscal year. Based on those figures, the...
The province of Ontario provides a grant of between $10,000 and $20,000 for eligible small businesses which were affected by the province-wide shutdown which began on December 26, 2020. The applicatio...
The Ontario government has launched its consultation process with respect to the upcoming 2021-22 provincial Budget. That Budget will be brought down by March 31, 2021. The Budget consultation process...
During the 2021 taxation year the province of Ontario will levy individual income tax using the following income brackets and tax rates. Tax Rate ...
The province of Ontario will provide the following personal tax amounts for 2021. Basic personal amount ………………………………… $10,880 Spouse or common law partner amount …… $9,...
The province of Ontario charges and pays interest on underpayments and overpayments of tax at rates prescribed by statute and set at the beginning of each quarter of the calendar year. The rates presc...
The province of Ontario provides a number of tax credits for companies in the film, television, and digital media industries. Those credits included the Film and Television Tax Credit, the Ontario Pro...
In the Economic Statement announced in March 2020, the provincial government announced that a number of filing deadlines relating to provincial corporate tax credits would be extended. One of the affe...
In early November the Ontario government announced that a subsidy would be provided to families with children up to age of 12 (or age 21 in the case of children with special needs).The purpose of the ...
Ontario taxpayers who disagree with an assessment of their tax liability under a range of provincial tax programs are entitled to object to that assessment. The Ontario government has updated and re-i...
The Employer Health Tax (EHT) is a payroll tax paid by employers based on their total annual Ontario remuneration in excess of a remuneration threshold. The EHT has a top rate of 1.95%. In March 2020 ...
In the 2020-21 Budget brought down on November 5, the government of Ontario projected a deficit of $38.5 billion for the current fiscal year. That deficit amount is unchanged from the figure projected...
In the 2020 Budget brought down on November 5, the province introduced a new refundable tax credit for seniors. That credit will be claimable by senior homeowners, renters, or people who live with rel...
The Ontario government has announced that the 2020-21 provincial Budget will be brought down on Thursday November 5, 2020. In the announcement of the Budget date, which is available on the provincial ...
The province of Ontario charges and pays interest on underpayments and overpayments of tax at rates prescribed by statute and set at the beginning of each quarter of the calendar year. The rates presc...
Ontario has released the province’s final fiscal results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. The 2019-20 Public Accounts compare those final fiscal results with the figures projected in the 20...
The Ontario government has announced that a rent freeze will be imposed for the 2021 calendar year for most residential rental accommodation in the province. While Ontario already has rent control leg...
As part of its pandemic response measures, the Ontario government provided businesses with relief from penalties and interest charges related to late filings or remittances, for a six-month period. Th...
Under Ontario labour laws, where a non-unionized employee is laid off for more than 13 weeks, said layoff can trigger termination and severance payment obligations for the employer. However, earlier...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued a warning to taxpayers of a current tax scam relating to claims for Ontario tax benefits — specifically, claims for the Ontario Senior Homeowners Property ...
On October 1, 2020, the Ontario general minimum wage will increase by 25 cents, to $14.25 per hour. That increase is based on changes to the Ontario Consumer Price Index. Different minimum wage rates ...
In March 2020, the Ontario government announced that, as part of its pandemic response plan, it would provide an interest and penalty relief period for Ontario taxpayers with respect to specific tax p...
The provincial government has announced that its commercial rent assistance program — Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) — has been extended to be available until the end of Augus...
In March 2020 the provincial government announced that, as part of its pandemic response plan, a five-month interest and penalty relief period would be provided to Ontario businesses which failed to f...
The provincial government has announced that it will be moving to impose limits on the rate of interest and certain fees which can be levied by payday loan companies. The proposed changes would cap th...
The province of Ontario charges and pays interest on underpayments and overpayments of tax at rates prescribed by statute at the beginning of each calendar quarter. The rates set for the third quarter...
Applications can now be made by commercial landlords in Ontario for forgivable loans to assist with pandemic-related losses of rental income. Under the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CEC...
As part of its pandemic response plan, the province is providing interest relief and payment deferrals on existing Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) loans. Under that plan, OSAP borrowers will...
The Ontario government will be providing forgivable loans to eligible commercial property owners in the province who are experiencing rent shortfalls due to the pandemic, through the new Ontario-Canad...
As part of its recent Economic and Fiscal Update, the province announced that interest and penalty relief would be provided to Ontario businesses with respect to their obligations under specified tax ...
The province of Ontario charges and pays interest on underpayments and overpayments of tax at rates prescribed by statute and set at the beginning of each calendar quarter. The rates levied and paid f...
Ontario imposes an Employer Health (payroll) Tax which is levied on employers having an annual payroll over $490,000. As part of the tax relief measures announced in the recent Economic and Fiscal Up...
In the Economic and Fiscal Update brought down on March 25 Ontario’s Minister of Finance announced that, beginning April 1, 2020, penalties and interest will not be imposed on Ontario businesses tha...
The Ontario government had announced that the province’s 2020-21 Budget would be brought down on March 25, 2020. The Ontario Minister of Finance has indicated that, in light of recent developments, ...
The Ontario government has announced that the province’s Budget for the upcoming (2020-21) fiscal year will be brought down on Wednesday March 25, 2020. Once the Budget is released, the Budget paper...
The Ontario Ministry of Finance has announced the province’s financial results for the third quarter (October to December 2019) of its 2019-20 fiscal year. As of December 31, 2019, the government is...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has released the Individual Income Tax Return and Guide to be used by individuals who were residents of Ontario as of December 31, 2019. That return and guide can be fo...
The corporate income tax rate levied on active business income of eligible Ontario corporations was reduced to 3.2%, effective as of January 1, 2020. The rate change will be pro-rated for non-calendar...
The province of Ontario charges and pays interest on underpayments and overpayments of tax at rates prescribed by statute and set at the beginning of each calendar quarter. The rates levied and paid f...
The province of Ontario will provide the following personal tax credit amounts for 2020: Basic personal amount ……………………………… $10,783 Spouse or common law partner amount ...
As announced in the 2019 Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review, the provincial small business corporate income tax rate will be reduced, effective as of January 1, 2020. As of that date, the rate will dr...
In the 2019 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review released by the provincial government on November 7, the Minister of Finance confirmed the government’s commitment to balance the budget by 202...
In the fall Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review released on November 6, the Minister of Finance announced that the provincial corporate income tax rate applied to Ontario small businesses will be reduc...
The Ontario Minister of Finance has announced that the 2019 Fall Economic Statement will be brought down on Wednesday November 6, 2019. That economic statement will update the revenue, expenditure, an...
The province of Ontario charges and pays interest on underpayments and overpayments of tax at rates prescribed by statute and set at the beginning of each calendar quarter. The rates levied and paid f...
The Ontario government has released the Public Accounts which summarize the province’s financial position at the end of the 2018-19 fiscal year, which ended March 31, 2019. The related press release...
The province of Ontario levies an Estate Administration Tax (formerly known as probate fees) on the total value of the estate of a deceased person. In this year’s budget, the provincial government a...
The Ontario government has released the province’s financial results for the first quarter (April 1 – June 30) of the 2019-2020 fiscal year. Those results indicate that the deficit projection for ...
The province of Ontario levies a land transfer tax (LTT) on each purchase and sale of property in the province. The province also provides first-time homebuyers in Ontario with a refund of LTT which w...
The province of Ontario provides residents with a number of refundable tax credits, with eligibility for those credits based on age, income, and type and place of residence. The current benefit year f...
The province of Ontario charges and pays interest on underpayments and overpayments of tax at rates prescribed by statute and set at the beginning of each calendar quarter. The rates levied and paid f...
Ontario imposes a 15% non-resident speculation tax (NRST) on purchases of residential property located in the Greater Golden Horseshoe Region (GGH) by individuals who are not citizens or permanent res...
In its 2019-20 Budget, the Ontario government announced a new non-refundable tax credit for lower-income working residents of the province. That credit, the Low-income Individuals and Families Tax (LI...
The province of Ontario levies an Estate Administration Tax (EAT), which is more commonly known as probate fees. In the 2019-20 Budget, the province announced that changes would be made to the EAT, as...
The 2019-20 Ontario Budget released on April 11, 2019 indicates that the province will not achieve a balanced budget until the 2023-24 fiscal year. The Budget papers show that the province expects the...
The 2019-20 provincial Budget brought down on April 11 included the announcement of a new refundable child care tax credit, claimable for the 2019 and subsequent taxation years. The new credit will be...
The province of Ontario charges and pays interest on underpayments and overpayments of tax at rates prescribed by statute and set at the beginning of each calendar quarter. The rates levied and paid f...
The Ontario government has announced that the province’s Budget for the upcoming (2019-20) fiscal year will be brought down on Thursday April 11, 2019. Once the Budget is released, the Budget papers...
The provincial government has issued its fiscal update for the Third Quarter of the 2018-19 year, and that update shows a $1 billion reduction in the province’s deficit. That deficit is now projecte...
The Ontario government has announced that it will be carrying out a consultation process with respect to the laws which govern real estate professionals in Ontario. The process will address a broad ra...
The provincial government has announced that it will be holding a consultation process with respect to changes to the provincial automobile insurance program. Both consumers and businesses can provide...
The province of Ontario charges and pays interest on underpayments and overpayments of tax at rates prescribed by statute and set at the beginning of each calendar quarter. The rates levied and paid f...
The Canada Revenue Agency has issued a supplement to the payroll deduction tables to be used for residents of Ontario during the 2019 tax year. The supplement, which can be found on the CRA website at...
The Ontario Minister of Finance has announced the start of the consultation process leading to the release of the province’s 2019-20 Budget next spring. There are several options for Ontario residen...
In the recent Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review, the Ontario Minister of Finance announced that the annual payroll threshold for the province’s Employer Health (payroll) Tax (EHT) would be increase...
The province of Ontario will provide the following personal tax credit amounts for 2019: Basic personal amount ………………………………… $10,582 Spouse or equivalent to spouse amount …...
The Ontario government has reversed the minimum wage increase which had been scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2019. On that date, the minimum wage was scheduled to increase from $14 to $15 per h...
In the 2018 Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review issued on November 15, the provincial government announced that, beginning with the 2019 tax year, low-income individuals and families will be eligible f...
The province provides a program under which low-income seniors and low-income persons with disabilities can obtain a partial deferral of property tax and education tax. The tax deferral applies to the...
The province of Ontario charges and pays interest on underpayments and overpayments of tax at rates prescribed by statute and set at the beginning of each calendar quarter. The rates levied and paid f...
The government of Ontario has announced that planned fee increases with respect to licensing fees for drivers in the province, which were to have taken effect on September 1, 2018, have been cancelled...
The Ontario government provides an online service – ONT-TAXS, through which Ontario businesses can file and amend returns, make tax payments, and track the status of such returns and payments. The s...
The new benefit year for the Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) began in July 2018 and will run until June 2019. The OTB is a refundable tax credit which is claimed on the annual tax return and paid to ta...
As announced in this year’s provincial Budget, Ontario has altered its personal tax rate structure. The changes announced include the elimination of the provincial surtax and the replacement of the ...
The Ontario government has announced that the existing cap-and-trade carbon tax system will be eliminated, effective as from July 3, and that provincial government programs which were funded under tha...
The province of Ontario charges and pays interest on underpayments and overpayments of tax at rates prescribed by statute and set at the beginning of each calendar quarter. The rates levied and paid f...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has re-issued the payroll deductions online calculator to be used by Ontario employers in calculating employee source deductions starting July 1, 2018. The updated vers...
The province provides eligible Ontario residents with a number of refundable tax credits and benefits. Those benefits are paid on a monthly basis, and eligibility for most benefits is based, in part, ...
The Ontario Research and Development Tax Credit (ORDTC) is a 3.5% non-refundable tax credit earned on eligible R&D expenditures. As announced in this year’s provincial Budget, eligible busines...
The Ontario government recently enacted legislation to implement announcements made in this year’s provincial budget. Those announcements include two changes affecting seniors in the province, as fo...
The provincial government has announced changes that will provide Ontario residents with increased access to personal information held by credit reporting agencies. Under the new rules, certain credit...
The province of Ontario provides a number of tax credits to individual residents of the province, and those benefits are paid on monthly basis. The next benefit year will start in July 2018 and run un...
In this year’s Budget, the provincial government announced that the non-refundable tax credit provided to taxpayers who make qualifying donations to charity would be increased. The credit is a two-l...
The province of Ontario charges and pays interest on underpayments and overpayments of tax at rates prescribed by statute and set at the beginning of each calendar quarter. The rates levied and paid f...
The Ontario Budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year, which was brought down on March 28, included the announcement of changes to the province’s personal income tax rate structure, with such changes havin...
Previously announced changes to Ontario’s employment standards laws will take effect on April 1, 2018. The upcoming changes will, for the most part, affect temporary, part-time, and seasonal employe...
The provincial government has announced that Ontario’s 2018-19 Budget will be brought down by the Minister of Finance on Wednesday, March 28 at around 4 p.m. Once the Budget is announced, the Budget...
The province of Ontario will provide the following personal tax credit amounts for 2018: Basic personal amount ………………………………… $10,354 Spouse or equivalent to spouse amount ...
The provincial government has announced that, effective as of March 1, 2018, unsolicited door-to-door sales of the following appliances will no longer be permitted: air cleaners, air conditioners, a...
The release of Ontario’s Third Quarter Finances report indicates that the province remains on track to balance the budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year, although the amount of the projected surplus ha...
The provincial government has announced that, effective for leases signed on or after April 30, 2018, residential landlords in Ontario will be required to use a new standard-form, plain-language lease...
For the 2018 tax year, the province of Ontario will levy personal income tax based on the following tax rates and brackets. 05% on taxable income between $10,354 and $42,960; 15% on taxable income bet...
The province of Ontario provides a number of refundable tax credits to individual residents of the province. Several of those credits are combined and paid as a single monthly benefit — the Ontario ...
The government of Ontario has announced the launch of its pre-budget consultation process leading to the release of the province’s 2018-19 Budget. That budget consultation process has several compon...
The Canada Revenue Agency has released the 2017 T1 Individual Income Tax Return and Benefit form to be used by individuals who were residents of Ontario at the end of that year. The T1 form package (w...
The province of Ontario charges and pays interest on underpayments and overpayments of tax at rates prescribed by statute and set at the beginning of each calendar quarter. The rates levied and paid f...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued the payroll deduction tables which Ontario employers will use to determine employee source deductions for federal and provincial income tax, Canada Pension P...
The Canada Revenue Agency has issued the Ontario TD1 form and worksheet which will be used by taxpayers resident in the province, and their employers, to determine required provincial income tax sourc...
The Ontario government has enacted a number of changes to the province’s employment standards laws, and those changes include the following: the Ontario minimum wage will increase to $14 per hour on...
The province of Ontario provided employers who hired and trained eligible apprentices in designated construction, industrial and motive power, and certain service trades with a refundable tax credit, ...
In the 2017 Economic and Fiscal Review issued on November 14, Ontario’s Minister of Finance announced that the provincial small business tax rate would be reduced, effective as of January 1, 2018, f...
Sometime during the month of February, millions of Canadians will receive mail from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). That mail, a “Tax Instalment Reminder”, will set out the amount of instalment payments of income tax to be paid by the recipient taxpayer by March 15 and June 15 of this year.
Sometime during the month of February, millions of Canadians will receive mail from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). That mail, a “Tax Instalment Reminder”, will set out the amount of instalment payments of income tax to be paid by the recipient taxpayer by March 15 and June 15 of this year.
