Shareholder Loans and Your Private Corporation

If you own your private corporation and borrow money you should consider the income tax consequences. The Income Tax Act contains a series of rules that may have income tax consequences for the person receiving the loan from the company. In the context of this article, the term loan means any form of debt the shareholder or family member has to…

Comments Off on Shareholder Loans and Your Private Corporation

Renting Your Home Can Be Taxing

What happens when you start renting out your home? Understanding how the income tax act looks the situation can help you avoid an un-expected tax bill. When you sell your principal residence, you generally will not incur a capital gain because of the rule that exempts the principal residence from tax. However, converting all or a portion of your principal residence…

Comments Off on Renting Your Home Can Be Taxing

The Principal Residence Exemption

When you sell personal use property such as a car, jewelry, or furniture for more than you paid for it, you have to report and pay income tax on the net capital gain. The definition also includes real property, including the principal residence you own. The Income Tax Act provides a principal residence exemption for capital gains on the sale…

Comments Off on The Principal Residence Exemption
Read more about the article Taxable Employment Benefits
By cliff1066 (CC 2.0) via Flickr

Taxable Employment Benefits

The Income Tax Act has broad and general rules requiring most fringe benefits to be included in net employment income. The government wants to discourage employers from substituting tax-free fringe benefits for actual cash compensation to avoid income tax. In the end, the value of a benefit of any kind must be added to your employment income. Examples of Taxable…

Comments Off on Taxable Employment Benefits

Are Taxable Benefits Really A Benefit?

Many employers offer a range of benefits to their employees. The value of fringe benefits are considered taxable benefits and are included as income on your paycheque. This begs the question: Are fringe benefits really a benefit? It is possible to get the same benefits yourself for less? You need to know your marginal tax rate, how much benefits will cost you and…

Comments Off on Are Taxable Benefits Really A Benefit?

Tax Free Employment Benefits

The Income Tax Act requires that the value of all benefits be included in employment income and taxed accordingly. However, there are some provisions of the Income Tax Act and some administrative practices that may allow for tax-free payments. Non-Cash Awards - If your employer provides you with on-cash gifts for say, birthdays, Christmas, or for a wedding, then the value…

Comments Off on Tax Free Employment Benefits