Tax planning strategies, helping your American clients, a yearend checklist, and more from the Mid-October 2012 issue of Investment Executive newspaper.
October 11, 2012Tax planning strategies, helping your American clients, a yearend checklist, and more from the Mid-October 2012 issue of Investment Executive newspaper.
October 11, 2012Tough balancing act for governments looking for revenue
Following a series of recent, significant judgments, it has become crucial to know where your clients' trusts are actually managed. Failure to stay on top of the new rules could result in higher than expected taxes on assets held inside these trusts
Even though the deadline for filing income taxes is months away, now is the time to look at ways to minimize taxes for your clients before the yearend rolls around - when it could be too late to complete some tasks
A small percentage of professional investors may be subject to significant tax penalties if they abuse their accounts in tax-avoidance schemes. Most clients, according to tax officials, need not worry
Tax increases are minimal and some provinces have even managed to provide tax breaks
This year's deficit-fighting federal budget delays public pension eligibility and closes various tax loopholes to help get public spending under control. But there were some breaks for specific groups, such as the disabled and the mining sector
The pre-budget submissions from groups in the financial services industry argue for more incentives aimed at promoting saving and wealth generation, especially in investment vehicles such as registered accounts and pension plans
These structures may have fewer tax advantages than they did in the past, but they can still be useful to shelter wealth
The federal budget announced changes in the benchmark test for tax-free investments, which may create opportunities for insurance advisors and their clients looking for ways to shelter investment income
The Canada Revenue Agency is in the third and final year of a review of non-profit organizations to "measure tax at risk" in the sector. But with few previous cases to provide guidance, some NPOs are finding that the process is confusing