There has been much discussion in recent months of tax avoidance and evasion. The March 2013 Federal Budget proposes to introduce the Stop International Tax Evasion Program, which would reward individuals (up to 15% of federal tax collected) who provide tips on significant international tax non-compliance leading to collection of outstanding federal taxes in excess of $100,000.
Finance Minister Charles Sousa delivered Ontario’s 2013 Budget, his first as Finance Minister, on May 2, 2013. The Budget is projecting a deficit of $9.8 billion for 2012-13, $5 billion lower than projected a year ago, and increasing to $11.7 billion for 2013-14. The 2010 Budget put forward a plan to cut the deficit in half within five years and to eliminate it in eight years.
Another option available to charities and donors who are trying to arrange donations through a last will and testament is the Charitable Remainder Trust ("CRT"). The registered charity will ultimately receive the donation upon death of the donor but the CRT allows the donor to have use of those funds/assets during his or her lifetime.
In late March, the Supreme Court of Canada released a decision that is proving to be a welcome reinforcement of the reasonable expectation of privacy for Canadians in their use of text messaging service
In McNamee v. McNamee (2011 ONCA 533), the Ontario Court of Appeal considered whether common shares received pursuant to an estate freeze qualified as a gift and were thus exempt from a spouse’s net family property.
As the legal industry becomes increasingly competitive, legal service providers must expand outside their comfort zones and take a more aggressive – and smarter – approach to marketing. While traditional media relations, websites, advertisements and brochures have become standard components of a firm’s marketing plan, many legal professionals are slow to incorporate one of the most dynamic and cost-effective tools available to them – social media.
Mergers are tactics that should support a law firm’s strategy. But some firms fall into the trap of using mergers as a substitute for strategy. Before you grow your firm, make sure you know what you hope to achieve.
You've worked long and hard to earn your comfortable chair. It is probably so well made that you can sit in it for the entire day. Clients probably like it. Maybe your staff does too.
On Tuesday, April 16, 2013, the Manitoba Minister of Finance, Stan Struthers, presented the province’s 2013 Budget. The following is a summary of the Sales Tax highlights from the 2013 Manitoba Budget.
Discretionary shares are a popular income-splitting tool for professional corporations and owner-managed corporations. They have gained popularity since the Neuman decision from the Supreme Court of Canada in 1998 (Melville Neuman v. Her Majesty the Queen). Not surprisingly, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is still looking for ways to attack the use of discretionary shares.
This technical bulletin covers the various developments from January to March 2013. Collins Barrow regularly publishes Technical Bulletin for the general interest of its clients and friends to highlight the continually changing accounting and assurance standards, and the interpretations thereof, in Canada.
For small businesses (generally businesses with annual sales of less than $4 million), the CRA has implemented a new audit approach whereby, instead of combined income tax and GST/HST audits, the agency will conduct separate audits. In our experience, the CRA’s increased focus has prompted auditors to focus on GST/HST issues previously overlooked during the combined tax audits era.
On April 1, 2013, the following will take place: British Columbia will replace its 12% HST with a combination of the 5% GST and the province’s 7% PST; and Prince Edward Island will implement the HST at 14%, replacing the 5% GST and the province’s 10% PST.
In the November 2012 issue of Farm Alert, we outlined the major changes that will be made to the AgriStability and AgriInvest programs starting in 2013. These changes will reduce substantially the amount of government support available for both programs.
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today tabled Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2013, a budget focused on balancing the budget during this Parliament. This budget introduces skills training initiatives, a federal infrastructure plan and new investments to support manufacturing and innovation in Canada.
The T106 Summary and corresponding Slips (collectively, the T106 Form) represent the annual information return used to report non-arm’s length transactions between reporting persons or partnerships and non-residents, in accordance with section 233.1 of the Income Tax Act.
While many U.S. citizens living in Canada have recently become aware of the requirement to file annual U.S. individual income tax returns, they may not be aware of the specific filing requirements in regard to certain registered investment plans held in Canada.
On January 1, 2013, the long-anticipated American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, commonly known as the Fiscal Cliff Legislation (FCL), was passed into law. The FCL addressed looming reversions to old tax rules that could have affected up to 98% of American taxpayers.
At some point in the lives of most individuals and business enterprises, loan interest becomes a significant annual expenditure. Not surprisingly, its deductibility in computing income has been the subject of many disputes between taxpayers and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
With final regulations recently coming into force, the framework for pooled registered pension plans (PRPPs) is now complete.
