Late Filing Penalties: Talk About It!

While most T1 returns are in the hands of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) by April 30, we know many are not. In fact, millions of returns were still outstanding as of mid-May. Late-filing clients they need to know about the consequences, especially if they owe. Here’s a rundown to be aware of:

The most recent Distinguished Advisor Conference tour saw an unprecedented level of deep thought on the integration of the Canadian personal, corporate and trust tax structures as the sustainability of family wealth was under scrutiny in Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver.

As DAC 2016 wraps up in beautiful San Diego, CA, we are excited to announce the site of the 2017 DAC:  beautiful Kelowna, BC, where we will celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday November 5-8.  Reserve now at special pre-conference early bird rates.

Largely due to advances in preventing heart disease and with Baby Boomers leading healthier lifestyles, Canadians who reach age 65 are more likely than ever to live into their 90's.  This takes retirement income planning into a much longer period, in which a focus on continued accumulation and investing is as important as tax-efficient withdrawal of funds.  Capital must be preserved at the same time.

"You learn far more from negative leadership than from positive leadership. Because you learn how not to do it. And, therefore, you learn how to do it."  Norman Schwarzkopf

Year end is a great time to re-engage clients in conversation about financial decision-making, especially for clients with offshore assets who may need to report some of them on Form T1135 Foreign Income Verification.

For several years now, the prescribed interest rate applied to spousal loans has been set at 1%, but that could change if interest rates rise in 2017. Are you taking advantage of the opportunity to transfer capital to a spouse with a bona fide loan at the current low interest rate?