Bill C-31: Royal Asset and New CRA Powers Could Come Soon

Changes are coming to the Income Tax Act and both you and your clients will all be affected with new tax risks including longer tax audits. Bill C-31, which passed second reading in the House of Commons on June 3 and is now at committee stage, contains elements of previous Federal Budgets that will expand the CRA’s compliance and enforcement powers. Here’s what you need to know and pass along to your clients:

Comedian Ray Romano once said, "Having children is a lot like living in a frat house – nobody sleeps, everything’s broken, and there’s a lot of throwing up.”  But aside from being highly amusing calamities at times, families are also powerful economic unions which are subject to fairly complicated tax rules.

Recently, the federal and several provincial governments have announced their intention of introducing Social Impact Bonds.

On May 9, the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue, released a statement that the US, Australia, and the UK announced they are in possession of tax-related information involving numerous trusts and companies holding assets on behalf of residents in jurisdictions around the world.

In the May 8 issue of KBR, the article “Understanding Synthetic Dispositions” explained the concepts of synthetic dispositions and their tax implications. In this issue, we provide an example involving the forward sale of securities.

Taxpayers and their advisors must prepare documentation and filings that follow both the laws created by the Department of Finance and the interpretation of the law by CRA. This has been proven again and again in the Courts. That’s why taxpayers and their advisors must understand the rules and how to comply with them, not just during tax filing season, but in its aftermath, too.

Use a TFSA and RESP strategy for your child's future education.