Receiving an Instalment Reminder from the CRA won’t be a surprise for many recipients who have paid tax by instalments during previous tax years. For others, however, the need to make tax payments by instalment is a new and unfamiliar concept. That’s because for most Canadians — certainly most who earn their income through employment — the payment of income tax throughout the year is an automatic and largely invisible process, requiring no particular action on the part of the employee/taxpayer. Federal and provincial income taxes, along with Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions and Employment Insurance (EI) premiums, are deducted from each employee’s income and the amount deposited to an employee’s bank account is the net amount remaining after such taxes, contributions, and premiums are deducted and remitted on the employee’s behalf to the CRA. While no one likes having to pay taxes, having those taxes paid “off the top” in such an automatic way is, relatively speaking, painless. Such is not, however, the case for the sizeable minority of Canadians who pay their income taxes by way of tax instalments
The CRA’s decision to send an Instalment Reminder to certain taxpayers isn’t an arbitrary one. Rather, an Instalment Reminder is generated when sufficient income tax has not been deducted from payments made to that taxpayer throughout the year. Put more technically, an Instalment Reminder will be issued by the CRA where the amount of tax which was or will be owed when filing the annual tax return is more than $3,000 in the current (2021) tax year and either of the two previous (2019 or 2020) tax years. Essentially, the requirement to pay by instalments will be triggered where the amount of tax withheld from the taxpayer’s income for the year is at least $3,000 less than their total tax owed for 2021 and either 2019 or 2020. For residents of Quebec, that threshold amount is $1,800.
Such obligation arises on a regular basis for those who are self-employed, of course, and generally for those whose income is largely derived from investments. The group of recipients of a tax instalment reminder often also includes retired Canadians, especially the newly retired, for two reasons. First, while most employees have income from only a single source — their paycheque — retirees often have multiple sources of income, including Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) payments, private retirement savings and, sometimes, employer-provided pensions. And, while income tax is deducted automatically from one’s paycheque, that’s not the case for most sources of retirement income. Relatively few new retirees realize that it’s necessary to make arrangements to have tax deducted “at source” from either their government source income (like CPP or OAS payments) or private retirement income like pensions or registered retirement income fund withdrawals, and to make sure that the total amount of those deductions is sufficient to pay the total tax bill for the year. It is that group of individuals who may be surprised and puzzled by the arrival of an unfamiliar Instalment Reminder from the CRA. However, no matter what kind of income a taxpayer has received, or why sufficient tax has not been deducted at source, the options open to a taxpayer who receives such an Instalment Reminder are the same.
First, the taxpayer can pay the amounts specified on the Reminder, by the March and June payment due dates. Choosing this option will mean that the taxpayer will not face any interest or penalty charges, even if the amount paid by instalments throughout the year turns out to be less than the taxes actually payable for 2021. If the total of instalment payments made during 2021 turn out to more than the taxpayer’s total tax liability for the year, he or she will, of course, receive a refund when the annual tax return is filed in the spring of 2022.
Second, the taxpayer can make instalment payments based on the amount of tax which was owed for the 2020 tax year. (Generally speaking, such amount will be known once the taxpayer has completed his or her return for 2020). Where a taxpayer’s income has not changed significantly between 2020 and 2021 and his or her available deductions and credits remain the same, the likelihood is that total tax liability for 2021 will be slightly less than it was in 2020, as the result of the indexation of both income tax brackets and tax credit amounts.
Third, the taxpayer can estimate the amount of tax which he or she will owe for 2021 and can pay instalments based on that estimate. Where a taxpayer’s income will decrease significantly from 2020 to 2021, such that his or her tax bill will also be substantially reduced, this option can make the most sense.
A taxpayer who elects to follow the second or third options outlined above will not face any interest or penalty charges if there is no tax payable when the return for the 2021 tax year is filed in the spring of 2022. However, should instalments paid have been late or insufficient in amount, the CRA will impose interest charges, at rates which are higher than current commercial rates (the rate charged for the first quarter of 2021 — until March 31, 2021 — is 5%). As well, where interest charges are levied, such interest is compounded daily, meaning that on each successive day, interest is levied on the previous day’s interest. It is also possible for the CRA to levy penalties for overdue or insufficient instalments, but that is done only where the amount of instalment interest charged for the year is more than $1,000.
Most Canadian taxpayers are understandably disinclined to pay their taxes any sooner than absolutely necessary. However, ignoring an Instalment Reminder is never in the taxpayer’s best interests. Those who don’t wish to involve themselves in the intricacies of tax calculations can simply pay the amounts specified in the Reminder. The more technical-minded (or those who want to ensure that they are paying no more than absolutely required, and are willing to take the risk of having to pay interest on any shortfall) can avail themselves of the second or third options outlined above.
To help taxpayers make a decision on how to respond to an Instalment Reminder, detailed information on the instalment payment system is available on the CRA website at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/making-payments-individuals/paying-your-income-tax-instalments.html.
The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.
One of the biggest pandemic-related changes in the day-to-day lives of Canadians was the abrupt change to work-from-home arrangements. While such arrangements aren’t new — employees and the self-employed have been working from home for decades, ever since the available technology made such arrangements feasible — what changed in 2020 was the sheer number of Canadians who were working from home for the first time.
One of the biggest pandemic-related changes in the day-to-day lives of Canadians was the abrupt change to work-from-home arrangements. While such arrangements aren’t new — employees and the self-employed have been working from home for decades, ever since the available technology made such arrangements feasible — what changed in 2020 was the sheer number of Canadians who were working from home for the first time.
Even without a pandemic, such work-from-home arrangements have a number of advantages — no one really misses the daily commute, or the costs of that commute and other unavoidable work-related expenses. And, as many Canadians will discover when preparing their tax return for 2020, those advantages include the ability to deduct, for tax purposes, some of the expenses incurred to maintain a home office.
Many if not most employees who worked from home in 2020 will, in fact, have a choice of how to calculate and claim such home office expense deductions. Canada’s tax system already has rules in place to govern the tax treatment of expenditures and reimbursements related to home office work by employees. While those rules aren’t particularly complex, there is some record keeping and calculations required. With that in mind, and in light of the likely millions of taxpayers who will be in a position to claim home office expenses for 2020, the federal government has made available a more straightforward “flat rate” method.
The new temporary flat rate method simplifies the employee’s claim for home office expenses to a significant degree. An employee is eligible to use this new method if he or she worked more than 50% of the time from home for a period of at least four consecutive weeks in 2020 due to the pandemic. Where an employee was provided by his or her employer with the option of working from home and chose to do so, he or she will still be eligible for the flat rate method deduction, assuming the 50%/four week criteria are met.
An eligible employee can claim $2 for each day he or she worked from home in 2020 due to the pandemic. However, the maximum that an individual can claim for the 2020 tax year using the new temporary flat rate method is $400 (200 working days). There is no requirement to document any actual expenses incurred, and no requirement that the employer provide any kind of certification of the work-from-home arrangement.
In many households both spouses worked from home during 2020. Assuming that all of the criteria above are met, both spouses can make a claim for home office expenses using the flat rate method.
Although the new temporary flat rate method is widely available, taxpayers who qualify are still entitled to use the pre-existing detailed method under which actual eligible expenses incurred during the year are tallied and a percentage of those expenses claimed on the 2020 tax return.
In order to claim a deduction for costs related to a work-from-home space using the detailed method, an employee must meet at least one of the following conditions:
- the employee worked from home during 2020 as a consequence of the pandemic; or
- the employee was required by his or her employer to work from home during 2020.
In addition, at least one of the following criteria must also be satisfied in order to claim work-from-home costs under the detailed method:
- the home work space is where the individual mainly (more than 50% of the time) did his or her their work for a period of at least four consecutive weeks during 2020; or
- the individual uses the workspace only to earn his or her employment income—he or she must also use it on a regular and continuous basis for meeting clients, customers, or other people in the course of his or her employment duties.
Once these threshold criteria are met, a broad range of costs become deductible by the employee. Specifically, a salaried employee can claim and deduct the part of specified costs that relate to his or her workspace, such as the cost of rent or condo fees, electricity, heating, water, and home maintenance. For 2020, the list of eligible expenses has been expanded to specifically include internet access fees.
