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Ali Raza Jaffer, Chartered Accountant Mississauga, Greater Toronto Area

November 11, 2023, Dear Valued Clients & Friends,

With wintry weather rapidly approaching, its time for sweeping the leaves, changing your winter tires and year end cash flow and tax planning!   I wanted to thank you for your trust in allowing my firm to serve you and providing accounting, tax and consulting over the years.  Without your support, we would not have been able to achieve the growth that we have had over the years.  Our economy continues to have employment challenges, rising prices and increased unemployment and cash flow and tax planning become even more important.   In this edition of our newsletter, we provide more insight into some year-end strategies for individual and business owners.  We also provide strategies, additional services and update on some business professionals that we work with.  Some of these includes insurance strategies, payroll processing tools, Export Development Canada and some CRA approved real estate management tips.  It is also a good time to review your spending and perform a financial health check, which we provide some insight on in this newsletter.

In this edition of the newsletter, here are some topics that we will be discussing:

  1. Economic Update
  2. Individual tax tips – Charitable Contributions
  3. Business Owner tax tips – What is ‘Capital Gains Stripping’
  4. Firm Service Profile:  Advisory and CFO Services
  5. Financial Health Check
  6. Payroll Processing
  7. Life Insurance
  8. Real Estate tips
  9. Export Development Canada
  10. 2023 Tax Update, Deadlines and CRA My Account
  11. Minute Books 101, Corporation Renewals and Annual Return Filings
  12. Client Portal

We continue to get positive feedback through our google reviews.  For those who have provide reviews, I want to thank you for your support and comments.   If you have not had a chance to provide a review please also provide us with a google review at your convenience.   Here is the link:

AR Jaffer Professional Corporation Chartered Professional Account Google Review

Sincerely,

Ali Raza Jaffer, CPA

 

  1. Economic Update

The finance minister will be providing an update on Nov 21st on a revised assessment of the federal budget and how the government will be planning their spending.  It is always important to stay up to date on recent tax changes and manage your cash flows accordingly.  For those of you renewing your mortgages, economists predict that interest rates will stay relatively flat with perhaps some minor increases and decreases up until the end of summer 2024.  My advice is to plan accordingly and to not rush to renew long term mortgage rates.  Please contact the office if you have any questions or require a bank or mortgage professional referral.

For individuals and small business owners, here are my top 5 tips to stay cash flow positive:

  1. Try and consolidate your loans and perhaps sign up for a lower period fixed mortgage (2 to 3 years), while the economy adjusts to the new interest rate environments
  2. Look out for possible flattening of interest rates and try fixing your rates (if you are on a variable rate plan).  However, keep in mind that some experts also suggest that variable rates tend to save on cash flows in the long term.
  3. For business owners, seek some short-term working capital financing.  We can assist with bank loan proposals to help secure that you are protected for economic headwinds.
  4. GIC rates are quite high at the moment.  With the higher interest rates, the GIC rates have approached 6%, which might be good short-term option to avoid putting savings into the volatile stock market.
  5. Prepare a cash flow budget.  As we head into the final month of 2023, now is a good time to prepare a 2024 personal and business budget and forecast.   For tips, insights and strategies, please contact us and we would be happy to assist.

 

  1. Individual Tax Tips – Charitable Donations

One common tax strategy as we approach the end of 2023, is contributing to a registered charity.  Generally, the after-tax cost for a $1,000 cash donation in 2023 can range from about $450 – $550 if you are in a higher tax bracket with income of more than $235,675, and from a low of $490 – $595 if your income is at or below that amount (depending on your province/territory of residence). There are income limits for charitable donation claims.  The maximum amount of donations you can usually claim in a year is 75% of your net income. If you have donation receipts that exceed your income amount, you can claim the credit in any of the following five years.

If you own a corporation, you may want to consider having the corporation make a donation. While individuals get tax credits, corporations can deduct donations made in determining taxable income, within specified limits.  We can assist with the optimal charitable donation strategy to see if it is more beneficial of donating personally or through your corporation, since lower corporate tax rates may make it more beneficial to make the donation personally in 2023.

