CPP Enhancements: Higher Contributions and Higher Benefits

In 2019, the government commenced a two-part enhancement to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), with full implementation to be completed in 2025. Phase 1 occurred from 2019-2023; phase 2 will occur from 2024-2025. Overall, the changes will require larger contributions but also will provide larger benefits. Pre-CPP enhancement CPP contributions for employees and employers under the pre-enhancement CPP model (referred to as base contributions) were calculated as 4.95% of the employee’s pensionable earnings to a…

Post published:August 16, 2023
Post category:Individual – Taxes Personal Taxes Retirement

Unreported Capital Trades Included on a T5008: CRA Policy

Traders or dealers in securities must report to CRA the disposition of securities, such as publicly traded shares, mutual fund units, bonds and T-bills, of their clients on a T5008. A November 4, 2022 French Federal Court case summarized CRA’s administrative policy where a taxpayer has not filed a tax return, but a T5008 was issued, reporting the disposition of property that does not include the cost of the property disposed. In this case, CRA…

Post published:June 9, 2023
Post category:Personal Taxes Special Interest

Underused Housing Tax (UHT): Increased Disclosures and Taxes

UHT is a 1% federal tax intended to apply to the value of vacant or underused residential real property owned by non-resident non-Canadians. However, many Canadian individuals and other entities are also required to file UHT returns and may even be liable for the tax. Numerous exemptions from the tax itself exist, but significant penalties can apply where the required return is not filed, even if no tax is payable. UHT was first applicable to…

Post published:May 26, 2023
Post category:Individual – Taxes Personal Taxes Special Interest Tax Planning

Budget 2023: Top Five Items for Owner-Managers

Budget 2023 (A Made-in-Canada Plan: Strong Middle Class, Affordable Economy, Healthy Future) was introduced in the House of Commons on March 28, 2023. The top five changes that may impact individuals and owner-managed businesses are as follows: Dental plan – The Canadian Dental Care Plan would be introduced to provide coverage for all uninsured Canadians with an annual family income of less than $90,000 (the previous Canada Dental Benefit only provided benefits for children under…

Post published:May 18, 2023
Post category:Business – Taxes Corporate Taxes Personal Taxes Tax Planning

One-Time Top-Up to The Canada Housing Benefit: Additional Support

A one-time tax-free payment of $500, announced in September 2022, is now available to low-income renters. The payment does not reduce other federal income-tested benefits. Eligible individuals must: be 15 years of age or older on December 1, 2022; be resident in Canada for tax purposes in 2022; have filed their 2021 tax return with adjusted net income below $35,000 for families or $20,000 for individuals. If the individual has a spouse or common-law partner,…

Post published:March 10, 2023
Post category:Business – Taxes Individual – Taxes Personal Taxes Special Interest

GST/HST Input Tax Credits: Reasonable Expectation of Profit

A July 28, 2022 Tax Court of Canada case considered whether input tax credits (ITCs) in respect of a farming operation’s expenditures were available. The farming activity consisted of breeding and racing various horses and involved at least four full-time employees at one point. Over a nine-year period (2007-2015), the operations never experienced positive net earnings and more than $4 million in losses were accumulated. The owner partially financed operations with earnings from his law…

Post published:November 16, 2022
Post category:Individual – Taxes Personal Taxes Special Interest Tax Planning

Crowdfunding: Taxable or Not?

A June 2, 2022 Technical Interpretation discussed the taxability of funds received through crowdfunding campaigns. CRA first noted that amounts received through a crowdfunding arrangement could represent loans, capital contributions, gifts, income or a combination of two or more of these. This means that the funds received could be taxable (such as business income) or not (such as a windfall, gift or voluntary payment). As the terms and conditions for each campaign vary greatly, the…

Post published:October 27, 2022
Post category:Charities Individual – Taxes Personal Taxes Special Interest Tax Planning

Shared Custody Arrangements: Impact of School Closures

In an April 21, 2022 Tax Court of Canada case, the Court reviewed whether the taxpayer and her former spouse were shared-custody parents of their three children for the period from January 2019 to June 2021 for the purpose of the Canada child benefit (CCB). In shared-custody arrangements, each individual will get half of the payment they would have received had the child lived with them full time. While the Minister initially fully paid the…

Post published:October 21, 2022
Post category:Educational Taxes Individual – Taxes Personal Taxes Special Interest Tax Planning

TFSA Overcontribution: Relying on Information in Your CRA Online Account

One challenge when relying on CRA-provided information online in respect of TFSA contribution room is that the information is not updated on a real-time basis due to the delay in receiving information from TFSA issuers. Although CRA has many disclaimers surrounding this issue, some individuals may be unaware or misinterpret their comments. A July 14, 2022 Financial Post article (Taxpayer relying on CRA website info gets hit with penalty for contributing too much to TFSA,…

Post published:October 14, 2022
Post category:Individual – Taxes Personal Taxes Tax Planning

CRA Programs - Buying and Selling a Home

Buying and Selling a Home: Budget 2022 Proposals

The 2022 Federal Budget included several proposals that would significantly change the taxation environment when buying and selling a home. Broadly, the government proposed various incentives for first-time buyers and extended family units in addition to bright-line tests/restrictions for those purchasing homes for profit (e.g. home flippers). Taxpayers should consider how the changes will affect their intended purchases and sales. In some cases, it may be beneficial to expedite a purchase or sale, while in others, it may…

Post published:May 20, 2022
Post category:Personal Taxes Special Interest Tax Planning

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