There is no specific formula provided for determining the proportion of eligible costs which can be deducted for qualifying home office expenses. The employee can determine that percentage based on the square footage of the workspace as a percentage of the overall square footage of the home, or he or she can make that calculation based on the number of rooms in the house or apartment relative to the number of rooms used for work-related purposes. Whichever method is chosen, the most important consideration is that the approach taken (and the expenses claimed) be reasonable. In all cases, the CRA can ask the taxpayer to provide documentation and support for claims made using the detailed method.
There is one further requirement for employees who seek to deduct costs incurred in relation to a home office using the detailed method. Each such employee must obtain either a Form T2200S, Declaration of Conditions of Employment for Working at Home Due to Covid-19, or Form T2200, Declaration of Conditions of Employment. On those forms, the employer must certify the work-from-home arrangement and confirm that the employee is not being reimbursed for any home office expenses incurred. Where there is any kind of reimbursement provided, the employer must specify the type of expense reimbursed, and the amount of reimbursement. And, of course, the employee cannot claim a deduction for any expenses for which reimbursement was received.
There is no real rule of thumb to determine which of the two methods outlined above would produce a better tax result in each employee’s circumstances. The choice is, however, that of the employee. Those who are willing to do the necessary calculations to determine whether a greater deduction can be obtained by using the more detailed method can certainly do so. Those who would rather avoid all of that required record keeping and those calculations can simply claim the standard amount allowed by the CRA.
To help employees decide whether they can claim home office expenses for 2020 and, if so, which method they want to use, the CRA has provided an extremely useful summary of the available methods, together with an online calculator for such expenses. All of that information can be found on the CRA website at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/tax-return/completing-a-tax-return/deductions-credits-expenses/line-229-other-employment-expenses/work-space-home-expenses/what-changes.html.
The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.
Under Canadian tax law, the general rule is that all amounts paid by an employer to his or her employees are treated as taxable income. That rule holds whether those amounts are paid as cash remuneration, or in the form of non-cash benefits. However, in some circumstances, that general rule is altered to permit employees to receive certain non-cash benefits on a tax-free, or tax-advantaged, basis.
Under Canadian tax law, the general rule is that all amounts paid by an employer to his or her employees are treated as taxable income. That rule holds whether those amounts are paid as cash remuneration, or in the form of non-cash benefits. However, in some circumstances, that general rule is altered to permit employees to receive certain non-cash benefits on a tax-free, or tax-advantaged, basis.
Like so much else during 2020, the usual structure of working arrangements and employee compensation was displaced, and those changes have led the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to take another look at the tax treatment of the kinds of compensation and benefits paid during 2020. The CRA has now released information on some of the benefits or allowances which many employers have paid for the first time during 2020, and on how those benefits and allowances will be assessed for income tax purposes on the 2020 individual income tax return.
The announcements made by the CRA generally deal with compensation, benefits, or allowances paid by an employer to allow his or her employees to work partially or fully from home, as has been required under public health orders.
Home office equipment
In March of 2020, millions of employees were suddenly required to work from home during public health states of emergency. Doing so required, of course, that those employees have (or acquire) the necessary tools and equipment to allow them to do so — including, but not limited to, computers, desks, desk chairs, and, in many cases, upgraded Internet connections.
To allow their employees to work from home, many employers furnished the necessary equipment or provided their employees with the funds to do so themselves. The CRA has now indicated that in some — but not all — circumstances, there may be no taxable benefit to the employee from any such assistance. The general rule is as follows: where an employer pays for, or reimburses an employee for, the cost of computer or home office equipment to enable the employee to carry out his or her employment duties, there is no taxable benefit to the employee.
As is always the case in tax, there are limitations and exceptions to this rule. First, the maximum amount which can be provided to an employee (whether through direct purchase by an employer or reimbursement of expenses incurred by the employee) is $500. Any amount received over that $500 limit will be treated as a taxable benefit to the employee, to be reported on the return for 2020 and taxed as income.
Second, the way in which the employer assistance was structured makes a difference. Where the needed equipment or resources is furnished by the employer or the employer reimburses the employee for such purchases, there is no taxable benefit. Where the employee is provided with an advance to make such purchases and is required to provide an accounting (with receipts) for funds spent, and to return any unspent amount to the employer, there is similarly no taxable benefit received. (In both cases, of course, the amounts received or reimbursed are subject to the $500 limit outlined above.) Where, however, the employee receives an allowance but is not required to account to the employer for amounts spent, there will be a taxable benefit assessed equal to the amount of that allowance.
Commuting and parking costs
The CRA’s longstanding policy is that costs incurred by an employee to get to and from work, including parking costs, are a personal expense. Where those personal expenses are paid by an employer, the employee is considered to have received a taxable benefit.
The Agency recognizes, however, that employees who do continue to commute to work under current conditions may incur additional expenses, in order to minimize their risk of illness. For instance, an employee could choose to drive to work, rather than incurring the additional risk posed by taking public transit. As well, employees who are working from home may need to “visit” the workplace in order to obtain needed equipment or for other employment-related purposes.
In light of those realities, the CRA is prepared, as a matter of administrative policy, to relax the usual rules relating to employee taxable benefits for commuting. Where an employee continues to go to a workplace on a regular basis, and the employer pays for, reimburses, or provides a reasonable allowance for additional commuting costs incurred, no taxable benefit will be assessed for such reimbursement or allowance. The CRA has indicated, as well, that this administrative concession is extended to situations in which an employer-owned motor vehicle is provided for the commute, provided that this represents a change, in that the employee did not, pre-pandemic, commute to work using an employer-provided vehicle.
Where the workplace is closed and employees work from home but must “visit” the workplace for any purpose that enables them to continue to perform their employment duties from home, a similar policy will apply. Specifically, where the employer pays for, reimburses or provides a reasonable allowance for the commuting costs involved in doing so, there will be no taxable benefit to the employee. Once again, this policy is extended to apply to the use of employer-owned motor vehicles.
Finally, where an individual has an employer-provided parking space at his or her workplace, but that workplace is closed, no taxable benefit will be assessed to the employee.
While there are no dollar limits imposed on the amounts outlined above, there are administrative restrictions and requirements. Most important, the administrative concessions exist to account for costs incurred by an employee only for reasons related to the pandemic and the need to comply with resulting public health measures and restrictions. Second, the overriding requirement of reasonableness will continue to apply and, finally, both employers and employees will be required to maintain records — both to demonstrate the reasonableness of any allowance or reimbursement provided, and to account for the kilometres driven for work-related purposes.
Cell phones and meal allowances
The CRA has existing policies with respect to payment by an employer of costs incurred for employment-related use of an employee’s cell phone, and to the payment of meal allowances, and the CRA has indicated that such policies will continue to apply for 2020. More information on those policies can be found in CRA Guide T4130, Employers’ Guide — Taxable Benefits and Allowances, which can be found on the CRA website at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/t4130.html.
The changes to the CRA’s policies with respect to employee taxable benefits are outlined in a Backgrounder which is available on the CRA website at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/news/2020/12/employer-provided-benefits-and-allowances-cra-and-covid-19.html.
That Backgrounder indicates that all such administrative policy changes are effective only from March 15, 2020 to December 31, 2020.
The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.
For most taxpayers, the first few months of the year are a seemingly unending series of bills and payment deadlines. During January and February, many Canadians are still trying to pay off the bills from holiday spending. The first income tax instalment payment of 2021 is due on March 15 and the need to pay any tax balance for the 2020 tax year comes just 6 weeks after that, on April 30. Added to all of that, the deadline for making an RRSP contribution for 2020 falls on March 1, 2021.
For most taxpayers, the first few months of the year are a seemingly unending series of bills and payment deadlines. During January and February, many Canadians are still trying to pay off the bills from holiday spending. The first income tax instalment payment of 2021 is due on March 15 and the need to pay any tax balance for the 2020 tax year comes just 6 weeks after that, on April 30. Added to all of that, the deadline for making an RRSP contribution for 2020 falls on March 1, 2021.