When making donations, ensure that the donations are through a registered charity in Canda.   Here is link to determine if a charity is registered in Canada:    https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/srch/pub/dsplyBscSrch?request_locale=en

  1. Business Owner tax tips – What is ‘Capital Gains Surplus Stripping’ 

As we have mentioned in the past, Capital Gains Surplus Stripping is a fairly complex strategy that allows individuals to extract earnings that they have built into their business over the years (retained earnings) at capital gains rates. The process and strategy involve multiple transactions including share exchanges, transfers, and specialized restructuring to allow an individual to convert higher taxed dividends into lower taxed capital gains.  It is very popular for high net business owners, medical professionals and businesses who would like to draw out large amounts from their businesses and pay lower taxes.

Pros:

  • Significant tax savings (non eligible dividend tax rate is approximately $48% vs. approximately 26.7% for capital gains).
  • A very attractive option for withdrawing large amounts of money.
  • Converts fully taxable income (i.e., dividends) into lower-taxed capital gains (50% of capital gains are taxable).
  • Can be a cost-effective way to pay back a large shareholder loan balance owed to the company.

Cons:

  • The eligibility to convert dividends to capital gains can be very complicated.
  • This strategy may be eliminated in 2023 as previously mentioned by the Federal Government in the 2022 budget.
  • Accounting/Legal Fees for the safe income calculation & tax planning.

Ideal Candidates:

  • High-income shareholders of corporations seeking to reduce their tax bill from withdrawals of corporate earnings.
  • Shareholders with a high shareholder loan balances owed to the company.

CRA may be changing the rules by end of year that may make it more difficult to take advantage of the surplus striping strategy.

Let us know if you would like to explore the eligibility of your business for this strategy.

  1. Firm Service Profile:  Virtual CFO & Advisory Services

If you are looking at long term planning strategies, whether you are an individual taxpayer, sole proprietor, or corporate business owner, there are several approaches that we can assist you with.  As part of our commitment and service delivery to our clients, we have been working with our clients on both financial and non-financial planning measures to achieve your financial goals.    We have been providing Virtual CFO and Advisory Services for many years to our clients.  Further details on our Virtual CFO & Advisory Services can be found at:   https://arjcpa.ca/business-advisory-services/

What does CFO and Advisory mean to you?

CFO is a Chief Financial Officer.  For business owners, they help with business decision making, measuring financial and non-financial metrics and providing overall strategic direction for your business.  An effective CFO becomes the right-hand person to the CEO. They do this by providing insights into the data to improve business performance and provide strategic advice for operational decisions.

As a business owner, here are some critical questions a CFO can guide you on:

  1. How much cash are we burning each month?
  2. Should we invest in buying a new equipment, a new property or a new line of business?
  3. If our revenue is growing so quickly, why are our cash flows so low?
  4. If we continue to grow our business, how much revenue and profit will we make next year?
  5. How can we mange our expenses in our business?
  6. Do we have money to hire new employees?
  7. What efficiencies can we gain by reducing our full-time equivalents (FTEs)?
  8. What is the most efficient tax strategy to withdraw funds from our business?

In light of some of these questions, here are some of the services we provide as part of our Virtual CFO services:

  • Strategies to help with cash flow management.
  • Bank Loan Proposals
  • Internal controls review
  • Monthly and quarterly financial reporting
  • >Investment strategies (real estate, equities, life insurance planning)
  • Refining your Business and Financial Processes
  • Financial & Cash Flow Modelling
  • Due Diligence of buying and selling a business
  • Key Profit Drivers
  • Budget vs. Actual analysis
  • Break Even Point analysis
  • Cash flow analysis
  • KPIs / Scorecard

Advisory Services involve providing various consulting to both your personal and business needs.  These include, tax planning, assisting with the best financing solution for both your personal and business needs, assisting with estate and life insurance planning, cash flow planning and specific strategies related to your business.   Furthermore, advisory services involve providing insights and strategies that help you drive better personal financial and business decisions and focus on the future to successfully achieve your personal and business objectives.

To provide further insight to these services, I have broken down how we can assist with your individual and business planning needs.

