Canadian Dental Care Plan Renewal Deadline Approaches

Know Your Client!   It’s a daily commitment and requirement, especially in the work that financial advisors do with their clients.   It’s imperative that you ask about any significant changes in their lives. Has there been a significant new event:   a move to take a new job or go to university, a marriage or divorce, a new birth, a disability or a death? And, in the case of income tested benefits such as the Canadian Dental Care Plan, (CDCP) do they qualify?  Did they file their tax return on time to get it?  Do you know the deadlines for doing so?  Do you know when coverage ends if your client now longer qualifies?

When generating tax-efficient wealth is your goal, consider investing in your TFSA. Despite enduring some political controversy over the years*, the TFSA has gained a broad-based acceptance by over 13 million Canadians. This is especially true for two demographics - the Boomers and the millennials as reported by Statistics Canada**. Read on for five compelling reasons.

A new study from Statistics Canada released this week demonstrates how online learning for continuing or post-secondary education, may increase the opportunities available to Canadians with certain medical conditions. Have you considered alternative pathways to traditional education in planning for lifelong learning?

With the 2018 legalization of marijuana in Canada, more taxpayers may wish to claim their purchase as a medical expense. That may be possible, but there are rules to follow to pass a CRA audit test. 

When it comes to long-term care planning, as a trusted intermediary you can help aging clients and those with declining cognitive function. It’s a difficult topic to discuss, but wills are an important part of the continuity planning conversation. Learn how to help clients avoid undue influence during this process, while ensuring that estate plans are properly executed.

Business owners may believe they “have it all figured out” in planning for the future sale of their business, which can bring a false sense of security at the worst possible time. It’s a topic addressed by authors Evelyn Jacks and Jenifer Bartman in their new book Defusing the Family Business Time Bomb.

On February 12, the simplified method rates for calculating deductible auto and meal expenses for various important provisions on the 2018 tax return were finally released by the CRA. It’s an important missing piece for tax professionals and taxpayers alike, that in prior years was generally released in January.