Self-employed: Government of Canada addresses CERB repayments for some ineligible self-employed recipients

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Great news for some ineligible self-employed Canadians who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). As per canada.ca:

“Today, the Government of Canada announced that self-employed individuals who applied for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and would have qualified based on their gross income will not be required to repay the benefit, provided they also met all other eligibility requirements. The same approach will apply whether the individual applied through the Canada Revenue Agency or Service Canada.

This means that, self-employed individuals whose net self-employment income was less than $5,000 and who applied for the CERB will not be required to repay the CERB, as long as their gross self-employment income was at least $5,000 and they met all other eligibility criteria.

Some self-employed individuals whose net self-employment income was less than $5,000 may have already voluntarily repaid the CERB. The CRA and Service Canada will return any repaid amounts to these individuals. Additional details will be available in the coming weeks.”

For full details, see full news release at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/news/2021/02/government-of-canada-announces-targeted-interest-relief-on-2020-income-tax-debt-for-low–and-middle-income-canadians.html

5 Top Financial Planning Strategies For Small Business Owners

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Creating a financial plan for your business is critical not only for your business’ survival but also for its growth. However, many small business owners struggle to create a comprehensive financial plan that considers all of the financial needs of the business – which should include long term growth goals and contingency plans for any unexpected circumstances. Below, we have compiled a list of the strategies business owners should start with when considering a comprehensive financial plan.

Access To Capital And Debt Management

Talk to a professional when your business needs access to capital – especially if you have just opened your doors. Many new companies do not qualify for traditional, low-interest loans, and some new business owners mistakenly turn to loans with high-interest rates. This can turn out to be a problem for the business in the long-run. If sales are slow at the beginning, then the company could struggle with repaying its debt. It is a good idea to explore all loan options with a professional when you are considering options to raise capital to expand your business. Any financial plan should include ways of accessing capital that won’t cripple your business in the long run.

Favourable Tax Strategies For Your Business

We get it. Business owners are often too busy to research the most favourable tax strategies available to them. However, paying more in taxes can be avoided. Examining different tax strategies with a professional could free up cash and allow the business to achieve its maximum growth potential.

Prepare For The Unexpected

As 2020 has taught us, anything can happen. Regardless of the external or internal circumstances, your business should be prepared. It is a solid financial strategy to develop a contingency plan that will allow your business to adapt to new circumstances.

Do you have a key employee or employees that you rely on to run the business? What would happen if they became ill? What if something happened to you? Would your family still receive an income? Luckily, there are insurance policies designed to protect your business and family in the event that any of these possibilities become an unexpected reality.

Prepare For The Expected, Too

Most of us will want to retire at some point. But how do you plan on transitioning out of the business and into retirement? Many successful business owners understand the importance of having a retirement plan for themselves and their spouse independent from the business. Take a moment and jot down some retirement goals to get a general idea of what your retirement will look like for you. Do you plan on passing the business down to your children? At what age would you like to retire? A good financial plan will help you to retire when you want and how you want.

Protect Your Assets From A Lawsuit

Let’s face it. These days lawsuits happen more frequently than business owners like to admit, so it is a good idea to be prepared. When designing a financial plan, investigate what type of liability insurance would be best to protect your small business. Would general liability insurance suit your needs? Or would you be better suited for a professional liability insurance plan?

This is certainly not a complete list of all the main strategies that a financial plan should include, but it is a starting point to work from. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you think we can help develop a financial plan for you and your business.

As usual, please feel free to share this article with anyone you think might find it of interest.

Impact of Recent Events On Your Estate Plan

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A year ago, the projected deficit for 2020 was estimated to be $20 billion. Shockingly, as a result of Covid-19, this projection has risen to over $380 billion by the end of the year. So, what does that mean for tax rates and how will this affect your estate plan?

Even as they continue to unfold, the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects are influencing the way we plan for our future. During the period of lockdown and self-isolation, many people put a great deal of thought as to how to keep themselves and their families safe – not only physically but financially as well. For some, this meant finally looking at the recommendations they had been considering about their life, critical illness and disability coverage. For others, it became a time to reassess their investment, retirement and savings plans, as we all know the results uncertainty can have on the equity markets.

Then, there are the potential long-term effects that this pandemic may have on estate planning and its primary objective of reducing the impact of taxes during life and at death.

As the national deficit continues to balloon, the logical question remains: where is the money going to come from to help cover this? While the government may be loath to raise taxes, and politically that is something it might wish to avoid, there is no question that increased tax revenues are probably necessary.

