The CRA TSlip Saga: An Update

This tax season has been particularly challenging for both taxpayers and tax professionals. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) provides tax information slips—such as T3, T4, T5, and their variations—through secure online portals: My Account and Represent a Client (RAC). This year, there were lots of problems with these portals, and now, it appears, CRA is not being quite transparent about when the slips were actually visible to clients and that doesn’t seem fair. Here’s an update on where we stand now.

Canadians spend anywhere from $4.7 to $8 Billion on cross-border shopping and if you spent the July long weekend looking for bargains in the U.S. you may have had an unpleasant surprise:  despite the loonie holding some ground against US currency, a new 10% surtax on certain consumer goods came into effective July 1, when if you exceeded your exemption limit.

Despite all the doom and gloom reported lately, Canada’s economy is actually growing. All signs point to an increase in Bank of Canada rates later today, as a new Labour Force Study from Statistics Canada indicates that for the month of June, the country’s labour force increased with the creation of 31,800 new jobs. The report also cites increasing self-employment levels.

Succession planning hinges on sound leadership development and astute forward-thinking, but there are also legal factors to consider. This week, Philippe Richer, author of Knowledge Bureau’s new Business Law certificate course in the Executive Business Builder Program, shares some important legal considerations for transitioning or selling your business. Philippe will also join us as a special guest lecturer at the new Business Builder Retreat.

Did you know that 1,212,075 new immigrants permanently settled in Canada from 2011 to 2016, representing 3.5 percent of Canada’s total population in 2016? Tax and financial advisors have a great opportunity to help with the financial affairs of these families, especially because the tax rules are somewhat different for these residents.

In January, a new mortgage stress test was put in place requiring Canadian home buyers to qualify at rates higher than the benchmark interest rates imposed by the Bank of Canada and individual lenders. The implications to Canadian debt levels and the housing market are factors advisors should consider when offering holistic advice to clients.

Despite trends leaning towards an increase in self-employment over the next few years, the current state of the economy has some Canadians questioning whether it’s the smart financial choice for them. According to a new report from Paynet’s Canadian Small Business Lending Index, the potential for private business growth is positive, making self-employment a smart choice for those considering taking the leap.