The best advice on how to avoid a cash flow crunch, at least as it relates to RRSP deadlines, is to make RRSP contributions on a regular basis throughout the year. That is, however, more of a goal than a reality for the majority of Canadians, especially given the job and income losses experienced by so many during 2020 and into 2021.
All that notwithstanding, Canadians who wish to deduct an RRSP contribution on their income tax return for 2020 must make that contribution on or before March 1, 2021. The maximum allowable current-year contribution which can be made by any individual taxpayer for 2020 is 18% of that taxpayer’s earned income for the 2019 year, to a statutory maximum of $27,230.
Those are the basic rules governing RRSP contributions for the 2020 tax year. For most Canadians, however, those rules are just the starting point of the calculation, as millions of Canadian taxpayers have what is termed “additional contribution room” carried forward from previous taxation years. That additional contribution room arises because the taxpayer either did not make an RRSP contribution in each previous year, or made one which was less than his or her maximum allowable contribution for the year. For many taxpayers that additional contribution room can amount to tens of thousands of dollars, and the taxpayer is entitled to use as much or as little of that additional contribution room as he or she wishes for the current tax year.
It’s apparent from the foregoing that determining one’s maximum allowable contribution for 2020 will take a bit of research. The first step in determining one’s total (current year and carryforward) contribution room for 2020 is to consult the last Notice of Assessment which was received from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Every taxpayer who filed a return for the 2019 taxation year will have received a Notice of Assessment from the CRA, and the amount of that taxpayer’s allowable RRSP contribution room for 2020 will be summarized on page 3 of that notice. Taxpayers who have discarded (or can’t find) their Notice of Assessment can obtain the same information by calling the CRA’s Telephone Information Phone Service (TIPS) line at 1-800-267-6999. An automated service at that line will provide the required information, once the taxpayer has provided his or her social insurance number, month and year of birth, and the amount of income from his or her 2019 tax return. Those who don’t wish to use an automated service can call the CRA’s Individual Income Tax Enquiries Line at 1-800-959-8281 and speak to a client services agent, who will also request such identifying information before providing any taxpayer-specific data. Finally, for those who have registered for the CRA’s My Account service, the needed information will be available online.
One question that doesn’t often get asked by taxpayers is whether it actually makes sense to make an RRSP contribution. The wisdom of making annual contributions to one’s RRSP has become an almost unquestioned tenet of tax and retirement planning, but there are situations in which other savings vehicles — particularly the Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) — may be the better short-term or long-term option or even, in some cases, the only one available.
When it comes to making a contribution to one’s TFSA, the good news is the timelines and deadlines are much more flexible than those which govern RRSP contributions. A contribution to one’s TFSA can be made at any time of the year, and contributions not made during the current year can be carried forward and made in any subsequent year.
On the other hand, determining one’s total TFSA contribution room is significantly more complex than figuring out one’s allowable RRSP contribution amount, for two reasons. First, the maximum TFSA amount has changed several times (increasing and decreasing) since the program was introduced in 2009. Second, and more important, individuals who withdraw funds from a TFSA can re-contribute those funds, but not until the year following the one in which the withdrawal is made. Especially where a taxpayer has several TFSA accounts, and/or a history of making contributions, withdrawals, and re-contributions, it can be difficult to determine just where that taxpayer stands with respect to his or her current maximum allowable TFSA contribution amount.
In this case, there’s no help to be had from a Notice of Assessment, as the CRA does not provide TFSA contribution information on that form. Information on one’s current year TFSA contribution limit can, however, be obtained from the CRA website, from the TIPS line at 1-800-267-6999 or its Individual Income Tax Enquiries line at 1-800-959-8281, as outlined above. It should be noted, however, that information on one’s current (i.e. 2021) TFSA contribution limit won’t be available through the TIPS line until mid-February 2021.
Determining which savings vehicle is the better option for a particular taxpayer will depend, for the most part, on the taxpayer’s current and future tax situation, the purpose for which the funds are being saved, and the taxpayer’s particular sources of retirement income.
Taxpayers who are saving toward a shorter-term goal, like (hopefully!) next year’s vacation should direct those savings into a TFSA. While choosing to save through an RRSP will provide a tax deduction on that year’s return and, possibly, a tax refund, tax will still have to be paid when the funds are withdrawn from the RRSP in a year or two. And, more significantly from a long-term point of view, repeatedly using an RRSP as a short-term savings vehicle will eventually erode one’s ability to save for retirement, as RRSP contributions which are withdrawn cannot be replaced. While the amounts involved may seem small, the loss of contribution room and the compounding of invested amounts over 25 or 30 years or more can make a significant dent in one’s ability to save for retirement.
Taxpayers who are expecting their income to rise significantly within a few years – for example students in post-secondary or professional education or training programs – can save some tax by contributing to a TFSA while they are in school and their income (and therefore their tax rate) is low, allowing the funds to compound on a tax-free basis, and then withdrawing the funds tax-free once they’re working, when their tax rate will be higher. At that time, the withdrawn funds can be used to make an RRSP contribution, which will be deducted from income which would be taxed at that higher tax rate. And, in a need for funds should arise in the meantime, a tax-free TFSA withdrawal can always be made.
Canadians aged 71 and older will find the RRSP vs. TFSA question irrelevant, as the last date on which taxpayers can make RRSP contributions is December 31 of the year in which they turn 71. Many of those taxpayers will, however, have converted their RRSP savings to a registered retirement income fund (RRIF) and anyone who has done so is required to withdraw (and be taxed on) a specified percentage of those RRIF funds every year. Particularly where required RRIF withdrawals exceed the RRIF holder’s current cash flow needs, that “excess” income can be contributed to a TFSA. Although the RRIF withdrawals made must still be included in income for the year and taxed as such, transferring the funds to a TFSA will allow them to continue compounding free of tax and no additional tax will be payable when and if the funds are withdrawn. And, unlike RRIF or RRSP withdrawals, monies withdrawn in the future from a TFSA will not affect the planholder’s eligibility for Old Age Security benefits or for the federal age credit.
RRSPs and TFSAs are the most significant tax-free or tax-deferred savings vehicles available to Canadian taxpayers, and both have a place in most financial and retirement plans. To help taxpayers make informed choices about their savings options, the CRA provides a number of dedicated webpages about both RRSPs and TFSAs, and those can be found on the CRA website at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/rrsp-reer/menu-eng.html and http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/tfsa-celi/menu-eng.html.
The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.
Two quarterly newsletters have been added—one dealing with personal issues, and one dealing with corporate issues.
Two quarterly newsletters have been added—one dealing with personal issues, and one dealing with corporate issues.
They can be accessed below.
Corporate:
Personal:
The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.
The Employment Insurance premium rate for 2021 is unchanged at 1.58%.
The Employment Insurance premium rate for 2021 is unchanged at 1.58%.
Yearly maximum insurable earnings are set at $56,300, making the maximum employee premium $889.54.
As in previous years, employer premiums are 1.4 times the employee premium. The maximum employer premium for 2021 is therefore $1,245.36.
The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.
The Quebec Pension Plan contribution rate for 2021 is set at 5.9% of pensionable earnings for the year.
The Quebec Pension Plan contribution rate for 2021 is set at 5.9% of pensionable earnings for the year.
Maximum pensionable earnings for the year will be $61,600, and the basic exemption is unchanged at $3,500.
The maximum employer and employee contributions to the plan for 2021 will be $3,427.90 each.
The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.
The Canada Pension Plan contribution rate for 2021 is set at 5.45% of pensionable earnings for the year.
The Canada Pension Plan contribution rate for 2021 is set at 5.45% of pensionable earnings for the year.
Maximum pensionable earnings for the year will be $61,600, and the basic exemption is unchanged at $3,500.
The maximum employer and employee contributions to the plan for 2021 will be $3166.45 each, and the maximum self-employed contribution will be $6,332.90.
The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.