For the past year or so, financial pundits have predicted that there may be an increase in the inclusion rate for taxation on capital gains. However, there is speculation on the actual amount of inclusion because this percentage has fluctuated historically. For example, when the tax on capital gains was first introduced in 1972, the inclusion rate was 50 per cent, meaning this amount of the capital gain would be taxed. Over the years since, the inclusion rate fluctuated between 50 per cent to 75 per cent. It was lowered again in 2000 to the current inclusion rate of 50 per cent.

In Canada, the top personal marginal rate in most provinces exceeds 50 per cent. This means that the tax payable on a capital gain, realized or deemed at death, could be over 25 per cent. It is highly possible that the inclusion rate will soon be increased to help augment tax revenues to combat the huge deficit. If it increases to 75 per cent, as it was from 1990 to 2000, the effective rate of tax on a capital gain will increase to almost 40 per cent. This assumes that the top marginal income tax rate also does not increase. This will have a significant impact on the future cost of settling an estate due to the deemed disposition of all assets upon death.

One beneficial strategy to avoid leaving family members with an insurmountable tax bill, is to provide sufficient estate liquidity to pay taxes due at death from the proceeds of a life insurance policy. In Canada, we are fortunate to have permanent life insurance policies that insure an individual for their entire life with a premium that is guaranteed not to increase.

In its handling of its $380 billion deficit, the Canadian government could borrow money, and if they do, it is a real incentive to keep long-term interest rates as low as possible. The current yield for 10-year Canadian Bonds is less than 1 per cent, and it is clear that a low interest rate environment will persist for a considerable period of time. This is significant because the life insurance company actuaries pay particular attention to the prevailing long-term interest rates when pricing a product. This current era of low-interest rates indicate that the price of permanent life insurance will increase in the near future.

While Covid-19 is not expected to have a general impact on the cost of life insurance, it is unclear whether possible changes in underwriting guidelines could also result in higher costs for certain individuals. Another factor that could increase life insurance premiums are changes to industry accounting practices in the near future, which would require life insurance companies to modify the disclosures about long-duration contracts, such as permanent life insurance.

The bottom line is this: With higher taxes and increased life insurance premiums on the horizon, now is the time to review your estate planning needs and implement or increase your life insurance. Putting off this important task will increase costs for you – or your family – down the line.

Government of Canada to allow up to $400 for home office expenses

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For the 2020 tax year, the Government of Canada introduced a temporary flat rate method to allow Canadians working from home this year due to Covid-19 to claim expenses of up to $400. Taxpayers will still be able to claim under the existing rules if they choose using the detailed method.

Eligibility

From the canada.ca website:

Each employee working from home who meets the eligibility criteria can use the temporary flat rate method to calculate their deduction for home office expenses.

To use this method to claim the home office expenses you paid, you must meet all of the following conditions:

  • You worked from home in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic

  • You worked more than 50% of the time from home for a period of at least four consecutive weeks in 2020

  • You are only claiming home office expenses and are not claiming any other employment expenses

  • Your employer did not reimburse you for all of your home office expensesWhat if your employer has reimbursed you for some of your home office expenses

You need to meet all of the above conditions to be eligible to use the Temporary flat rate method.

New eligible expenses

For the detailed method, the CRA has expanded the list of eligible expenses that can be claimed as work-space-in-the-home expenses to include reasonable home internet access fees. A comprehensive list of eligible home office expenses has also been created.

Click For Full details and Claim Forms

Highlights of the 2020 Federal Fall Economic Statement | Additional $20,000 CEBA loan available now

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On November 30, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland provided the government’s fall economic update. The fall economic update provided information on the government’s strategy both for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and its plan to help shape the recovery. We’ve summarized the highlights for you.

Corporate Tax Changes

Information on several subsidy programs was included in the update. These changes apply from December 20, 2020 to March 13, 2021.

  • The government has provided an increase in the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) to a maximum of 75% of eligible wages.

  • If you are eligible for the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (eligibility is based on your revenue decline), you can claim up to 65% of qualified expenses.

  • The Lockdown Support Subsidy has also been extended – if you are eligible, you can receive a 25% subsidy on eligible expenses.

Also, there were two other significant corporate tax changes:

  • Starting January 1, 2022, the government plans to tax international corporations that provide digital services in Canada if no international consensus on appropriate taxation has been reached.

  • The tax deferral on eligible shares paid by a qualifying agricultural cooperative to its members has been extended to 2026.

