Fall Federal Budget: Will Spending Be Cut?

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?

The April 16, 2023 federal budget made brief mention of potential enhancements to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP).  The CPP death benefit, in particular, is in the spotlight. At $2,500, it has been unindexed, and it is sorely lacking for the funding of funeral expenses.  Here is what survivors can expect to receive under current rules, and what to look for as CPP enhancements are announced over the next several months to improve benefits available:

Knowledge Bureau’s Advanced Retirement Income Planning Course kicked off with a day long peer-to-peer learning summit that featured four expert presenters and a highly engaged audience of tax and financial advisors from across Canada.  The online course is now available with recorded presentations and all the outstanding insights.   Some of the top retirement planning questions coming out of the session appear below, together with insights about the value this 15 CE Credit Certificate course: 

The capital gains inclusion rate changes have invoke wide-spread concern about the best ways to preserve assets built over a lifetime to fund retirements and pass down important real estate and business interests. These tax changes will indeed cost average households significantly more money when they dispose of the assets that form the cornerstones of their net worth.  Advisors have an important role to play in ensuring that the June 25 trigger date for the higher inclusion rates will not unduly upset retirement and estate plans.  Here are five things that can be done:

Please join the Society of Real Wealth Managers Meeting of the Minds to learn about the benefits of professional collaboration to enhance your value proposition, and how you can build your own Real Wealth Management office of the future on June 5 at 10 am CT. Save the date for this complimentary live, virtual event, and save $500 on program tuition when you enrol in the Real Wealth Manager Program by May 31.

The Acuity Conference for Distinguished Advisors (DAC) takes place November 10-12 in Montreal, Quebec and we are pleased to welcome the thought leadership of many returning education partners to the stage. These speakers are ready to wow the highly-engaged audience at the only multi-disciplinary conference for professionals in the tax, accounting and financial services. Please join us in thanking these organizations for contributing their thought leadership to this year’s event, and be sure to sign on as a delegate or partner by the June 30 early-bird deadline. Stay tuned as more details, including a comprehensive conference agenda, are coming soon!

A new Purpose-Built Rental Housing Rebate (PBRHR) is now available for landlords and builders of new or substantially renovated buildings being converted to residential rental units specifically to house students, seniors and apartment dwellers.  The federal government will refund 100% of the GST and federal portion of the HST.  Notably there is no $450,000 fair market value limit on the housing units, as required under existing GST/HST rebate rules.  However, the application process is still not set in stone.