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:

58% of KBR voters in our July poll indicated that the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) will not affect their business or their clients.

More than half of Canadians are now using professional EFILE services to do their taxes and despite the Heartbleed bug, close to 7 million Canadians used NETFILE to transmit their returns. 

More than 20% of Canadians are or have considered adopting a child in Canada, but 75% of these potential parents are concerned about the cost.

A recent decision from the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench held that RRSP funds payable to a named beneficiary do not form part of the testator’s (deceased will maker’s) estate.

The interest-free loans Canadians give to their governments keeps rising – it’s up from $1646 in the 2012 tax filing year to $1655 in 2013 – that’s $138 a month that could be going into TFSAs or RRSPs instead.

In order to make a valid will in any province in Canada, the testator (or will maker) must have a sound dispositive mind or testamentary capacity.