Dollar amounts on which individual non-refundable federal tax credits for 2021 are based, and the actual tax credit claimable, will be as follows:
Dollar amounts on which individual non-refundable federal tax credits for 2021 are based, and the actual tax credit claimable, will be as follows:
Credit amount Tax credit
Basic personal amount* 13,808 2,071.20
Spouse or common law
partner amount* 13,808 2,071.20
Eligible dependant amount* 13,808 2,071.20
Age amount 7,713 1,156.95
Net income threshold for erosion of
age credit 38,893
Canada employment amount 1,257 188.55
Disability amount 8,662 1,299.30
Adoption expenses credit 16,729 2,509.35
Medical expense tax credit
Income threshold amount 2,421
*For taxpayers having net income for the year of more than $151,978, amounts claimable for the basic personal amount, the spousal amount, and the eligible dependant amount for 2021 may differ.
The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.
The indexing factor for federal tax credits and brackets for 2021 is 1.0%. The following federal tax rates and brackets will be in effect for individuals for the 2021 tax year.
The indexing factor for federal tax credits and brackets for 2021 is 1%. The following federal tax rates and brackets will be in effect for individuals for the 2021 tax year.
Income level Federal tax rate
$13,808 - $49,020 15%
$49,021 - $98,040 20.5%
$98,041 - $151,978 26%
$151,979 - $216,511 29%
Over $216,511 33%
The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.
Each new tax year brings with it a listing of tax payment and filing deadlines, as well as some changes with respect to tax planning strategies. Some of the more significant dates and changes for individual taxpayers for 2021 are listed below.
Each new tax year brings with it a listing of tax payment and filing deadlines, as well as some changes with respect to tax planning strategies. Some of the more significant dates and changes for individual taxpayers for 2021 are listed below.
RRSP deduction limit and contribution deadline
The RRSP current year contribution limit for the 2020 tax year is $27,230. In order to make the maximum current year contribution for 2020 (for which the contribution deadline will be Monday March 1, 2021), it will be necessary to have earned income for the 2019 taxation year of $151,278.
Tax-free savings account (TFSA) contribution limit
The TFSA contribution limit for 2021 is unchanged at $6,000. The actual amount which can be contributed by a particular individual includes both the current-year limit and any carryover of uncontributed or re-contribution amounts from previous taxation years.
Taxpayers can find out their personal 2021 contribution limit by calling the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) Individual Income Tax Enquiries line at 1-800-959-8281. Those who have registered for the CRA’s online tax service My Account can obtain that information by logging into that service.
Individual tax instalment deadlines for 2021
Millions of individual taxpayers pay income tax by quarterly instalments, which are due on the 15th day of March, June, September, and December 2021.
The actual tax instalment due dates for 2021 are as follows:
Monday March 15, 2021
Tuesday June 15, 2021
Wednesday September 15, 2021
Wednesday December 15, 2021
Old Age Security income clawback threshold
For 2021, the income level above which Old Age Security (OAS) benefits are clawed back is $79,845.
Individual tax filing and payment deadlines in 2021
For all individual taxpayers, including those who are self-employed, the deadline for payment of all income tax owed for the 2020 tax year is Friday, April 30, 2021.
Taxpayers (other than the self-employed and their spouses) must file an income tax return for 2020 on or before Friday, April 30, 2021.
Self-employed taxpayers and their spouses must file a 2020 income tax return on or before Tuesday June 15, 2021.
The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.
Planning for – or even thinking about – next year’s taxes when it’s not yet even mid-December may seem more than a little premature. However, most Canadians will start paying their taxes for 2021 with the first paycheque they receive in January, and it’s worth taking a bit of time to make sure that things start off – and stay – on the right foot.
Planning for – or even thinking about – next year’s taxes when it’s not yet even mid-December may seem more than a little premature. However, most Canadians will start paying their taxes for 2021 with the first paycheque they receive in January, and it’s worth taking a bit of time to make sure that things start off – and stay – on the right foot.
For most Canadians, (certainly for the vast majority who earn their income from employment), income tax, along with other statutory deductions like Canada Pension Plan contributions and Employment Insurance premiums, are paid periodically throughout the year by means of deductions taken from each paycheque received, with those deductions then remitted to the Canada Revenue Agency on the taxpayer’s behalf by his or her employer.
Of course, each taxpayer’s situation is unique and so the employer has to have some guidance as to how much to deduct and remit on behalf of each employee. That guidance is provided by the employee/taxpayer in the form of TD1 forms which are completed and signed by each employee, sometimes at the start of each year, but certainly at the time employment commences. Each employee must, in fact, complete two TD1 forms – one for federal tax purposes and the other for provincial tax imposed by the province in which the taxpayer lives. Federal and provincial TD1 forms for 2021 (which have not yet been released by the Canada Revenue Agency but, once published, will be available on the Agency’s website at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/td1-personal-tax-credits-returns/td1-forms-pay-received-on-january-1-later.html) list the most common statutory credits claimed by taxpayers, including the basic personal credit, the spousal credit amount and the age amount. Adding amounts claimed on each form gives the Total Claim Amounts (one federal, one provincial) which the employer then uses to determine, based on tables issued by the CRA, the amount of income tax which should be deducted (or withheld) from each of the employee’s paycheques and remitted on his or her behalf to the federal government.
While the TD1 completed by the employee at the time his or her employment commenced will have accurately reflected the credits claimable by the employee at that time, everyone’s life circumstances change. Where a baby is born, or a son or daughter starts post-secondary education, a taxpayer turns 65 years of age, or an elderly parent comes to live with his or her children, the affected taxpayer will be become eligible to claim tax credits not previously available. And, since the employer can only calculate source deductions based on information provided to it by the employee, those new credit claims won’t be reflected in the amounts deducted at source from the employee’s paycheque.
Consequently, it’s a good idea for all employees to review the TD1 form prior to the start of each taxation year and to make any changes needed to ensure that a claim is made for any and all credit amounts currently available to him or her. Doing so will ensure that the correct amount of tax is deducted at source throughout the year.
As well, it’s often the case that a taxpayer will have available deductions which cannot be recorded on the TD1, like RRSP contributions, deductible support payments or child care expenses. While such claims make things a little more complicated, it’s still possible to have source deductions adjusted to accurately reflect those claims, and the employee’s resulting reduced tax liability for 2021. The way to do so is to file Form T1213 - Request to Reduce Tax Deductions at Source (available on the CRA website at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/forms/t1213.html) with the Agency. Once that form is filed with the CRA, the Agency will, after verifying that the claims made are accurate, provide the employer with a Letter of Authority authorizing that employer to reduce the amount of tax being withheld from the employee’s paycheque.
Of course, as with all things bureaucratic, having one’s source deductions reduced by filing a T1213 takes time. While a T1213 can be filed with the CRA at any time of the year, the sooner it’s done, the sooner source deductions can be adjusted, effective for all subsequent paycheques. Providing an employer with an updated TD1 for 2021 as soon as possible, along with filing the T1213 with the CRA, will ensure that source deductions made starting January 1, 2021 will accurately reflect all of the employee’s current circumstances, and consequently his or her actual tax liability for the year.
The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.
During the month of December, it’s customary for employers to provide something “extra” for their employees, by way of a holiday gift, a year-end bonus or an employer-sponsored social event. And while the annual office holiday party definitely won’t be happening in 2020, employees may still be able to look forward to something additional in the way of compensation during the last month of the year.
During the month of December, it’s customary for employers to provide something “extra” for their employees, by way of a holiday gift, a year-end bonus or an employer-sponsored social event. And while the annual office holiday party definitely won’t be happening in 2020, employees may still be able to look forward to something additional in the way of compensation during the last month of the year.
It’s certainly the case that employers who provide such extras don’t intend to create a tax liability for their employees. Unfortunately, it’s also the case that a failure to properly structure such gifts or other extras can result in unintended and unwelcome tax consequences to those employees.