Individual:

  • Life Insurance & Estate Planning and recommendations
  • Net Worth Planning
  • Cash Flow Planning & Budgeting
  • Tax Planning and Corporate Restructuring (Holding companies, Estate Freezes, Trusts)
  • Net Worth Analysis and Planning
  • Strategies to achieve your short term and long-term goals

Business:

  1. Business Financing which includes:
    1. $100k BDC working capital loan application
    2. Bank loan proposals & applications
    3. Lines of credit applications
    4. Preparation of business plans and cash flow projections
  2. Cash Flow Planning & Budgeting
  3. Tax Planning and Corporate Restructuring (Holding companies, Estate Freezes, Trusts)
  4. Net Worth Analysis and Planning
  5. Strategies to achieve your short term and long-term goals

If you would like further information on our Virtual CFO and Advisory Services, please contact me at the office at 905-629-7720, send an email to ajaffer@arjcpa.ca or visit our website ARJCPA 

  1. Financial Health Check 

Year End is an excellent opportunity to review your personal and business Financial Health.  We continue to emphasize the importance of preparing a cash flow plan, budget, or tax plan, allowing you manage your personal and business expenses more effectively.  This is extremely critical as you navigate through the uncertainties in the economy this past year, and likely continuing into 2023.  In order to stay aligned with your financial objectives, , we recommend at a minimum, that you prepare a Financial Health Check once every 5 years and then update it annually as your personal and financial situation changes.  This will allow you to adjust your cash flow spending as your employment and family situation changes, enabling you to plan your net worth and prepare for your long-term goals.

Please contact us if you require further details on how we can assist you with a Financial Health Check for your personal or business planning.

Is a financial Health check right for your personal and business needs?   We can assist – Contact us to book a consultation!

Here are some areas we can assist with:

Personal

  1. Net worth projections
  2. Retirement planning
  3. Cash flow planning and budgeting
  4. Optimal tax credits and deductions
  5. Investment and real estate analysis

Business & Corporation

  1. Review your business beyond the numbers
  2. Optimize your strengths & minimize your weaknesses
  3. Strategic Planning
  4. Cash flow planning
  5. Tax planning & restructuring
  6. Profit optimization
  7. KPI analysis

I am listing my top 5 recommendations as you explore opportunities for a Financial Health Check as I have mentioned in previous newsletters.

  1. Pay down your highest interest rate loans first.
  2. Consider refinancing to potentially lock in your rates.  An early renewal may be the key to secure a lower rate before the next interest rate increase.
  3. Prepare an annual budget and cut down unnecessary costs.
  4. Evaluate larger purchases and defer them into the future (e.g., Car purchases, large renovation projects, high budget vacations).
  5. Consider looking at new investments:
    1. Stock markets are down so there may be some good bargains to be sought out
    2. Crypto markets are down (please tread carefully here as crypto is still considered a new type of investment strategy)
    3. Real estate markets are also down, but may still be expensive given the rising interest rates

We have some excellent planning tools on our website to help get you started with a Financial Health Check.  Click ARJCPA Financial Tools for more information. 

  1. Payroll Processing with ADP 

For small to mid size business owners, we have recently partnered with ADP to provide payroll solutions who support their local CPAs with excellent service and preferred rates.   Many entrepreneurs are currently using an accounting software (such as Sage or QuickBooks online platform).  However, ADP offers a unique solution.   Here are some of the key benefits of ADPs payroll processing solution.

  • Dedicated representative managing your account
  • Run payroll and manager your employee’s time-tracking
  • Accessible from all types of devices
  • A personal dashboard with all of your employees, payroll and deductions
  • Allows source deductions to be paid automatically
  • Integration with accounting software

Here are some other benefits that are offered by ADP:

