New Consultations: Modernizing Tax Rules for Charities

As the last remnants of a scrumptious Thanksgiving weekend subside, it is appropriate to take a look at the health and issues surrounding the charitable sector in Canada.  Serendipitously, the federal government is seeking your views on how the tax rules for registered charities and the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) administration of these rules could be modernized.  A new consultation was launched on October 8 and here’s what the government wants to know, by December 3, 2026:

In a recent case the ‘Tie Breaker’ rules were used to determine the tax status of a group of American business people working in Canada in Dysert v. The Queen (2013) TCC 57. 

Here’s a common issue encountered by tax and financial advisors. The client is Mr. X who has borrowed money to invest and wants to write off the interest. Can the investments be held jointly with his wife, Mrs. X for estate and tax planning purposes? What are the pitfalls to consider?

A new tax credit found on Schedule 1 and 5 of the federal tax return bumps up your existing non-refundable credits by $2000 when you care for an infirm person. 

Canadians love tax refunds, but hate rounding up the paperwork to do the return. That’s where common tax filing errors really begin.

Be very careful about blanket advice.

The best kind of income is the tax free kind, and indeed, several sources exist.