

A Business’s Guide on How to Prepare for Tax Season
Soon it will be time to file your business income tax return. Whether you are self-employed or have a corporation, it is important to get organized in advance by either preparing it yourself or having an income tax specialist prepare it for you. If you are a business, you must file an annual business income tax return. The type you file depends upon the structure of your business. Those who are self-employed sole proprietorship or partnership business owners must report their


How Does Working Remotely Impact Your Income Tax Deductions?
With the onset of the COVID – 19 pandemic, numerous employers opted to allow their employees to work from home. Now that the restrictions have ended, some employers are offering their employees the opportunity to continue to work from home or in other cases offering a hybrid version that includes a certain number of days each week working in the office and the remainder working from home. There are important challenges tied to this type of working model, and so there are admi


Bill C-208 and How It Can Affect Your Family Business
Bill C-208 amends the Income Tax Act to reduce taxes that must be paid when a business owner wishes to sell shares of their farm, fishing or small business to their adult children or grandchildren. In the past, the Income Tax Act penalized business purchasers who were not arms-length from the business owner (unrelated). This bill reduces the tax that needs to be paid when an adult child or grandchild purchases the business from previously as high as 48.27% of the selling pric


Money Management Tactics for You and Your Family
Money management is important to be successful at paying your bills, saving for the future, being prepared for unexpected expenses, and planning a positive financial future for your children. To have a bright financial future, it is important to have a plan in place to achieve your financial goals. Society, as it is today, seems to think that people are born knowing how to manage money, as it is not necessarily taught to us by our parents, not covered in the school curriculum


Staying Calm During Stressful Situations
The past year and a half has stressed everyone throughout the world. No matter how good your coping mechanisms are, there has been an impact on our mental health globally. Experiencing the pandemic has made us: anxious, depressed, and traumatized. Some of us are lonely. The effects of the pandemic are reflective of your personality, lifestyle, and demographics. Disadvantaged groups have been challenged more by the pandemic and our work situation also factors into how stressed


The Changing Role of CPAs
The role of CPAs is changing as is evident by the new CPA exam implemented by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) effective July 2021. The changes in the U.S. were adopted through research from individual CPAs and CPA firms. CPA Canada is currently requesting feedback from stakeholders and subject matter experts on their newly released draft Competency Map (CM 2.0) by September 30, 2021, which reflects the changing landscape of the accounting profe


2021 Federal Budget
The new Canadian federal budget was tabled on April 19, 2021 by finance minister Chrystia Freeland. The federal deficit is estimated to be $354.2 billion for fiscal year 2020-21 and next year’s deficit is expected to be $154.7 billion. By the end of 2021-22 fiscal year, the federal debt is expected to be over $1.2 trillion. The budget introduced a $30 billion national childcare plan over 5 years, to reduce kindergarten prices by 50% in 2022, with a target of $10 per day by 20


New Simplified Home Office Deduction for 2020 Income Tax Year
With the onset of the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, numerous employers allowed their employees to work from home. It is for this reason that Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) introduced a new temporary flat rate method to simplify the process for claiming a deduction for home office expenses for the 2020 tax year. This is a personal income tax deduction to be calculated on form T777S (Statement of Employment Expenses for Working at Home due to COVID-19), which then needs to be attached


Blockchain: Responsible for Increasing Transparency
You have probably heard of Blockchain. It is the computer technology that is used for cryptocurrency trading, but this is only one of it’s many uses. In fact, they have partnered with Hyperledger, and several other high profile industry leaders (IBM, Intel, and SAP Ariba) to develop a way that Blockchain can be used by both business, industry and by the non-profit sectors. Using Blockchain technology and its partners, the result is: increased security, improved transparency,


Checklist for Preparing Your 2020 Income Tax
While doing their income tax, individuals and businesses often forget to claim deductions that could really benefit them and that might significantly assist in reducing the amount of income tax that they ultimately pay. If you are filing your personal income tax or your business income tax, you will need documentation to support the statements that you make in relation to your income tax submission. If you are or are responsible for any of the following, you will need to incl