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To our friends, clients, and business partners, We hope this newsletter finds you well and healthy. The volume of information we’ve received from provincial and federal governments over the last few weeks has been significant and a bit of a moving target, so we’ve put together a summary of all the relief programs that have […]

Overview The businesses and services on the essential services list can continue to provide services at locations accessible to the public and must have proper risk mitigation measures in place, such as sanitation stations and appropriate distancing between customers. The intent of this list is to provide general guidance to business owners and operators. It […]

Description of the Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP):  On March 13, 2020, the Government announced the establishment of a Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP) to help Canadian businesses obtain financing during the current period of significant uncertainty.  The BCAP will support access to financing for Canadian businesses in all sectors and regions. Through this program, Export […]

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today businesses and non-profit organizations seeing a drop of at least 30 per cent in revenue due to COVID-19 will qualify for the government’s 75 per cent wage subsidy program. The number of people a business employs will not determine its eligibility. Charities and companies big and small will qualify, he […]

Ottawa hikes wage subsidy to 75% for small and medium-sized businesses The federal government is hiking its wage subsidy for small and medium-sized businesses from 10 per cent to 75 per cent, a move that business leaders have called for amid the coronavirus outbreak. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the payroll subsidy, as well several […]

Dear valued KWB clients and business partners, Our office remains open and functional during this time, however, we no longer have reception coverage until further notice.  Please take note of the following procedures that have been implemented: 1. Deliveries to our office You may continue to deliver or drop-off your documents at our office during […]

In addition, it is now mandatory for travellers returning from outside of Canada to self-isolate. This legal requirement also applies to close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases, as well as to any individual with symptoms, such as a fever, cough, sore throat or runny nose. “We must do everything we can to protect Albertans through […]

As announced by the Minister of Finance, BDC puts in place additional measures to provide relief for Canadian entrepreneurs. Effective March 18, 2020, new relief measures for qualified businesses include: Working capital loans of up to $2 million with flexible repayment terms such as principal postponements for qualifying businesses; Flexible repayment terms, such as postponement of principal payments for up to […]

1. What is the Temporary Wage Subsidy for Employers? The Temporary Wage Subsidy for Employers is a three-month measure that will allow eligible employers to reduce the amount of payroll deductions required to be remitted to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). 2. Which employers are eligible? You are an eligible employer if you: are a […]

Whether you qualify for EI will still depend on your specific situation, such as regional rate of employment, and the number of hours worked in the last 52 weeks. The government recommends people apply as soon as possible to find out if they qualify; waiting more than four weeks after your last day of work means you could lose […]

The Alberta government will provide immediate financial relief to Alberta’s families and vulnerable populations. Albertans should be focused on their health and not worry about whether they can pay their bills so we have put a number of options in place for those struggling financially. Emergency isolation support This will be a temporary program for […]

The Alberta government will provide immediate funding and supportive measures to support local businesses, employers and employees. Support for employers Corporate income tax changes Corporate income tax balances and instalment payments will be deferred from March 19 until August 31, 2020 to increase employers’ access to cash so they can pay employees, address debts and […]

The Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance announced on March 18th an economic relief package to begin addressing the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of the economic relief package includes tax relief for individuals and businesses. Filing Deadline Extensions The deadline for filing personal income tax returns will be extended to June […]

Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the Canadian economy. During this extraordinary time, the Government of Canada is taking strong action to help Canadian businesses as COVID-19 is affecting them, their employees and their families. The Government and public health officials are urging all Canadians to: stay home unless it is absolutely essential […]

What is director’s liability? While the tax debts of a corporation belong to the corporation and the tax debts of an individual belong to that individual, there are some exceptions to the rules. Directors may have liability for certain tax accounts of the corporations they serve. When a corporation faces insolvency, remittances to the government […]

We have all been told to plan for our retirement.  Yet, have you ever wondered why you need to consider the different retirement planning alternatives? Perhaps you have a plan, most people do, but is it the right plan? In the following example, it is clear how advanced planning can make a huge difference for you and […]

Are you paying too much in taxes? Are you getting all the tax deductions available for your business? An effective way to minimize your company’s tax expense, in addition to good planning, is to ensure the company is claiming all of the expenses legitimately allowed under the tax act. Take a look and see if any […]

Every year CRA conducts reviews and audits to sample and educate tax payers on tax compliance, and 2016 will be no different. CRA estimates that approximately 30,000 letters will be sent out across Canada this year. These letters will give you information about certain claims you have made on one or more of your recent […]

The 2015 federal budget announced the introduction of a new Home Accessibility Tax Credit (HATC), beginning in 2016. The HATC is a non-refundable tax credit for qualifying expenses incurred for work performed or goods acquired in respect of a qualifying renovation of an eligible dwelling of a qualifying individual. A qualifying individual and eligible individuals […]

Do you own a business - either incorporated or unincorporated - and have a spouse or one or more adult children with an income lower than your own? If so, you may be able to shift your income to these other family members, effectively moving the income from a high tax rate to a low tax rate and decreasing the overall tax burden on your family. This is called income splitting.

You can start receiving CPP pension benefits when you reach age 65 (the month after your 65th birthday) which will entitle you to a full CPP benefit depending on how much and how long you have contributed to the CPP. However, you have the following choices: Take a reduced CPP retirement pension as early as […]

In addition to personal income tax increases, the Alberta NDP government has also increased general corporate tax rates. However, businesses that earn $500,000 or less of active business income will not be affected by the tax increases due to an offsetting increase to the Alberta small business deduction rate. Businesses that have more than 500,000 […]

Often deductible business expenses are overlooked or missed as business owners are unsure whether they are deductible. A business expense is any cost incurred by the company to generate income. These expenses must be supported by physical documents such as invoices, purchase contracts, sales receipt, etc. If cash is used to purchase items, it is […]

There are no immediate repercussions for the change in business use of property from capital to inventory. The differences arise upon sale of the real estate. There is no provision in the Income Tax Act which describes the circumstances in which gains from the sale of real estate are to be determined as being either […]

There’s great news for 2015 for Canadians with children. Stephen Harper has announced a “child care benefit boost” – which includes an increase to, or return of, the monthly Universal Child Care Benefit cheques and an increase to the amount taxpayers can deduct for child care expenses and the child fitness credit.   Changes to […]