Personal Tax Changes

The following personal tax changes were included in the update:

  • The update confirmed the government’s plan to impose a $200,000 limit (based on fair market value) on taxing employee stock options granted after June 2021 at a preferential rate. Canadian-controlled private corporations (CCPCs) are not subject to these rules.

  • If you started working from home due to COVID-19, you could claim up to $400 in expenses.

  • The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) has temporarily been increased to include four additional payments. Depending on your income, you could receive up to $1200.

  • Additional modifications were proposed to how the “assistance holdback” amount is calculated for Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSP). The goal of these modifications is to help RDSP beneficiaries who become ineligible for the Disability Tax Credit after 50 years of age.

Indirect Tax Changes

GST/HST changes impacting digital platforms were included in the update. They will be applicable as of July 1, 2021:

  • Foreign-based companies that sell digital products or services in Canada must collect and remit GST or HST on their taxable sales. Also, foreign vendors or digital platform operators with goods for sale via Canadian fulfillment warehouses must collect and remit GST/HST.

  • Short-term rental accommodation booked via a digital platform must charge GST/HST on their booking. The GST/HST rate will be based on the province or territory where the short-term accommodation is located.

And some good news on a GST/HST removal! As of December 6, and until further notice, the government will not charge GST/HST on eligible face masks and face shields.

The Takeaway

A lot of changes came out of the fall update – and you may be feeling overwhelmed. But help is at hand!

Contact us to learn more about how these changes could impact your personal and business finances.

Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) $20,000 expansion available now

The Government of Canada website has been updated with the new CEBA requirements and deadlines:

  • As of December 4, 2020, CEBA loans for eligible businesses will increase from $40,000 to $60,000.

  • Applicants who have received the $40,000 CEBA loan may apply for the $20,000 expansion, which provides eligible businesses with an additional $20,000 in financing.

  • All applicants have until March 31, 2021, to apply for $60,000 CEBA loan or the $20,000 expansion.

Apply online at the financial institution your business banks with:

To get the full details:

CEBA Loan Details

How Many Wills Do I Need?

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It is important to have a valid Will to avoid the challenges of intestacy – dying without a Will. Indeed, eventually, everyone ends up with a Will of one sort or other, either the deceased gets to decide how assets are distributed by writing one before death or the provincial authorities get to decide based on intestacy rules. So, it’s always best to get a Will written in advance.

The question is, do you need more than one? Getting one Will is trouble enough, so why would anyone want to have two? The reason for having more than one has to do with the kind of assets you own and what you want to have done with them when you die. The decision to have a second Will has to do with whether all of your assets have to go through the process of probate.

What is probate?

Probate is simply the process of proving that a Will is drafted properly and is valid. For this, most provinces charge a probate fee. B.C. and Ontario charge 1.4% and 1.5% of the probated estate respectively, while other provinces charge less or flat fees.

Sometimes people will try to evade probate fees by entering into arrangements such as transferring assets into joint ownership. This and other similar arrangements can potentially lead to problems and more expense. The most effective way of avoiding probate fees is to reduce the assets exposed to them. For example, using beneficiary designations for your life insurance and registered plans (where available) is very effective.

It is also true that not all assets have to pass through probate. The most obvious of these assets are shares that a taxpayer owns in a private corporation. Before explaining this further, let’s look at the two types of Wills.

The General or Primary Will

This refers to the Will that everyone thinks of. It includes all of the assets that normally fall into a Will and are subject to probate. Keep in mind that General or Primary Wills, once probated, become public and anyone who has an interest or desire can obtain a copy. In fact, in BC the Archives provide a research guide to probated Wills to help people who want to get a copy and in Ontario, the probate court staff will provide assistance to locate copies of Wills so the inquisitive can view all documents and get copies. There is a fee but that is the only requirement.

The Restricted or Secondary Will

The Restricted or Secondary Will references only certain assets that do not require probate to pass to the estate and heirs – again, most commonly shares in private corporations but could also include some other assets such as those in other jurisdictions or provinces.

The reason that shares in a private corporation need not be probated is that the remaining directors of a private corporation may usually transfer the corporate interest to the estate and subsequently to the beneficiaries of the estate without an application for probate. The specific rules regarding this may differ by province but the result of by-passing probate is generally achieved.

Unlike a General or Primary Will, a copy of a Restricted or Secondary Will, since it is not probated, is not kept with the probate registrar. This gives rise to the nickname of a Secret Will since the term of these Wills are not public record. This can be very important to a business owner that may not want the general public to know what happens with his or her corporate holdings.

Why can Secondary Wills be Important?

They are used to pass assets without paying probate fees. As a result, there is a cost savings to the estate which could be substantial.

