Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit: More Housing Support

The multigenerational home renovation tax credit is a refundable tax credit applicable to the costs of constructing a secondary suite for an eligible person (generally a relative either age 65 or over, or eligible for the disability tax credit) to live with a qualifying relation. The tax credit is available on up to $50,000 of eligible expenditures incurred after 2022 at a rate of 15%. In a March 6, 2023 Technical Interpretation, CRA confirmed that the eligible person must ordinarily inhabit, or be intended to ordinarily inhabit,…

Post published:October 13, 2023
Post category:Tax Planning

Cryptocurrency Exchange Cessation: Recordkeeping

A June 7, 2023 CryptoTaxLawyer.com article (Binance Bids Canada Bye-Bye! Canadian Tax Implications for Cryptocurrency Investors and Traders) reminded Canadians about the importance of maintaining an offline record of transactions as exchanges, such as Binance, shut down in Canada. On May 12, 2023, Binance announced that Canadian users will be required to close any open positions by September 30, 2023. Once the exchange is closed to Canadians, there is the possibility that access to records…

Post published:October 6, 2023
Post category:Tax Planning

First Home Savings Account (FHSA): A New Investment Tool

The tax-free FHSA was introduced in 2023 to help first-time home buyers save up to $40,000 for a home purchase. Individuals eligible to open an FHSA must be at least 18 years of age and resident in Canada. The individual must also have not lived in a home that they or their spouse owned jointly or otherwise at any time in the year or the preceding four calendar years. Contributions to an FHSA are deductible…

Post published:September 13, 2023
Post category:Special Interest Tax Planning

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

Employee Time Theft: Some Challenges

A January 11, 2023 BC Civil Resolution Tribunal case addressed a claim for wrongful dismissal. The employer filed a counterclaim in respect of a 50-hour discrepancy between the employee’s timesheets and tracking software data over a period of about a month during which the employee was working remotely. The employee argued that significant hours were spent working from hard copies; however, this was rebutted by records of printer usage and a lack of evidence of…

Post published:July 26, 2023
Post category:Special Interest

Small Business Succession: Many Business Transfers Coming Shortly

The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) released a report on January 10, 2023, focused on succession expectations for small businesses. It included the following survey responses: 76% of small business owners (constituting $2 trillion in business value) are planning to exit their business in the next 10 years; 9% have a formal business succession plan in place; obstacles to succession planning include: finding a suitable buyer (54%), business valuation (43%), and over-reliance of owner…

Post published:June 30, 2023
Post category:Business – Taxes Corporate Taxes Special Interest Tax Planning

Employment Expenses for Commissioned Employee: Sponsorship

In a January 23, 2023 French Court of Quebec case, a commissioned salesperson deducted nearly $600,000 over2015 and 2016, in sponsorship expenses of a professional cycling team in Canada. The individual was an investment advisor and reported commission income of $1,493,910 and $1,263,360 and taxable capital gains of $2,276,374 and $99,767 in the respective years. The taxpayer argued that the sponsorship promoted his services as an investment advisor. As the main sponsor of the cycling…

Post published:June 16, 2023
Post category:Individual – Taxes Professionals Special Interest Tax Planning

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

TFSA: Carrying on a Business Within It

Earnings in a TFSA are typically not taxable. However, earnings in a TFSA become taxable when they are earned from carrying on a securities trading business. In a February 6, 2023 Tax Court of Canada case, CRA had assessed the TFSA on the basis that it was carrying on a business and was therefore taxable on its income for the 2009 through 2012 taxation years. The TFSA holder was a professional investment advisor who had…

Post published:June 2, 2023
Post category:Tax Planning

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

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