Whether you buy and sell homes as a business or hold real estate for rental purposes, knowing the tax consequences can save you from costly surprises. Business Income or Capital Gains If you are in the business of buying a home, making some changes and then reselling it for a profit then all of your gains are taxable and losses…
When you sell certain types of property including shares, real estate, a business or farm for a gain you may be able to defer the tax on the capital gain for up to 5 years and in in certain circumstances, 10 years. The Income Tax Act allows you to defer a portion of your capital gain when you sell property but do…
If you run your consulting business through a corporation you should be aware of the tax rules surrounding personal services businesses. Small business corporations are afforded preferential tax treatment on their income by means of the small business deduction. However, certain types of corporations are specifically excluded from claiming this deduction and can have many of the other benefits afforded a…
The Income Tax Act allows you to deduct certain expenses directly related to your rental property such as property taxes, interest, insurance, accounting fees, and advertising. While you can’t deduct the full cost of the property itself, you are permitted to claim an amount every year as “capital cost allowance” (CCA). CCA appears to be an attractive way to reduce their…
If you have a business corporation, your income will normally consist of salary or dividends. However, given the right circumstances, your corporation may be able to lend you money tax-free. There are some things that you need to be aware of. First, if the company extends you a low or no-interest loan, there will be a taxable benefit added to…
Income splitting can produce some pretty dramatic results. Consider the case of a married, self-employed individual whose taxable income is in excess of $250,000. Assuming the spouse does not work, the tax bill would be $94,700 (in Ontario). If this couple were to split their income equally, their combined tax bill would drop to $77,700, a savings of $17,000. Now if…