Secondary Wills are very effective in keeping confidentiality regarding the assets which are not subject to probate.

Advantages and Disadvantages

While Multiple Wills may seem appealing, consider both the advantages and disadvantages.

While privacy and lower costs are important it is also vital to remember that there are now two Wills to pay for, a more complex situation exists because you must have two different executors, and the executor under your Secondary Will should be capable of dealing with the complexities inherent in the assets under that document.

While there was a challenge in Ontario to this type of planning that resulted in a threat to multiple Wills by a court decision (see Milne Estate), that decision was reversed by a higher court in 2019. As of the date of this article, secondary Wills remain a viable estate planning option.

As with any estate planning, no action should be taken without the advice of a competent legal and accounting advisor.

Reference to STEP Canada Vancouver seminar material “Tips and Traps of Probate Planning” and STEP Trust Quarterly Review, Volume 17, Issue 1, 2019

Applications for the new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy starts today!

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For businesses, non-profits and charities facing uncertainty and economic challenges due to COVID-19, the Government of Canada is now taking applications for the new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS). The CERS delivers direct and targeted rent support without the need to claim assistance through landlords and provides:

  • up to 65% of rent for businesses, charities and non-profits impacted by COVID-19.

  • an additional 25% Lockdown Support during a public health lockdown order.

From the canada.ca website:

Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS)

Canadian businesses, non-profit organizations, or charities who have seen a drop in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for a subsidy to cover part of their commercial rent or property expenses, starting on September 27, 2020, until June 2021.

This subsidy will provide payments directly to qualifying renters and property owners, without requiring the participation of landlords.

If you are eligible for the base subsidy, you may also be eligible for lockdown support if your business location is significantly affected by a public health order for a week or more.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible to receive the rent subsidy, you must meet all four of the following criteria – you:

  1. Meet at least one of these conditions:

    • You had a CRA business number on September 27, 2020

      OR

    • You had a payroll account on March 15, 2020, or another person or partnership made payroll remittances on your behalf

      OR

    • You purchased the business assets of another person or partnership who meets condition 2 above, and have made an election under the special asset acquisition rules
      These special asset acquisition rules are the same for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS).
      OR

    • You meet other prescribed conditions that might be introduced
      Note: there are no prescribed conditions at this time

    If you don’t have a business number but you qualify under condition b or c, you will need to set one up before you are able to apply for CERS. You do not need a payroll account to apply for CERS.

  2. Are an eligible business, charity, or non-profit (eligible entity)

    Check which types of businesses, charities, or non-profits are eligible

    If your business, charity, or non-profit is related to another eligible entity, you may be considered an “affiliated entity”. This may affect your calculations for the subsidy.

    Learn more about affiliated entities

  3. Experienced a drop in revenue

    Your drop in revenue is calculated by comparing your eligible revenue during the reference period with your eligible revenue from a previous period (baseline revenue).

    There is no minimum revenue drop required to qualify for the subsidy. The rate your revenue has dropped is only used to calculate how much subsidy you receive for these periods.

    Calculate your revenue drop online

    After you have read about the expenses you can claim, you can use the online calculator to find your revenue drop while calculating how much subsidy you may receive.

    OR

    Read about the calculation

    You can read the in-depth details of how the revenue drop is calculated.

    Check what counts as eligible revenue

    A CERS application must be filed no later than 180 days after the end of a claim period.

  4. Have eligible expenses

    To apply for CERS, you must have a qualifying property. Only certain expenses you pay for qualifying properties are eligible for CERS.
    Learn about qualifying properties and which expenses you can claim

The full details of the CERS can be found at: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/subsidy/emergency-rent-subsidy.html

Apply for Rent Subsidy

Diversifying in Uncertain Times

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Uncertain about where to invest during Covid-19? It may be time to diversify through a Participating Whole Life policy

The Covid-19 pandemic combined with global social unrest have led to an era of unprecedented uncertainty, contributing to global economic concerns and stock market volatility. Potential economic fallouts stemming from disputes between China with both Canada and the United States, along with a new recession looming just over the horizon, have left many wondering if their investments are robust enough to withstand the turbulence of the current times and any future instability.