  • Direct deposit for all your employees with no daily limits for an many employees as you need
  • Integrated Payroll & Time- seamless flow of data from time collection to the payroll system = One system for both payroll and time = eliminates manual timesheets
  • Integrated Tracking of employee hours – automatic stat holiday and over time calculation based on provincial regulations= no manual calculations
  • Geo-fencing – employees can punch in and punch out ONLY from approved locations – no time theft/buddy punching
  • General ledger interface into the accounting software (With reports access for accountants/bookkeepers)
  • ROE’s are generated and sent automatically to Service Canada- Cuts out the step of having to submit it on the Service Canada website and eliminate the risk of the $2000 fine if you don’t do so within 5 days of the last day of the pay period
  • Payroll remittances are automatically sent to the CRA on your behalf – Eliminate the risk of potential fines for remitting late
  • RRSP/DPSP remittances automated
  • T4’s are generated electronically
  • Online paystubs with an app they download to view as well. PLUS both paystubs & T4s are available for employees to view up to 2 years after the employee is terminated
  • WSIB calculations provided to help with remittance
  • Product is accessible on multiple devices – use anytime, anywhere in REAL TIME from your phone app or web browser
  • External payroll notification – Our system texts, emails and sends notification 3 times before the pay input is due

 

  1. Life Insurance

Life insurance allows you to protect your family’s legacy and often is incorporated as part of your financial plan.   Here are some types of life insurance that you should consider purchasing.  No amount of life insurance is too small.

    1. Term life insurance:  Term life insurance is a lower-cost product that helps protect you for specified period of time such as 10, 15 or 20 years. When it’s time for renewal, your coverage is renewed at a higher cost if you don’t cancel. You can also convert it to permanent life insurance without having to answer questions about your health.  The cost is much lower than permanent life insurance, and it’s an effective way for families just starting out to help protect themselves and their families. Term life insurance is usually less expensive than permanent life insurance, so you may be able to purchase more coverage.
    2. Permanent life insurance:  This is guaranteed lifelong coverage that helps protect the people you care about. In addition, over time your policy can build value you can access for cash during your life, with certain tax implications.  You have the ability to access some funds in your policy through a loan or a withdrawal. These are all CRA approved strategies. The 2 most common permanence life insurance products are whole life insurance and universal life insurance.
      1. Whole Life Insurance does not expire, and you are covered for as long as you live if the required premiums are paid. Your premiums are fixed and never change. Your death benefit and cash value are generally guaranteed and do not decrease. As a result, whole life policies require little administration by the policyholder.  A whole life insurance policy can also build cash value. You may be able to withdraw or borrow against this cash value if needed.
      2. Universal Life offers you a flexible premium option. You may have the option to increase or decrease your premium payment amount or skip premium payments altogether. If there is enough cash value to fund your policy, you may choose to change your payment amounts or your payment schedule.

Please contact us to help you choose the right life insurance for your family’s needs and we can connect you to a certified life insurance provider.

  1. Real Estate Tips

With the real estate market softening in 2023, it is a good time to review your current real estate portfolio and make appropriate changes to your investments.  There are some strategies that we can assist you with and direct you to the right real estate, legal and banking professional.  Here are some tips: 

  1. Cash Damming strategy:   Cash damming is a strategy to convert personal debt (where the interest is not tax deductible) to business debt (where the interest is deductible). This is done by using a line of credit to pay your business expenses.  While cash damming can save you a lot of money, first you need a clear and precise plan.  Certain conditions must be met for the tax strategy to work for you.  Here are some things to consider to see if you are eligible:
    1. Significant personal debt, such as a mortgage and/or car loan
    2. Relatively high business expenses
    3. A good taxable income

Once these prerequisites are in place, you simply need to do the following to benefit from the tax savings generated by cash damming.  You can utilize your gross business income to pay your expenses and personal debts, such as your mortgage and pay for all your business expenses with the loan designed for this purpose.

  1. Maintain all source documents:  It is very easy to misplace documents related to your real estate properties.  If the source documents are not retained, then you are not able to claim these expenses on your income tax return.  furthermore, when you purchase a real estate property, there many disbursements, legal fees, capital upgrades that often get forgotten.
  2. Prepare a budget:   You may feel that you have enough down payment money to purchase a property, however the following need to be considered:
    1. Closing costs including legal, title search and land transfer costs
    2. The optimal interest rate and product to sign off on
    3. Seeking tax and professional advice on the long-term impact of acquiring the property

Let me know if you require assistance with these strategies and I can also connect you with a banking, mortgage or real estate professional to help build your wealth and portfolios.

  1. Export Development Canada

For businesses currently in the exporting business or looking at opening an exporting business, EDC has a number of programs that could help businesses who engage in exporting or plan to in the future.  Here is a link to some of these solutions: https://www.edc.ca/en/solutions.html

There are also specific solutions dedicated for financial institutions which is more in-depth: https://www.edc.ca/en/financial-institutions.html

The following are some of the most popular solutions:

  • One of the most popular programs is the Export Guarantee Program (https://www.edc.ca/en/solutions/working-capital/export-guarantee-program.html) where EDC provides the bank a guarantee in order increase the amount of working capital they can provide to a company.  This program can also be used for expansion into a foreign jurisdiction and to guarantee inventory located in foreign warehouses and inventory in transit.  Commercial banks can use this program or the Trade Expansion lending Program (TELP) to increase lines of credit.  EDC can guarantee up to 75% on lines of credit and up to 100% on foreign expansion/assets.

We work readily with EDC and the major Canadian banks to find the right solution for your business and export needs.  Please let us know if you require further information.

  1. 2023 Tax Update, Deadlines and CRA My Account 

CRA is still conducting reviews on 2022 returns.  The most common areas of focus were donation receipts, tuition receipts, medical receipts and disability claims.  If you have yet to file your tax return, please contact us and we can assist to keep you compliant.

For 2023, here is a list of the most notable tax changes:

    1. Underused Housing Tax (UHT) The deadline to file 2022 returns has been extended to April 30, 2024 (this deadline includes filing of both 2022 and 2023 UHT returns)  Further information is available at https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/excise-taxes-duties-and-levies/underused-housing-tax.html
    2. HST on new housing builds:  The Federal Government recently announced the removal of GST on new rental housing builds.   The removal of GST will apply to new purpose-built rental housing, such as apartment buildings, student housing, and senior residences built specifically for long-term rental accommodation.  Further details available at  https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2023/09/enhanced-gst-rental-rebate-to-build-more-apartments-for-renters.html
    3. CEBA Loans:   The Federal Government recently extended the CEBA repayment and partial loan forgiveness deadlines.  The repayment deadline for CEBA loans to qualify for partial loan forgiveness of up to 33 per cent is being extended from December 31, 2023, to January 18, 2024.  Full details are available at https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2023/09/canada-emergency-business-account-government-extends-repayment-and-partial-loan-forgiveness-deadlines.html
    4. Tax Free First Home Savings Account:   The new tax-free First Home Savings Account is a registered savings account that helps Canadians become first-time home buyers by contributing up to $8,000 per year (up to a lifetime limit of $40,000) for their first down payment, within 15 years. To help Canadians reach their savings goals, First Home Savings Account contributions are tax deductible on annual income tax returns, like a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP). And, like a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA), withdrawals to purchase a first home—including any investment income on contributions—are non-taxable. Tax-free in; tax-free out.  Full details are available at:  https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2023/08/canadians-can-save-for-their-first-home-with-new-tax-free-first-home-savings-account.html
    5. First-time home buyer’s tax credit:   The amount used to calculate the first-time home buyers’ tax credit has increased to $10,000 (from $5,000) for a qualifying home purchased after December 31, 2021.
    6. Home accessibility tax credit:  The annual expense limit of the home accessibility tax credit has increased to $20,000; the maximum non-refundable tax credit is $3,000.
    7. Immediate write off of capital property for Self-Employed Individuals:  If you carried on an unincorporated business and acquired capital property in 2022, you may be eligible to claim a 100% deduction of the expenditure this year. Certain capital cost allowance classes are not eligible for the enhanced deduction.
    8. Ontario Staycation credit:  This is a one-time, refundable tax credit allows Ontario taxpayers to claim 20% of accommodation expenses in an Ontario hotel, cottage, or campground during 2022, up to a maximum of $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for families. This credit is only available for 2022.
    9. Home office expenses:  The temporary flat rate method of $2 per day up to a maximum of $500 still applies if you worked more than 50% of the time from your home for at least four consecutive weeks.  You may also be eligible to claim the actual expenses paid using form T2200(S) 

For a full list of tax changes, please click on the links:

Individual Tax Changes:  https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/tax-return/completing-a-tax-return/whats-new.html

Business Tax Changes: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/corporations/whats-new-corporations.html

Important CRA Deadlines 

Listed below are the upcoming CRA deadlines:

  • Dec 31, 2023 – Deadline for contributions to registered charities to receive a 2023 donation receipt.
  • February 29, 2024 – Deadline for filing of T4 and T5 Slips.
  • February 29, 2024 – RRSP contribution deadline.

