Red Ink on the Prairies

A day after Quebec’s Finance Minister Eric Girard brought down a Budget featuring a $6.3 Billion deficit, Saskatchewan’s Finance Minister Jim Reiter tabled his government’s budget on March 19. Next up was Finance Minister Adrian Salas, who tabled the Manitoba Budget on March 24. The common thread: there’s lots of red ink on the Prairies. But that’s where the budget documents differ between Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Here’s the latest tax news and why it matters to the advice you give your clients.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) recently released an article titled “What You Should Know About Digital Currency”.

The income tax treaty that was first signed on November 11, 2012 between Hong Kong and Canada (the Treaty) was officially ratified and declared in force as of October 29, 2013.

Can employed and self-employed people claim the same expenses for home offices at tax time? The answer is no. Whether you are employed or self-employed matters; the following checklist can help you determine where your deductions fit.

Microsoft Canada had been illegally overcharging for its Intel-compatible PC operating systems and software since 1988. This was claimed in a class action lawsuit against Microsoft Corporation, Microsoft Canada Co. and the Attorney General of Canada (Intervener), by Pro-Sys Consultants Ltd. and Neil Godfrey at the Supreme Court of Canada.

On November 13th, the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, issued a positive affirmation of Canada’s credit rating.

Sometimes an employer will require an employee to relocate to another part of the country. In such cases, it is not unusual for a low-interest or interest-free housing loan to be granted to cushion the costs of the move.