Tax News and Changes – COVID-19
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 1, […]
Resources for Canadian Businesses – COVID-19
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 […]
To our valued clients and business partners – a KWB announcement
KWB Chartered Professional Accountants has a proactive plan for continued operation in this new environment. You and our team are our first priority. We want to inform you of what changes we have made, so we can continue to complete the work you need us to do, while protecting both you and the members of […]
Principal Residence Exemption
If you have sold your home and it is your principal residence then you should be able to use the principal residence exemption to reduce or eliminate any capital gain for income tax purposes on the sale of the property. CRA states that a principal residence can be a house, cottage, condominium, apartment, trailer, mobile […]
Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP)
Here are some things you should know about a Registered Education Savings Plan: There are two sources of money in your Registered Education Savings Plan – the funds you contributed and the income your investments earned. The income portion includes government grants, dividends, interest and capital gains. When you withdraw the income portion, called Educational […]
Spousal Loan – Tax Savings Opportunity
If you are in a much higher income tax bracket then your spouse and have investments outside of an RRSP or TFSA then a spousal loan could reduce your taxes. Money that is earned directly by you through employment or investing is considered yours and can’t just be given to your spouse to invest. That […]
Applying for a trust account number or asking for a clearance certificate
Asking for a clearance certificate A clearance certificate certifies that all amounts for which a deceased taxpayer is liable to Canada Revenue Agency for have been paid. If a clearance certificate is not obtained upon a taxpayer’s death, as the legal representative, you can be liable for any amount the deceased owes. A clearance certificate […]
The Enlightened Investor-Retirement Income
Eventually investors move from the “saving-years” to the “drawing-years”, when they want to start drawing retirement income from their portfolios. This can be confusing. For many the natural inclination is to liquidate their diversified portfolio in favor of income-producing stocks or bonds. However, the idea that retired individuals should load up on dividend-paying common shares […]
Direct Beneficiary Designation – RRSP or RRIF
If you are considering a direct beneficiary designation for either a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) or a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF), you should be aware of some negative consequences that can occur. A direct beneficiary designation can result in unintended tax consequences to the estate, the inequitable treatment of heirs or the distribution […]
Capital Dividend Account
The capital dividend account (CDA) is used to track the amounts that can be paid out to shareholders, tax free. How is the capital dividend account balance calculated? Capital gains and losses – The balance increases by 50% of any capital gains your company incurs, and decreases by 50% of any capital losses your company […]