Taxes

Let’s pretend your boss promises you a big raise and a bonus, but you won’t actually receive either for 24 months. Now, imagine the government taxes you on that promise today. Say the raise and bonus will eventually total $50,000. Even though you won’t see a dollar of it until two years from now, you

Deciding how to divide your savings between a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP)and tax-free savings account (TFSA) to maximize the tax benefits can be challenging. But there are some mistakes that can really cost you, especially if you run afoul of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). With just a month to go until the March

I like many things that are automatic : automatic transmissions, automatic doors, automatic bill payments,  automatic software updates. In each case, the automatic feature makes my life easier by handling routine functions or frictions that I’d otherwise have to spend time on or endure. Automation is often a clear improvement when things work as intended.

The mid-January blues are here … do you have them yet? If it helps to pull you out of them, here’s a gentle reminder that you have roughly 3.5 months to file your 2025 personal tax return. Awesome, eh? You can start getting all your receipts and information together in a safe spot and get

With registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) season now in full swing, here are five ideas that can help you take full advantage of this tax-saving vehicle. Contributions in-kind If you don’t have the cash available to make an RRSP contribution by the March 2 deadline to claim the deduction on your 2025 tax return, you

One of my sons got into trouble at his elementary school about 15 years ago. His crime? He didn’t like a particular teacher, so with the encouragement of some friends, he started a petition to have the teacher fired. By the time the teacher and principal became aware of his initiative, it had pretty good

I’ve been using Amazon a lot lately, from buying books and Christmas gifts to preparing my own book for release on its platform. It’s a slick platform that millions of people around the world use and it made its creative founder — Jeff Bezos — one of the wealthiest people on Earth. In 1994, Bezos

Here are 10 things to consider this January to save taxes in 2026 … and beyond. 1. Rebalance your non-registered portfolio : If 2025 was a banner year for your non-registered portfolio, there’s a strong likelihood that your target asset allocation may be off. This can be the case if you’re heavily weighted in equities

I recently visited one of my favourite restaurants and the food and service, as usual, were out of this world, something a food delivery service cannot replicate. The restaurant has a strict “cash only” policy, so I always need to remind myself about that before I go and, obviously, as a tax guy, I wonder

With the new year just around the corner, here’s my tax wish list for 2026. While I’m not holding my breath for these measures to actually get passed any time soon, it’s my hope that the government continues to study these ideas for tax reform. Lower the tax rate While the lowest tax bracket will

Santa Claus’s arrival is right around the corner and I can barely contain my excitement. Throughout the year, I wrote monthly letters to Santa to present my wish list of excellent tax policy ideas that I’ve gathered over the years. I also provided a copy of my letters (and weekly Financial Post articles) to Santa

In the first known reported Canadian tax case involving the taxation of cryptocurrency, a Tax Court judge was tasked with deciding whether a taxpayer could write off her bitcoin loss, and if so, whether it was a capital loss or an ordinary business loss. The taxpayer’s crypto journey began back in 2017 when she opened

I was chatting with a friend last week who asked me, “Why do you dislike the Canada Revenue Agency so much?” I was a bit shocked since I really don’t. I quite admire and respect the important job the CRA has to do — administering Canada’s complex tax laws is very difficult — its people

Do you have a 1972 Chevrolet half-ton sitting in your driveway? Or a 1987 Ford Tempo? How about a 1999 Toyota Corolla? If you do and regularly drive it, they’re likely not efficient and require a significant amount of upkeep. The years of vehicles represent the last three times Canada had meaningful or significant tax