Comparing TFSA’s and RRSP’s – 2019
/in Blog, Family, individuals, Investment, Retirees, rrsp, tax, Tax Free Savings Account/by L.S. Smith and Associates
If you are seeking ways to save in the most tax-efficient manner available, TFSAs and RRSPs can both be effective options for you to achieve your savings goals more quickly. However, each plan does have distinct differences and advantages / disadvantages. Let’s take a look at their key features:
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While a TFSA can be used for any type of savings, an RRSP is used exclusively for retirement savings.
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You can enjoy tax free withdrawals from your TFSA due to the fact that you make your contributions after you have paid tax, whereas the opposite is true for withdrawals from your RRSP (except in the case of lifelong learning plan and home buyers’ plan)
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TFSA contributions aren’t tax deductible whereas RRSP contributions are i.e. with an RRSP, you can deduct the contributions that you make from your income when you file your tax return.
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It is required that you use earned income to contribute towards your RRSP but this is not the case for your TFSA.
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You can continue to contribute towards your TFSA for as long as you like, whereas you must close your RRSP and stop contributing towards it when you turn 71 and purchase an annuity or convert it to a RRIF with the savings that you have made within the plan.
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You are able to specify your spouse as your beneficiary with both your TFSA and your RRSP, however there is a key difference with how your savings are treated upon your spouse’s death. With an RRSP, there will be taxes payable upon the monies left in the plan by your children who inherit it, whereas with a TFSA, tax is only paid on the increase in the value of the plan since the date of death in the year that it is inherited by your children. What’s more, no tax is payable if the value that they receive is less than the value of the TFSA at the time of death.
In summary, your individual circumstances will dictate which plan is the most appropriate for you, depending on your tax position and withdrawal intentions. The primary difference between both plans is the timing of the taxes payable i.e. if you want to defer the payment of your taxes, particularly if your marginal tax rate will be lower in retirement, an RRSP may be more beneficial for you. Alternatively, if your marginal tax rate will be higher when you plan to make withdrawals, a TFSA may suit you better.
2019 Financial Calendar
/in Blog, Business Owners, corporate, individuals, Investment, rrsp, tax, Tax Free Savings Account/by L.S. Smith and Associates2019 Financial Calendar
Financial Calendar for 2019 – All the deadlines you need to know to maximize your benefits!












Getting the best from a financial advisor
/in Blog, Business Owners, Charitable Gifting, corporate, disability, Estate Planning, Family, Group Benefits, health benefits, individuals, Investment, life insurance, long term care, pension plan, Retirees, rrsp, tax, Tax Free Savings Account, travel insurance/by L.S. Smith and AssociatesWorking with a professional to help you to make sense of your finances can be a wise move, but for this relationship to work effectively it is important that you understand what to expect from your financial advisor.
What can your financial advisor help you with?
- Defining your financial goals and creating a step by step plan or strategy to achieve them.
- Planning for the future, including for retirement, future education or housing needs.
- Choosing the mix of investments and assets that suit your goals, lifestyle, time horizon and appetite for risk.
- Building a solid estate for your family to inherit in the future.
- Choosing the most tax-efficient methods of saving and investing.
What should your financial advisor inform you of?
- The range of services that they offer and how much and by which method you will compensate them.
- Your mutual responsibilities and obligations towards each other.
- What the planning process will look like and the documents that they will provide you with.
What will your financial advisor need from you or need to ask you about?
- What your financial goals are.
- What your personal circumstances – such as your marital status, any dependents, your job, earnings and tax situation.
- Any investments or assets that you currently have – such as registered accounts, workplace pensions, property etc.
- Your appetite for risk and investment preferences.
- Information on your income and also your outgoings, including debts such as mortgages, loans or credit cards.
- Whether or not you have a will, and its contents.
- Your estate and inheritance planning situation.
If you’re looking to achieve your financial goals, talk to us. We can help.
Manitoba Budget 2018
/in Blog, Business Owners, corporate, individuals, Investment, tax/by L.S. Smith and Associates
Manitoba Finance Minister Cameron Friesen delivered the province’s 2018 budget update on March 12, 2018. The budget anticipates a surplus of $521 million for 2018 to 2019.
Corporate and personal tax rates remain unchanged.
The biggest changes are:
● The increase in the amount of income eligible for the small business deduction.
