BC is now three weeks into the social distancing protocol. It is becoming more obvious that the distancing will go on for another month if not longer. With this acknowledgement, the financial cost of this pandemic will reach financial crisis level when said and done. I am already reading about long existing local brands closing their doors just three weeks into the social distancing. Some businesses are likely closing down strategically. After all, if we are ... Read More
Federal and BC Government Response to the COVID-19 Crisis – For Canadian Small Businesses
It is March 28, 2020 today. At the end of this week, BC government and Ottawa came up with some huge assistance for small businesses which I will cover here. I expect their response to only grow as time goes on and I will keep you abreast on new matters. First, Ottawa response and the official link is below. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan/covid19-businesses.html#wage_subsidies
Parts of the Federal Response that impact small ... Read More
A Busy Summer for the CRA Auditors
Vancouver enjoyed excellent weather during the 2019 summer months without smoke to block the sunrays.
CRA Audits Vancouver Businesses
While the taxpayers were busy vacationing, the CRA was very busy sending out tax review letters to many businesses. Based on my own experience and conversations with colleagues, a massive fishing expedition was underway this spring and summer. Many businesses are being reviewed for auto expenses, payroll remittances, GST ITC claimed, ... Read MoreCloud Software – Only Getting Better With Time
More small businesses are now on cloud account software. Many business owners are performing the bookkeeping functions on their own and just as many business owners hire a bookkeeping firm who specializes in cloud software to do the bookkeeping. Now, AI is getting involved to limit human coding errors that still exist with cloud software. As for me, the external accountant, I have noticed considerable improvement with both, the software and the users maximizing the software full ... Read More
A Liquidity Crunch in Vancouver
Just two years back, when buying condo presales was the rage of investing free cash in Vancouver, I wrote a short blog cautioning investors to begin preparation years ahead for the closing date of the deal. When the condo completes, full payment of the balance on the condo is required to close the deal; hence qualifying for the mortgage at that future time required some income reporting planning. Back then, waiting for construction completion date to close the deal was not necessarily part ... Read More
Last Chance Tax Planning for 2018
As 2018 comes to an end, tax advisors across Canada are busy restructuring and planning many corporations to respond to the new tax rules that came into existence this year.
BC's New Tax Law Called Tax on Split Income (TOSI)
The biggest new tax law introduced this year is Tax on Split Income or TOSI for short. TOSI is so complicated that many tax advisors use a flowchart to visually follow the rules to assist in determining where the taxpayer stands with this rule this year. As ... Read MoreVancouver Tax Planning for CCPC’s As We Approach the Second Half of 2018
As the summer of 2018 comes to an end, vancouver tax advisors are starting to contemplate the tax planning work that will be required for CCPC come fall 2018. At the start of 2018, tax advisors and incorporated businesses awaited the 2018 federal budget with high level of anxiety. After all, the initial announcement to eliminate the tax deferral advantage that a CCPC enjoyed using its after-tax business income to earn passive income was severely punitive. As time passed and Ottawa responded ... Read More
Vancouver Tax Planning Dilemmas As 2017 Come To A Close
2017 has been a year of drama for Vancouver tax advisors and I am happy that it is coming to an end. I have to admit, it is not so much January 1, 2018 I am looking forward to. I am anxiously waiting for the 2018 budget date which may bring all Canadian private corporations more clarity on their financial and tax future. Vancouver Tax Planning - Changes For Private Coporations On July 18, 2017, Ottawa proposed dramatic changes to the taxation of private corporations. Since then, Ottawa has ... Read More
Dealing With the Death of Your Accountant
There are many tax-planning tips for death and estate, but not much is written about the death of your accountant who has been taking care of the family’s finances for decades. I just read a statistic that says 43% of financial advisors are over the age of 55, and are approaching retirement. Even my own experience with new clients tells me that there are more than a few well-established financial advisors getting ready to retire in the Greater Vancouver Area. If you suspect that your ... Read More
Cloud Based Accounting: The Cloud, The Books, The Bookkeeper, and His Death
The use of cloud-based accounting software began to surface about five years ago, amongst my clients. Since then, I’ve seen more young entrepreneurs adopting software quickly and with minimum training. Accounting software, desktop or cloud-based, is supposed to be user friendly for non-accountants, and this has been the case since accounting software came onto the scene in the 1990s. Now, with cloud-based accounting platforms, the clumsy need to transfer an actual physical file to various users ... Read More