Diversifying your assets through a Participating Whole Life policy may be key to ensure future financial security for you and your children. The new generation of Par Whole Life policies is now viewed as a separate asset class due to their stable returns. It’s important to understand that the new features of Participating Whole Life policies are not those of our parents’ generation. The new version of these policies includes the following:

  • A stable rate of return, consistent with or better than fixed income or bond-type investments of similar duration;

  • A guaranteed investment designed to increase in value every year, meaning your investment will not decline due to market conditions;

  • Tax-advantaged – your investment grows tax-deferred, possibly even tax-free;

  • Liquid – you can access your investment by several different means, some of which are tax-free;

  • Increased flexibility – some Par Whole Life Policies have been re-designed to afford a measure of deposit flexibility not previously available;

  • This investment could be protected against the claims of creditors or litigants;

  • If you became disabled, your annual investment amount could be made on your behalf and never have to be repaid.

In addition to being a viable option for investment diversification, a Participating Whole Life policy would also ensure that your family is protected from the uncertainty of death. With the re-investing of policy dividends, this type of policy is guaranteed to increase in death benefit each year.

Reach out if you are unsure where to put additional investment funds or if your investments are keeping you up at night due to these unprecedented times. As always, please feel free to share this information with anyone you think would find it of interest.

Applications for Canada Recovery Benefit now open!

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The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) is now open for applications.

As described on the Canada.ca website, the CRB gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are directly affected by COVID-19 and are not entitled to Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. The CRB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

This program replaces the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and, if eligible, provides $1,000 ($900 after taxes withheld) for a 2-week period.

If your situation continues past 2 weeks, you will need to apply again. You may apply up to a total of 13 eligibility periods (26 weeks) between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the CRB, you must meet all the following conditions for the 2-week period you are applying for:

  • During the period you’re applying for:

    • you were not working for reasons related to COVID-19 OR

    • you had a 50% reduction in your average weekly income compared to the previous year due to COVID-19

  • You did not apply for or receive any of the following:

    • Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB)

    • Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB)

    • short-term disability benefits

    • workers’ compensation benefits

    • Employment Insurance (EI) benefits

    • Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) benefits

  • You were not eligible for EI benefits

  • You reside in Canada

  • You were present in Canada

  • You are at least 15 years old

  • You have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN)

  • You earned at least $5,000 in 2019, 2020, or in the 12 months before the date you apply from any of the following sources:

    • employment income (total or gross pay)

    • net self-employment income (after deducting expenses)

    • maternity and parental benefits from EI or similar QPIP benefits

  • You have not quit your job or reduced your hours voluntarily on or after September 27, 2020, unless it was reasonable to do so

  • You were seeking work during the period, either as an employee or in self-employment

  • You have not turned down reasonable work during the 2-week period you’re applying for

You need all of the above to be eligible for the CRB.

APPLY FOR THE CRB

New Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy | Wage Subsidy extended | CEBA additional $20,000 loan

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On October 9th, the Federal Government announced the new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS), the extension of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and additional loans through the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA).

New Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy for businesses

The Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) is the replacement for the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA).

When launched, the new program will allow businesses to apply directly for rent relief through CRA. The original CECRA faced criticism because it required landlords to apply for the assistance and absorb a 25% reduction in rent which may explain the low uptake.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that the new rent subsidy will be available for businesses that continue to experience revenue decline due to COVID-19. From Canada.ca:

  • The new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, which would provide simple and easy-to-access rent and mortgage support until June 2021 for qualifying organizations affected by COVID-19. The rent subsidy would be provided directly to tenants, while also providing support to property owners. The new rent subsidy would support businesses, charities, and non-profits that have suffered a revenue drop, by subsidizing a percentage of their expenses, on a sliding scale, up to a maximum of 65 per cent of eligible expenses until December 19, 2020. Organizations would be able to make claims retroactively for the period that began September 27 and ends October 24, 2020.

  • A top-up Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy of 25 per cent for organizations temporarily shut down by a mandatory public health order issued by a qualifying public health authority, in addition to the 65 per cent subsidy. This follows a commitment in the Speech from the Throne to provide direct financial support to businesses temporarily shut down as a result of a local public health decision.

Allowing businesses to apply for the rent subsidy directly will make obtaining support for those in need as straightforward and simple as possible.

The new CERS is set to be available until June 2021.

Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy extended to June 2021

The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) will continue to provide wage relief for employers until June 2021. As well, the subsidy will remain at the current rate of up to a maximum of 65% of eligible wages until December 19th and will not decrease on a sliding scale as previously planned.

Canada Emergency Business Account – additional $20,000 interest-free loan

The Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) will be expanded to provide an additional $20,000 loan with $10,000 forgivable if repaid by December 31, 2022. Additionally, the application deadline for CEBA is being extended to December 31, 2020. Businesses applying for the loan will be required to prove they have faced income loss caused by COVID-19.

See the full news release at canada.ca