Trying to formulate and administer the tax rules around holiday gifts is something of a no-win situation for the Canada Revenue Agency. On an individual or even a company level, the amounts involved are usually small, or even nominal, and the range of situations which must be addressed by the related tax rules are virtually limitless. As a result, the cost of drafting and administering those rules can outweigh the revenue generated by the enforcement of such rules, to say nothing of the potential ill will generated by imposing tax consequences on holiday gifts. Notwithstanding, the potential exists for employers to provide what would otherwise be taxable remuneration in the guise of holiday gifts, and it’s the responsibility of the tax authorities to ensure that such situations don’t slip through the tax net.
There is, as a result, a detailed set of rules which outline the tax consequences of gifts and awards provided by the employer. The starting point for the rules is that any gift (cash or non-cash) received by an employee from his or her employer at any time of the year is considered to constitute a taxable benefit, to be included in the employee’s income for that year. However, the CRA makes an administrative concession in this area, allowing non-cash gifts (within a specified dollar limit) to be received tax-free by employees, as long as such gifts are given on religious holidays such as Christmas or Hanukkah, or on the occasion of a significant life event, like a birthday, a marriage or the birth of a child.
In sum, the CRA’s administrative policy is simply that non-cash gifts to an arm’s length employee, regardless of the number of such gifts, will not be taxable if the total fair market value of all such gifts (including goods and services tax or harmonized sales tax) to that employee is $500 or less annually. The total value over $500 annually will be a taxable benefit to the employee, and must be included on the employee’s T4 for the year, and on which income tax must be paid.
It’s important to remember the “non-cash” criterion imposed by the CRA, as the $500 per year administrative concession does not apply to what the CRA terms “cash or near-cash” gifts and all such gifts are considered to be a taxable benefit and included in income for tax purposes, regardless of amount. For this purpose, the CRA considers anything which could be easily converted to cash as a “near-cash” gift. Even a gift or award which cannot be converted to cash will be considered to be a near-cash gift if, in the CRA’s words, it “functions in the same way as cash”. So, a gift card or gift certificate which can be used by the employee to purchase his or her choice of merchandise or services would be considered a near-cash gift, and taxable as such. It’s not hard to see that drawing a firm line between cash and non-cash gifts can be difficult. The CRA provides the following information and examples to help clarify that difference.
You give your employee a voucher (which may be a ticket or a certificate) that entitles the employee to receive an item for a set value at a store. For example, you may give your employees a voucher for a turkey valued up to $30 as a Christmas gift, and for convenience, you arrange for your employees to go to a particular grocery store and exchange the voucher for a turkey. The employees can only use the voucher to receive a turkey valued up to $30 (no substitutes). Such vouchers are generally considered non cash gifts.
You give your employee a $100 gift card or gift certificate to a department store. The employee can use this to purchase whatever merchandise or service the store offers. We consider the gift card or gift certificate to be an additional remuneration that is a taxable benefit for the employee because it functions in the same way as cash.
It may seem nearly impossible to plan for employee holiday gifts and other benefits without running afoul of one or more of the detailed rules and administrative policies surrounding the taxation of such gifts and benefits. However, designing a tax-effective plan is possible, if the following rules are kept in mind.
Any cash or near-cash gifts should be avoided, as they will, no matter how large or small the amount, create a taxable benefit to the employee. Although gift certificates or pre-paid credit cards are a popular choice, they aren’t a tax-effective one, as they will invariably be considered by the CRA to create a taxable benefit to the employee.
Where non-cash holiday gifts are provided to employees, gifts with a value of up to $500 can be received free of tax. The employer must be mindful of the fact that the $500 limit is a per-year and not a per-occasion limit. Where the employee receives non-cash gifts with a total value of more than $500 in any one taxation year, the portion over $500 is a taxable benefit to the employee.
While the rules around employer gifts aren’t complex, it is necessary to consider carefully the kinds of gifts which are given and to be mindful of the annual $500 per employee limit on non-cash gifts. At the end of the day, a gift which results in unintended and unwanted tax consequences to the employee will leave the employer looking a lot less like Santa and a lot more like Scrooge!
The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.
While Canadians benefit from a publicly funded health care system, there are nonetheless a significant (and increasing) number of medical and para-medical expenses which are not covered by provincial health care plans. As well, an increasing number of Canadians – who may work on contract or who hold several part-time jobs - do not have private insurance coverage for such costs through their employer.
While Canadians benefit from a publicly funded health care system, there are nonetheless a significant (and increasing) number of medical and para-medical expenses which are not covered by provincial health care plans. As well, an increasing number of Canadians – who may work on contract or who hold several part-time jobs - do not have private insurance coverage for such costs through their employer.
In many instances, therefore, Canadians have to pay for such unavoidable expenditures – including dental care, prescription drugs, ambulance trips and many other para-medical services, like physiotherapy, on an out-of-pocket basis. The good news is that where such costs must be paid for partially or entirely by the taxpayer, the tax system provides a medical expense tax credit to help offset those costs. The bad news is that the computation of such expenses and, in particular, the timing of making a claim for the credit, can be confusing. In addition, the determination of what expenses qualify for the credit and which do not isn’t necessarily intuitive, nor is the determination of when it’s necessary to obtain prior authorization from a medical professional in order to ensure that the contemplated expenditure will qualify for the credit.
The basic rule is that qualifying medical expenses (a lengthy list of which can be found on the Canada Revenue Agency website at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/tax-return/completing-a-tax-return/deductions-credits-expenses/lines-33099-33199-eligible-medical-expenses-you-claim-on-your-tax-return.html) over 3% of the taxpayer’s net income, or $2,397, whichever is less, can be claimed for purposes of the medical expense tax credit on the taxpayer’s return for 2020.
Put in more practical terms, the rule for 2020 is that any taxpayer whose net income is less than $79,900 will be entitled to claim medical expenses that are greater than 3% of his or her net income for the year. Those having income over $79,900 will be limited to claiming qualifying expenses which exceed the $2,397 threshold.
The other aspect of the medical expense tax credit which can cause some confusion is that it’s possible to claim medical expenses which were incurred prior to the current tax year, but weren’t claimed on the return for the year that the expenditure was made. The actual rule is that the taxpayer can claim qualifying medical expenses incurred during any 12-month period which ends in the current tax year, meaning that each taxpayer must determine which 12-month period ending in 2020 will produce the greatest amount eligible for the credit. That determination will obviously depend on when medical expenses were incurred so there is, unfortunately, no universal rule of thumb which can be used.
Medical expenses incurred by family members – the taxpayer, his or her spouse, children who were born in 2003 or later, and certain other dependent relatives - can be added together and claimed by one member of the family. In most cases, it’s best, in order to maximize the amount claimable, to make that claim on the tax return of the lower income spouse, where that spouse has tax payable for the year.
As December 31st approaches, it’s a good idea to add up the medical expenses which have been incurred during 2020, as well as those paid during 2019 and not claimed on the 2019 return. Once those totals are known, it will be easier to determine whether to make a claim for 2020 or to wait and claim 2020 expenses on the return for 2021. And, if the decision is to make a claim for 2020, knowing what medical expenses were paid, and when, will enable the taxpayer to determine the optimal 12-month period for that claim.
It’s worth noting that, for many Canadians, 2020 has been a year in which income was reduced, owing to temporary layoffs or even permanent job loss. Where income is lower (assuming such income is below the $79,900 threshold), the extent to which qualifying medical expenses incurred during the year will be claimable for purposes of the medical expense tax credit increases. Take, for example, an individual who was laid off for three months during 2020 and who has incurred $2,500 in eligible medical expenses. If that individual’s income for 2020 is $30,000, he or she will be able to claim $1,600 of those expenses for purposes of the medical expense tax credit. If the individual returns to full employment in 2021 and earns $40,000, he or she will be able to claim only $1,300 of those eligible medical expenses on the return for 2021.
Finally, it’s a good idea to look into the timing of medical expenses which will have to be paid early in 2021. Where those are significant expenses (for instance, a particularly costly medication which must be taken on an ongoing basis) it may make sense, where possible, to accelerate the payment of those expenses to December 2020, where that means they can be included in 2020 totals and claimed on the 2020 return.
The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.
