Entries by Kelly Smith Group

Federal Budget 2021 Highlights

On April 19, 2021, the Federal Government released their 2021 budget. Our article contains highlights of the various financial measures in this budget, divided into three different sections:

• Business Highlights, including an extension to COVID-19 Emergency Business Supports, new programs to support job creation, and a change in interest deductibility limits.

• Individual Highlights, including details on the tax treatment and repayment of personal COVID-19 benefits (such as CERB), eligibility changes to the Disability Tax Credit, an increase in OAS for those 75 and up, and support for job skills retraining.

• Additional Highlights, including a proposed federal minimum wage of $15, changes to the GST New Housing Rebate conditions, and new or increased taxes in areas such as luxury goods, tobacco, and Canadian housing owned by non-resident foreign owners.

What’s new for the 2021 tax-filing season?

Tax season is upon us once again. But since 2020 was a year like no other, the 2021 tax-filing season will also be different. Due to all the changes in both where and how Canadians worked, the Canadian government has introduced some new tax credits and deductions to keep pace with these changes. Our article covers all of the following:
• How to claim home office expenses
• The new Canada Training Credit
• Pandemic emergency funds
• New digital news subscription tax credit

Business Owners: 2020 Tax Planning Tips for the End of the Year

It’s a great time to review your business finances now that we are nearing year-end. We have listed some of the critical areas to consider and provide you with some helpful guidelines to make sure that you cover all the essentials. We have divided our tax planning tips into four sections:

– Year-end tax checklist
– Remuneration
– Business tax
– Estate

Highlights of the 2020 Federal Fall Economic Statement | Additional $20,000 CEBA loan available now

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland recently provided the government’s fall economic update. It included information on the government’s strategy for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and its plan to help shape the recovery. We’ve summarized the highlights for you:

• Corporate Tax Changes, including extensions to subsidy programs.

• Personal Tax Changes, including additional Canada Child Benefit Plan payments and a new “Work from home” tax credit.

• Indirect Tax Changes, including the proposal to charge GST/HST on services provided via digital platforms, as well as the temporary removal of GST/HST on face masks and shields.

For business owners, as of December 4th, the CEBA loan has been expanded by an additional $20,000.