Koroll & Company Blog

By now, most Canadians are familiar with the use and the benefits of a tax-free savings account (TFSA), which has proven to be a very popular savings vehicle since TFSAs were introduced in 2009. What’s been harder has been keeping track of one’s annual TFSA contribution limit.

The annual TFSA contribution limit allowed by law has been something of a moving target, subject to change after change by successive governments. As well, withdrawals made from a TFSA are added to one’s annual contribution limit, but not until the following taxation year – a fact that has escaped many TFSA holders and sometimes even their financial advisers. And finally, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) used to provide information on a taxpayer’s current year TFSA contribution limit on the annual Notice of Assessment, but that’s no longer the case, meaning that the taxpayer has to make an extra effort to obtain that information.

Canadian taxpayers don’t need a calendar to know that the registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) contribution deadline is approaching — the glut of television, radio and internet ads which fill the airwaves and screens this time of year are reminder enough. And, while RRSP planning and retirement planning generally are best approached as an ongoing, year-round activity, it is true that an imminent deadline tends to focus the minds of taxpayers on such issues

Most Canadians are aware that the deadline for contributing to one’s registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) is 60 days after the calendar year end. Many also know that contributions to a tax-free savings account (TFSA) can be made at any time during the year. Consequently, when Canadians start thinking about year-end tax planning or saving strategies, RRSPs and TFSAs aren’t often top-of-mind. The fact is, however, that there are some situations in which planning strategies involving TFSAs and RRSPs have to be put in place by the end of the calendar year; some of those are outlined below.

As December 31^st approaches, the need to decide on and implement tax planning strategies for the year becomes top-of-mind for many Canadians. Under general tax rules, tax-free savings account (TFSA) contributions and withdrawals can be made at any time during the year, and registered retirement savings plans (RRSP) contributions for 2013 don’t generally have to be made before March 1, 2014. As outlined below, there are some situations, however, in which planning strategies involving TFSAs and RRSPs have to be put in place by the end of the calendar year.