CRA My Account

CRA Provides updates on tax changes, webinars, individual and business deductions, and credits and HST information on a regular basis.  You can access the information with update to date information at the following link:  CRA Updates

If you have not done so already, a reminder to sign up for your My account (individuals) or My business account (for business owners).  Details can be found at:

Individual Account:   https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/e-services-individuals/account-individuals.html

Business Account:   https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/e-services-businesses/business-account.html

CRA Processing Times:  CRA has improved their services, so although processing times are still a little delayed, it has improved significantly compared to the past 2 years.  Here is a resource to review processing times on any submissions to CRA.  This includes updates on tax returns and tax related requests:   https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/corporate/contact-information/check-cra-processing-times.html.

 

  1. Minute Books 101, Corporation Renewals and Annual Return Filings

For entrepreneurs who have incorporated businesses, once the fiscal year end is completed, business owners must update their corporate minute books.  This can be completed by a business or corporate lawyer.   It is important to update the minute books on an annual basis with resolutions, changes that have occurred during the year, and the reporting of bonuses and dividends at the end of the fiscal year.  If you require a corporate lawyer referral to update your minute books, please contact me and I will provide you with a list of lawyers we work with.

While the minute books are updated, it is also important to renew your federal or provincial corporations.  As mentioned in previous communications and newsletters, On October 18, 2021, the Ontario Ministry changed the process of Annual Return Filing.  Previously, the filing was included as part of the corporate tax returns under Schedule 546 (MGS) of the Corporate Tax Return. Effective for Corporate Tax Returns filed after October 18, 2021, the government has changed the process for annual returns and now requires corporations to file the annual return separately through the Ontario Business Registry website.

In order to web file the annual return, the corporation must request a Company Key, a One-Key ID, and a Service Ontario account.  The instructions are available at https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-business-registry. Please ensure that you have your Business Registration Name and Corporation Number available when requesting for a Company Key.

Once you receive your company key (generally received within 3 business days), you can log in to your One-key account, follow the prompts to setup your Service Ontario Account and then follow the steps below:

  1. Click on Service Ontario Account
  2. Click on your business name
  3. Click the “Make Changes” drop down button
  4. Click on “File Annual Return”
  5. Follow the steps to complete your filing.

For federally incorporated entities, the renewal process can be accessed at:  https://ised-isde.canada.ca/cc/lgcy/index.html?locale=en_CA

Alternatively, your corporate/business lawyer can file the Annual Return on your behalf when they update your corporate minute books.  If you do not have a corporate/business lawyer, we can help you connect with a lawyer.

Please feel free to reach out to us for any assistance required in this process.

  1. Client Portal 

Our portal was relaunched a few months ago, and we have had an excellent response to our new portal.  Thank you for your trust in our technology as we relaunched our portal!   As a reminder, our Portal services include the following:

  • Ability to upload documents securely and share with us.
  • Ability to digitally sign important tax documents.
  • Ability to view documents and reports that are shared with you.

The ARJ Portal employs the very latest tried and tested security innovation. In addition, it also uses multi-factor authentication as an added security measure, assuring that that no one else is intercepting the documents or reports shared through the portal.

If you still do not have access, please contact us @AR Jaffer Professional Corporation  – Client Careclientcare@arjcpa.ca  to register for the ARJ Portal.

The link for the portal is @ https://arjcpa.cchifirm.ca/clientportal

Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions about our new portal.

 

We hope you enjoyed our newsletter and look forward on suggested topics for future newsletters. A gentle reminder to leave us a google review at

AR Jaffer Professional Corporation Chartered Professional Account Google Review

We look forward to our next edition before the holidays.   Have an excellent holiday season!

Ali Raza Jaffer, CPA, CGA, MBA, BComm

President & CEO, AR Jaffer Professional Corporation

Chartered Professional Accountant

We appreciate your referrals!