The time of year is approaching when many Canadian employees look forward to something “extra” from their employer such as a Christmas or Hanukkah gift, a year-end bonus, or an invitation to the annual employer-sponsored holiday party. While it doesn’t necessarily fit well with the holiday spirit, it’s a fact that many such gifts (even, sometimes, attendance at the annual employee holiday party) may have tax consequences, sometimes in unexpected ways.
The Canada Revenue Agency doesn’t publish information or statistics on the number of individual taxpayers who owe it money in the form of back taxes, interest, or penalties. Nonetheless, it is a safe assumption that some percentage of the 25 million or so Canadians who filed a tax return this past spring either couldn’t pay their 2012 taxes when due or still owe money from past years – or both. Being unable to pay one’s bills on time and as due obviously isn’t desirable no matter who the creditor is. There are, however, a number of detailed reasons why owing money to the tax authorities is a particularly bad situation to be in.
It shouldn’t be news to anyone that while the cost of obtaining a post-secondary education continues to rise, the government’s financial support of post-secondary institutions has, no less, declined. Additionally, the generous government student loan and grant programs available to earlier generations of students are no longer as generous as they once were. A realistic annual budget (including tuition, residence, and textbooks) for even a general arts or science undergraduate program now runs between $15,000 and $20,000. And, where a student decides to pursue post-graduate work or to enter a professional study program like law, dentistry, or medicine, those costs will skyrocket.
Spring and summer are, in any year, typically the busiest season for real estate sales and, consequently, the time when most moves take place. It's also the season when many post-secondary students are moving home for the summer and back to school as fall approaches. For any number of reasons, therefore, a lot of people will be moving this summer.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued a Tax Tip reminding small business owners who are eligible for the Hiring Credit for Small Business (HCSB) for 2012 that they can receive that credit when they file their 2012 T4 information return later this month.