Canadian Emergency Response Benefit
In March of this year, in response to the pandemic, the federal government announced and rolled out a number of benefit programs to assist individuals who had experienced a pandemic-related interruption in earnings.
Canadian Emergency Response Benefit
In March of this year, in response to the pandemic, the federal government announced and rolled out a number of benefit programs to assist individuals who had experienced a pandemic-related interruption in earnings.
The most widely used of those benefits was the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, or CERB, which was received by over 8 million individual Canadians. That CERB benefit, of $500 per week, ran from mid-March until the end of September, meaning that those who were eligible for CERB for that entire period could have received as much as $14,000.
When the CERB program was launched, the priority for the federal government was getting the benefit into the hands of Canadian as quickly as possible. Consequently, although the CERB represented taxable income to those who received it, no tax was deducted from the benefits paid. As a result, anyone who received CERB (and did not repay it) will receive a T4A slip for that income, will need to report it on their income tax return for 2020 and will have to pay tax on that income when the return is filed in the spring of 2021.
While that filing and payment deadline is still months away, it would be prudent for CERB recipients to at least determine how much tax will be payable and to start to make provision for setting that money aside. The amount of tax owed on CERB benefits will depend, of course, on the amount of benefit received, but also on the taxpayer’s total income for 2020 and on the province or territory in which the taxpayer resides.
Taxpayers can arrive at a rough estimate the amount of federal tax payable on their CERB benefits as follows:
- For taxpayers having income for 2020 from all sources of less than $50,000, the percentage of tax payable on CERB received will be 15%.
- For taxpayers having income for 2020 from all sources of between $50,000 and $100,000, the percentage of tax payable on CERB received will be 20.5%.
- For taxpayers having income for 2020 from all sources of between $100,000 and $150,000, the percentage of tax payable on CERB received will be 26%.
- For taxpayers having income for 2020 from all sources of between $150,000 and $214,400, the percentage of tax payable on CERB received will be 29%.
- For taxpayers having income for 2020 from all sources of more than $214,400, the percentage of tax payable on CERB received will be 33%.
Of course, in each case, provincial or territorial tax must be added to arrive at the total tax payable on CERB amounts received. The provincial and territorial tax rates which apply for 2020 at different income levels can be found on the Canada Revenue Agency website at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/frequently-asked-questions-individuals/canadian-income-tax-rates-individuals-current-previous-years.html#provincial.
Home office expenses
One of the hallmarks of 2020 has been the number of Canadians working from home. A work-from-home arrangement has many benefits, and one of the less known of those benefits is the ability to claim a tax deduction on the 2020 tax return for household costs that would have been incurred in any event.
In order to claim a deduction for costs related to a work from home space, employees must meet at least one of the following conditions.
- The home work space is where the individual mainly (more than 50% of the time) does their work; or
- the individual uses the workspace only to earn his or her employment income. He or she must also use it on a regular and continuous basis for meeting clients, customers, or other people in the course of his or her employment duties.
To establish that the required circumstances exist, and that the employee is not receiving an allowance or a reimbursement for home office expenses from the employer it’s necessary to have a particular form completed and signed by that employer. That form, the T2200, can be found on the CRA website at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/forms/t2200.html.
Once the requisite criteria are met, and certified by the employer on the T2200, a broad range of costs become deductible by the employee. Specifically, a salaried employee can claim and deduct the part of specified costs that relate to his or her work space, such as the cost of electricity, heating and home maintenance.
Where an individual who qualifies under either of the criteria outlined above is a commission employee, an even broader range of costs become deductible. In addition to costs for electricity, heating and home maintenance, a commission employee can also deduct a proportionate share of costs incurred for property taxes and home insurance.
There is no specific formula provided for determining the proportion of eligible costs which can be deducted for qualifying home office expenses. The employee can determine that percentage based on the square footage of the workspace as a percentage of the overall square footage of the home, or he or she can make that calculation based on the number of rooms in the house or apartment relative to the number of rooms used for work-related purposes. Whichever method is chosen, the most important consideration is that the approach taken (and the expenses claimed) be reasonable. In all cases, the Canada Revenue Agency can ask the taxpayer to provide documentation and support for claims made.
In order to determine the amount of any deduction for eligible home office expenses which can be claimed on the return for 2020, it’s necessary to gather together bills and receipts for the various expense categories (utilities bills, property tax notices etc.). It’s a tedious and sometimes time-consuming task, but necessary both in order to determine the amount of any available deduction and to have the required documentation for that deduction available should the CRA ask to see it. The T2200 signed by the employer does not have to be filed with the return, but should also be kept as part of that documentation.
RRSP contributions to be made by the calendar year-end
Most Canadians, even those who aren’t particularly familiar with our tax system, know that contributions to one’s registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) must be made by the end of February to be claimed as a deduction on the return for the previous calendar year.
There are, however, two instances in which making an RRSP contribution before the end of the calendar year is either necessary or advisable.
The first such instance affects Canadians who turn 71 years of age during 2020. Each of those individuals must collapse their RRSP by the end of 2020 – usually by converting the RRSP into a registered retirement income fund (RRIF) or by purchasing an annuity. An individual who turns 71 during the year is still entitled to make a final RRSP contribution for that year, assuming that he or she has sufficient contribution room. However, in such cases, the 60-day window for contributions after December 31st is not available. Any RRSP contribution to be made by a person who turns 71 during the year must be made by December 31st of that year.
The other instance in which it is advisable to make the contribution before December 31 relates to spousal RRSP contributions. Under Canadian tax rules, a taxpayer can make a contribution to a registered retirement savings plans (RRSP) in his or her spouse’s name and claim the deduction for the contribution on his or her own return. When the funds are withdrawn by the spouse, the amounts are taxed as the spouse’s income, at a (presumably) lower tax rate. However, the benefit of having withdrawals taxed in the hands of the spouse is available only where the withdrawal takes place no sooner than the end of the second calendar year following the year in which the contribution is made. Therefore, where a contribution to a spousal RRSP is made in December of 2020, the contributor can claim a deduction for that contribution on his or her return for 2020. The spouse can then withdraw that amount as early as January 1, 2023 and have it taxed in his or her own hands. If the contribution isn’t made until January or February of 2021, the contributor can still claim a deduction for it on the 2020 tax return, but the amount won’t be eligible to be taxed in the spouse’s hands on withdrawal until January 1, 2024. It’s an especially important consideration for couples who are approaching retirement who may plan on withdrawing funds in the relatively new future. Even where that’s not the situation, making the contribution before the end of the calendar year will ensure maximum flexibility should the need for an unplanned withdrawal arise.
Adjusting the final individual income tax instalment
It’s also possible for some taxpayers to adjust the amount of remaining tax they will pay for 2020. The majority of Canadians pay their taxes by having those taxes deducted by their employer from their regular paycheque and submitted to the Canada Revenue Agency on their behalf. However, there are millions of taxpayers who pay income taxes by quarterly instalments, with the amount of those instalments representing an estimate of the taxpayer’s total liability for the year.
The final quarterly instalment for this year will be due on Tuesday December 15, 2020. By that time, almost everyone will have a reasonably good idea of what his or her income and deductions will be for 2020 and so will be in a position to estimate what the final tax bill for the year will be, taking into account any tax planning strategies already put in place, as well as any RRSP contributions which will be made on or before March 1, 2021. While the tax return forms to be used for the 2020 year haven’t yet been released by the Canada Revenue Agency, it’s possible to arrive at an estimate by using the 2019 form. Increases in tax credit amounts and tax brackets from 2019 to 2020 will mean that using the 2019 form will likely result in a slight over-estimate of tax liability for 2020.
Once an estimate of one’s tax bill for 2020 has been calculated, that figure should be compared to the total of tax instalments already made during this calendar year (that figure can be obtained by calling the CRA’s Individual Income Tax Enquiries line at 1-800-959-8281). Depending on the result, it may then be possible to reduce the amount of the tax instalment to be paid on December 15 – and thereby free up some funds for the inevitable holiday spending!
The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.