Claiming Medical Expenses: Free Healthcare?

Free Health Care? Did you know that Canadians spend on average more than $1,000 on medical expenses each year? It’s estimated that government programs, via our taxes, cover about 72% of medical expenses, which means that we pay for the rest. Your clients may be over-paying on their taxes because they don’t know about medical expense deductions. 

Accountants, bookkeepers, financial advisors and business leaders are joining the chorus of dissent against Ottawa’s proposed tax changes affecting private corporations, warning of dire consequences to the Canadian economy if implemented, a Knowledge Bureau survey finds.

We received dozens of thoughtful, well-crafted comments to our August poll on the proposals to tax passive investment income inside a small business corporation at top personal rates. But this “Letter to the Government” submitted by Brad is a must-read.

Did you know that dentistry, pharmacy, medicine and law are the professions with the highest undergraduate tuition fees in Canada, ranging from $10,000 to $18,000 per year? The average tuition fee for all faculties is just under $6,000 a year. With this in mind, most families could find it challenging to fund their family’s lifelong educational needs. The Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) can help.

About 32 per cent of workers are starting their own businesses on the side for a variety of reasons — including 25 per cent of those who earn more than $75,000 and 19 per cent of those with income over $100,000. For tax purposes, it’s critical to know the difference between someone who is employed and someone who is considered self-employed.

As a financial advisor, you rely on technology to do your job effectively, but it’s also a disruptor in the industry these days. Robo-advisors are a force to be reckoned with, offering automated services that provide low-cost advice. Are they turning financial advice into a commodity? Will you be priced out of the market? How can you compete with robo-advisors?

“Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival.” —W. Edwards Deming