Columnists

Tax Court case shows consequences of missing — or ignoring — CRA mail

The case involved a mail carrier who claimed he never received notices of reassessment

October 31, 2023

3 min read

Advisor learns the hard way that TFSAs are not for frequent trading

A Tax Court case led to a hefty tax bill

March 31, 2023

3 min read

TFSA overcontributions still a problem

Federal Court case is the latest reminder of the costs

November 7, 2022

4 min read

How to make good use of Monte Carlo projections

Projections are essential for planning but they rely on the quality of the variables used

August 4, 2021

3 min read

How DTC eligibility loss affects RDSPs

This example highlights tax and planning considerations

January 30, 2018

3 min read

Registered plans and lifetime benefit trusts

What to consider regarding the use of LBTs

January 9, 2018

3 min read

Do corporate spinoffs reward shareholders?

Creating value by shrinking

May 9, 2022

3 min read

When stock frauds go beyond gaming the numbers

Claims of novel technology are at the centre of many collapses

March 14, 2022

3 min read

Finding the tipping point of stock collapses

When does accounting become important?

February 4, 2022

4 min read

What to know before commuting a pension

The rules are complex, and so is your decision

November 27, 2023

5 min read

What you need to consider before downsizing in retirement

There’s a lot more to think about than projected savings

October 10, 2023

3 min read

Can a trust avoid tax on a deceased person’s RRSP?

A trustee’s tax liability has limits, a court case suggests

March 23, 2021

4 min read

How to tackle 3 wealth-transfer challenges

Approximately $400 billion of wealth and assets will be passed down

March 10, 2017

4 min read

Vacation property succession planning: Part 2

If your client’s vacation property forms part of her estate on death, it may be subject to probate fees as part of her will.

November 30, 2016

4 min read

Vacation property succession planning: Part 1

Without proper planning, vacation homes can quickly go from enjoyable escape to a source of financial and emotional stress.

November 23, 2016

3 min read

Problems with Finance’s passive investing proposals

Finance says Canadians who hold passive investments in private corporations get an unfair tax advantage. That view is problematic

September 29, 2017

10 min read

Urgent: Talk to business clients ahead of income sprinkling measures

Consequences of Finance's proposed tax measures

August 29, 2017

12 min read

How proposed tax changes target income sprinkling

Case study shows how your client might pay more tax

August 8, 2017

7 min read

Capital Dividend Account changes proceeding

On October 21, 2016, final draft legislation was released and now forms the final measures contained in Bill C-29.

November 15, 2016

6 min read

Tax Court ruling a cautionary tale for small biz owners

What happens when a shareholder does not pay enough for the benefit he received.

October 14, 2016

6 min read

Collateral damage: The impact of new life insurance transfer rules

The federal budget proposed measures that impact certain transfers of life insurance policies

June 15, 2016

6 min read

Primer on professional corporations, Part 2

In this article, we’ll look at two key disadvantages of incorporating and address a series of other considerations that come into play when deciding whether or not to incorporate.

November 23, 2015

4 min read

Primer on professional corporations, Part 1

In this first part of a two-part series, we’ll let’s look at the advantages of incorporating.

November 16, 2015

4 min read

10 ways to protect business owners from creditors

Whether they’re established entrepreneurs or just starting out, it’s important that your business-owner clients regularly review their creditor protection strategies.

October 15, 2015

3 min read

A perfect storm is brewing for non-compliant U.S. taxpayers abroad

Subtle changes mean clients may want to act soon

May 4, 2020

4 min read

Tax issues when Canadians have U.S. executors

Tips to avoid cross-border complications

June 13, 2019

3 min read

Pleading not GILTI: tax deferral strategies for Canadian-resident U.S. citizens

The story behind global intangible low-taxed income

February 23, 2018

5 min read

Communicating and pricing your value: part 2

We had such a positive response to our last article that we thought we’d do a follow up with more practical tips.

June 16, 2016

3 min read

Knowing, communicating and pricing your value

We recently attended a two-day coaching course on the challenge of knowing and pricing your value. Here’s what we learned.

April 18, 2016

3 min read

How to effectively generate referrals

In some ways, referrals are the best way to build a business because prospects already have a good feeling about you. Here are two strategies to boost referrals.

December 1, 2015

3 min read

This debt repayment plan can shield clients from creditors

Clients in four provinces have access to this niche repayment option.

December 12, 2016

3 min read

Advise clients before they make loans

Many clients know all about the benefits and perils of borrowing money, but it’s likely they’re less prepared to be lenders.

September 21, 2016

3 min read

What to do when a business owner goes personally bankrupt

There may come a time when one of your clients calls to say, “I’ve gotten myself into a financial mess and I think I need to file for bankruptcy.”

June 1, 2016

4 min read

Should you invest in these tech companies?

Here are a couple of companies that pass our criteria, one that doesn’t, and another that is unavailable publicly.

September 23, 2015

4 min read

Which Canadian companies should you buy?

Three companies that could serve portfolios well.

August 4, 2015

3 min read

Which car companies should you invest in?

Investing in the auto sector, while enticing, must be done with caution, given the ebbs and flows of both vehicle sales and consumer tastes. Let’s examine some names.

April 28, 2015

4 min read