In addition to fitness programs covered by the children’s fitness tax credit, parents can now claim money spent on programs that focus on fine arts, music, performing arts, outdoor wilderness training, learning a language, studying a culture, tutoring, and more. When parents claim the children’s arts tax credit – up to a maximum of $500 [...]

While setting up a corporation may seem like a good idea if you’re self-employed, it can have serious tax consequences in certain instances. If Canada Revenue Agency determines that you are, effectively, an “incorporated employee”, it may disallow a number of business expenses as well as the small business deduction which normally applies to the [...]

Taxable benefits are an area to which business owners should pay close attention. Many benefits which, on the surface, may not appear to be taxable actually are and it’s important to protect your business and your employees by knowing the difference. For example, a car given to an employee for business use would not be [...]

Another tax year has come and gone, though it seems hard to believe it’s that time of year again already! Please be mindful of the following deadlines related to contributions to RRSPs, distributing T4 slips, along with filing deadlines for 2011 tax returns for individuals and self-employed persons. RRSP Contribution Deadline February 29, 2012 is [...]

June 15th, 2011 is the tax filing deadline for the self-employed and their spouses and common law partners; it is also the date the second quarterly instalment payment is due for some taxpayers. These are important milestones for compliance and wealth planning purposes and the following are tips offered by The Knowledge Bureau for maximizing opportunities [...]

As the saying goes, time flies and another tax year has come and gone. Check out CRA’s web site for important tax filing deadlines, including the following: INDIVIDUALS – on or before April 30, 2011 SELF-EMPLOYED PERSONS – on or before June 15, 2011 Please note that any tax owing is due on or before [...]

Wow! It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone and it’s tax time again! Make sure you’re informed about tax credits for which you may qualify and any other changes to CRA’s regulations which may apply to you as an individual or to your business. CRA has prepared a list of top 5 [...]

Is a Tax-Free Savings Account a good investment option for you? Learning about any new investment vehicle inevitably leads to a flurry of questions: What type of investments can be included? How much can be contributed each year? How are TFSAs different from other savings accounts? A recent article written by IPBC discusses a number [...]

Deadline for filing T4s is February 28, 2011 for the calendar year 2010 for all employee wages and taxable benefits. In order to prepare accurate T4 forms on behalf of a company, a bookkeeper needs a complete set of books to be able to see all wages and benefits that employees have earned during the [...]

In an effort to streamline the filing process, NALH is adopting electronic filing procedures for GST/HST, Corporate Tax Returns, Payroll and Personal Tax returns for eligible clients. In order to be able to submit filings electronically, all clients must fill out CRA form RC59. Get in touch with us to ensure that your form is [...]

To encourage investment by businesses in computer systems and related peripherals, the Income Tax Regulations were amended on May 13, 2009 to add new Class 52 to Schedule II with a 100-per-cent tax depreciation rate for eligible computers and software acquired after January 27, 2009 and before February 2011. Visit the CRA web site for [...]

Canada Revenue Agency Bulletin B-103: Place of Supply Rules for Determining Whether a Supply is Made in a Province. The Tax Detective We also recommend checking out Eileen Reppenhagen’s web site, the Tax Detective. Eileen’s site includes links to a wealth of bulletins, articles and other information related to HST. Fraser Institute – Countering the [...]

Administrative Policy Changes for Taxable Employment Benefits to reduce a number of administrative difficulties and increase fairness include: Overtime Meals and Allowances Provided to Employees Municipality or Metropolitan Area Loyalty Programs Employer Provided Motor Vehicles Required to be Taken Home at Night Non-cash Gifts and Non-cash Awards Surface Transit Passes Provided to Family Members of [...]

CRA has compiled a list of notices and bulletins with regards to GST/HST. The list includes information sheets on transitional rules, along with question and answer bulletins for specific areas of concern. Download the bulletin list in PDF format from the Curriculum Services Canada web site.

Will your clients overpay their March 15th instalment payment?  It is important that they don’t, particularly if their income has taken a hit over the past year.  Canadians taxpayers may find that due to employment layoffs or possibly due to their portfolio tanking,  overall income may have taken dropped off.  There may be a bit [...]