Finance Canada: No More Spring Budgets

Finance Canada announced on October 7 that Canada’s federal budgets will be brought down in the fall starting with the November 4, 2025 event; a significant departure from the spring schedule (February, March or April) that has been the cycle for several decades. This is going to affect many other events as we know them, and in the annual government spending approval cycle. There will also be a new budget process for capital vs. operational expenses. Here’s what you need to know:

The CRA has cancelled Information Circular IC98-1R5 and replaced it with a sixth version, which provides a new overview of CRA collections policies for individuals, corporations, GST registrants, employers and those who import or export or travel across borders. Advisors and clients will want to refresh on their obligations:

When can you claim the interest on investment loans? It’s a common question but the answer depends on the investment for which you are borrowing money. In order to claim the interest when you borrow money to invest, your loan must meet three criteria.

It was almost unanimous: 89% of responders to January’s Knowledge Bureau Report poll question agreed—the $30,000 cap on claiming luxury vehicles has long required a raise to reflect more accurately the price of cars this century. Here are the significant comments that accompanied the vote:

There are over 28 million tax filers and two-thirds of them pay income taxes, on average at a rate of 16% of total income. The vast majority of those taxes - 70% in fact - come from employees, whose earnings are subject to tax withholdings with every paycheque.

According to Industry Canada, as of December 2012, there were nearly 1.2 million small businesses in Canada (businesses with at least one employee on payroll). But many don’t make it—even though they were profitable at the time of closure. Tax and business services specialists can help these businesses survive.

After an eventful two weeks in global politics and economics, the theme for the 2017 Distinguished Advisor Conference (DAC) appears to be squarely on point: Financial Advice at the Crossroads of Change.