Posts

Property purchase

June tax news: Buying property from a non-resident, HST rules–and more

BUYING PROPERTY FROM A NON-RESIDENT If you are buying real estate — such as a house or condominium, or a commercial property — from a non-resident of Canada, you need to know about your obligation to withhold tax unless the vendor provides you with a “section 116 certificate” from the Canada Revenue Agency. A non-residents […]

woman working from her home office

CRA signals a willingness to simplify home office tax deductions for employees

  Almost overnight, the COVID-19 crisis launched many Canadian businesses into the most ambitious remote-work/home office experiment ever attempted. Widespread lockdowns forced businesses to either shutter or have their employees work from home until further notice. Many still are—and have no plan to return to the office. Indeed, many a CFO and accounting department embraced […]

CRA employs aggressive new laws designed to catch terrorists in crackdown on tax evaders

The days of the Canada Revenue Agency taking a kinder, gentler approach to its relations with taxpaying business owners are long gone. From employing sophisticated algorithms to tightening rules around its own Voluntary Disclosure Program, Ottawa has become accustomed to using increasingly aggressive tactics to collect overdue taxes and punish alleged tax cheats. In some […]

Why business owners should think twice before shredding old tax records

There are a few questions that chartered accountants get asked all the time. They include (but are in no way limited to): What’s the key to growing a successful business? What’s the most tax-efficient way to draw profits from a corporation? Should I lease or buy my company car? What’s the minimum amount of time […]

You’ve been audited by CRA. Now what?

If there’s one letter that entrepreneurs dread receiving in the mail, it’s the one from the Canada Revenue Agency informing them that their business or personal returns are the subject of a tax audit. Audits can take weeks, months, even years to complete in extreme cases, and can be emotionally and financially draining for business […]

The major business challenges facing Ontario entrepreneurs in 2018

If there’s one truism for entrepreneurs, it’s that no two years are ever the same. Whether they’re focused on growing their business or managing the myriad number of challenges that can make it difficult to achieve success—think everything from satisfying client expectations to managing costly HR issues—owners of small and medium-sized businesses have no shortage […]