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:January 30: Pay Interest on Spousal Loans
At rising prescribed interest rates, interspousal investment loans have not been as lucrative for income splitting purposes as in years past. Nonetheless if you have one, beware that the borrower must pay the lender the interest due on the loan by January 30 or the arrangement will be nullified. You may wish to refresh on the rules:
Tax Tip Toolkit: Need Fast Answers to Tax Questions?
Did you know that CRA has fielded over 8 million calls in past tax seasons, often with complaints as to wait times and quality of their answers? Perhaps that’s the reason their phone number has been removed from the tax return this year, preferring to sending people to the their website instead. But when 25% of Canada’s 32 million taxfilers must rely on current, accurate and prompt answers to their tax questions in a very short period of time, professionals will have to pick up the slack. Fortunately, you can cover your bases with The Tax Tip Toolkit, which includes access to Evergreen Explanatory Notes, your authoritative tax research library. Plus, the Knowledge Bureau Discovery Calculators. Subscribe now!
Celebrating Tax Specialists
Tax specialists are in high demand. Did you know that in Edmonton a tax preparer with 0 to 3 years of experience can make $56,888 - $81,231? In Vancouver the amount is somewhat higher - $57,720 - $82,420 and in Winnipeg from $54,390 - $77,665. It’s a great profession and now you can train at home, online, 24/7, to get into the marketplace with Knowledge Bureau’s DMA™-Personal Tax Services Specialist Program, and learn how to use professional tax software, too. Check out the program guides to the six certificate courses in the program, available online and our student testimonials, too!
The Advanced Tax Update Knowledge Journal
Get your desktop Advanced T1 Tax Update for 2023 Returns Knowledge Journal now – a crucial reference for the upcoming tax season! What’s in it and why it’s an invaluable tax season resource appears below; only $395. Order today!
Tax Tip 2024 – CRA to Process T1s Starting February 19
It’s official: February 19 is the date CRA will start accepting 2023 tax returns for processing. So now is the time to mark your tax filing day on the calendar, especially if you don’t have any income to report at all. In last year’s filing season, using stats up to January 15, 2024, CRA notes over 32 million tax returns were filed, with close to 20% of them being “nil returns” filed to claim tax credits. Here’s why all adults – especially low or no income earners - will want to file a 2023 T1 asap and the 9 key taxfiling profiles you’ll want to correspond with early if you are a tax or financial pro working with investors:
How to Report Crypto Transactions on the T1
What’s the value of your crypto assets? How much trading did you do? What’s the tax consequences? Are they considered to be inventory of a business? Or will you report a capital gain or loss when you dispose of them? These are questions professional tax and financial advisors must be able to answer in 2024 when filing 2023 tax returns. Here’s what you need to know:
