Immediate Expensing Rules: Good Tax Policy?

Over the course of the last two federal budgets (April 16, 2024 and November 4, 2025), the rules for claiming Capital Cost Allowance (CCA) have been uncertain. The proposal to extend immediate expensing rules for certain acquired assets were paused for over a year and then re-introduced in a series of four complex measures which together with new rules for Scientific Research and Experimental Development have become known as the “Productivity Super-Deduction”.  A backdrop appears below. The key question: will this complexity be effective as an economic stimulator?   

Gone are the days when you had to quit work to start receiving your Canada Pension Plan retirement pension. These days you can start receiving you CPP retirement pension at any age from 60 to 70. There is a catch however.

On September 9, the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, announced that the Employment Insurance (EI) premium rate for employees will be frozen at the 2013 level of $1.88 per $100 of insurable earnings for the years 2014-2016.

On September 6, the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, announced that the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report for 2013-2014 ranked Canada’s financial system as the strongest in the world for the sixth consecutive year.

The CRA has new teeth: new Section 237.3, Reportable Transactions, may in fact, give the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) a real advantage if transactions that seek to avoid taxation fall foul of pre-disclosure rules. 

CRA continues to help Canadians use more electronic services.

Filing a tax return is about what you keep. So is the pre-payment of income taxes throughout the year. This month that’s an important concept as the September 15 quarterly tax instalment payment is due on Monday, September 16.