Tax Shock Adds to Family Heartbreak

Last month the sad story of an Ontario family who suddenly lost both parents in 2024 was shared in Burlington Today.  The tax outcomes were just as shocking as the two deaths from unrelated causes.  There was a cottage, a large RRSP and a big tax bill.   Some of the outcomes could have been mitigated with some planning.   I sat down with CTV’s Pat Foran to discuss the outcomes – with a message important to family planning.  

Important news for tax and financial advisors: the over 65 demographic may not be as affluent as some might think; yet they still pay a lot of income tax. Canadian seniors sent just over $58 billion to the government in the form of income taxes in 2023, the last year for which statistics are available. It works out to an average of more than $12,000 per person. It leaves the average after tax income for those over 65 in Canada at just over $45,000. 

The Bank of Canada has reduced its target for the overnight rate by 25 basis points to 2.5%, with the Bank Rate at 2.75% and the deposit rate at 2.45%.  This is the first interest rate cut by the Bank since March.  It comes in the wake of higher unemployment, a reduction of 1.5% in Canada’s GDP in the second quarter and indicators that global economic growth is slowing.  With lower inflation risk, the cut was deemed appropriate to “better balance the risks.”  From a planning point of view, this may indicate an emerging income splitting opportunity.

On September 25 at 11 a.m. CT, financial professionals and thought leaders will come together for a powerful Meeting of the Minds session: “ROI or ROL: Redefining What Real Wealth Means to You.” This event will explore a transformative shift in wealth management: moving beyond ROI (Return on Investment) to ROL (Return on Life) — aligning financial strategies with clients’ life purpose and helping them achieve true peace of mind. This 1-hr complimentary virtual event will feature a panel that will tackle 5 key questions, outlined below.

In Canada, pursuing post-secondary education can be expensive, but there are valuable tax relief measures to help ease the financial burden. One of the most important is the Tuition Tax Credit, which remains available even though education and textbook amounts were eliminated for tax years after 2016. For students of all ages, this credit can make education more affordable and help reduce income tax owing.

At Acuity 2025, Tony Mahabir, MBA, CMC, CIM, RRC, RWM, CFP, FDFS™, CEO and Private Wealth Manager, will lead a session titled “Heralding and Embracing Change.” A repeat motivational speaker, Mahabir at the annual conference for Distinguished Advisors, focuses on how financial planning can transform lives—especially in times of uncertainty.

Canada has historically presented an annual budget since Confederation in 1867, even through periods like World Wars and the Great Depression, but we have recently experienced the longest period without a full federal budget in our history. By the time the next one is brought down, expected in October 2025, it will have been 18 months since the controversial April 2024 budget which introduced the doomed capital gains inclusion rate hikes. What can we expect?