Navigating Auto Expense Deduction at Year End: What Clients Need to Know

Doubtless you’ve had clients ask whether they can write off any portion of their vehicle for work or business purposes. And your answer, as always, is: “It depends.” The rules are worth reviewing at year end as they can vary significantly depending on how the client earns their income—employee, self-employed, or incorporated – and this is a deduction that’s often audited. Here’s a practical primer to guide that conversation.

Farmers and fishers who are required to make tax instalment payments need to do so once per year on December 31. Now is the time to calculate 2019 income and potential instalment remittances, but in the alternative, to consider whether any farming losses are claimable. Will they pass the scrutiny of a tax auditor? With the instalment deadline as a trigger, here are some common questions and answers on how farming loss claims are handled.

As part of our commitment to your ongoing professional development, Knowledge Bureau has collaborated with Sun Life Financial to bring you Tax in Practice, a free online program about common tax planning issues faced by investors and business owners. The program consists of 10 CE-accredited modules covering a wide range of topics like tax strategies in the sale of a business and use of trusts in tax and estate planning, and that's just naming a few!

At year-end, planning to make investments in non-registered accounts should be peppered with tax-efficiency, especially when it comes to buying mutual funds. Here’s a primer on what you need to know if you are interested in maximizing tax, retirement and estate planning goals.

November is Financial Literacy Month, and it’s an important opportunity for advisors to help improve their clients’ financial knowledge and address some of the unique financial planning needs of specific demographics, including women. Specifically, what guidance and education do trends show Canadians need when it comes to financial literacy?

Year-end tax planning is about minimizing taxes for 2019 and setting clients up to save more tax-efficiently in 2020 and beyond. There are several big things to talk about if your client is an employee looking to save some tax dollars, and are potentially a new homeowner as well.

Last chance to register for year-end tax planning workshops, The Fall CE Summits. We’ll touch on the financial implications of this month’s election and its impact on year-end tax planning together with the important go-forward planning opportunity for corporate owner-managers and retirees.