● The increase in Basic Personal Amount
● Carbon tax
Corporation changes
- Small Business Deduction Limit Increased – Although there were no announcements about changes to the province’s corporate tax rate, it does increase the small business income limit eligible from $450,000 to $500,0000 effective January 1, 2019.
- Child Care Centre Development Tax Credit – A new refundable corporation income tax credit to encourage the creation of licensed child care centres in workplaces. The credit will be a total benefit of $10,000 per new infant/preschool space created, claimable over 5 years. (This is for corporations that are not primarily engaged in child care services.)
- Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit – The 45% investment tax credit is intended to promote the acquisition of equity capital in emerging enterprises that require larger amount of capital. Effective, March 12, 2018 the minimum investment is lowered to $10,000 (from $20,000) and the elimination off the $15 million revenue cap on the size of an eligible corporation.
Personal tax changes
- Basic Personal Amount – The Basic Personal Amount will be increased by $1,010 each year for 2019 and 2020 (approximately 10% per year) resulting in additional savings of $109 for 2019 and $218 for 2020 or “$2,020 by 2020”.
- Primary Caregiver Tax Credit – Effective immediately, the budget implements a flat $1,400 Primary Caregiver Tax Credit available to all eligible caregivers.
- Education Property Tax Credit – Effective January 1, 2019, the calculation of the education property tax credit will be based on actual school taxes and the $250 deductible will be eliminated.
- Tobacco Tax – Effective March 12, 2018, there will be an increase to the tobacco tax rate for fine-cut tobacco to 45¢ per gram (from 28.5¢ per gram)
- Carbon Tax – Effective September 1, 2018, there will be an imposed tax of $25 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions. This new provincial carbon regime will apply to gas, liquid, solid fuels intended for combustion.
Carbon Tax Rates by Select Fuel Type (2018-2022)
To learn how these changes will affect you, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
2018 Federal Budget Highlights for Families
/in Blog, disability, Family, individuals, Investment, tax/by L.S. Smith and Associates
Several key changes relating to personal financial arrangements are covered in the Canadian government’s 2018 federal budget, which could affect the finances of you and your family. Below are some of the most significant changes to be aware of:
Parental Leave
The government is creating a new five-week “use-it-or-lose-it” incentive for new fathers to take parental leave. This would increase the EI parental leave to 40 weeks (maximum) when the second parent agrees to take at least 5 weeks off. Effective June 2019, couples who opt for extended parental leave of 18 months, the second parent can take up to 8 additional weeks, at 33% of their income.
Gender Equality
The government aims to reduce the gender wage gap by 2.7% for public servants and 2.6% in the federal private sector. The aim is to ensure that men and women receive the same pay for equal work. They have also announced increased funding for female entrepreneurs.
Trusts
Effective for 2021 tax filings, the government will require reporting for certain trusts to provide information to provide information on identities of all trustees, beneficiaries, settlors of the trust and each person that has the ability to exert control over the trust.
Registered Disability Savings Plan holders
The budget proposes to extend to 2023 the current temporary measure whereby a family member such as a spouse or parent can hold an RDSP plan on behalf of an adult with reduced capacity.
If you would like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
2018 Federal Budget Highlights for Business
/in Blog, Business Owners, corporate, Investment, tax/by L.S. Smith and Associates
The government’s 2018 federal budget focuses on a number of tax tightening measures for business owners. It introduces a new regime for holding passive investments inside a Canadian Controlled Private Corporation (CCPC). (Previously proposed in July 2017.)
Here are the highlights:
Small Business Tax Rate Reduction Confirmed
Lower small business tax rate from 10% (from 10.5%), effective January 1, 2018 and to 9% effective January 1, 2019.
Limiting Access to the Small Business Tax Rate
A key objective of the budget is to decrease the small business limit for CCPCs with a set threshold of income generated from passive investments. This will apply to CCPCs with between $50,000 and $150,000 of investment income. It reduces the small business deduction by $5 for each $1 of investment income which falls over the threshold of $50,000. This new regulation will go hand in hand with the current business limit reduction for taxable capital.
Limiting access to refundable taxes
Another important feature of the budget is to reduce the tax advantages that CCPCs can gain to access refundable taxes on the distribution of dividends. Currently, a corporation can receive a refundable dividend tax on hand (known as a RDTOH) when they pay a particular dividend, whereas the new proposals aim to permit such a refund only where a private corporation pays non-eligible dividends, though exceptions apply regarding RDTOH deriving from eligible portfolio dividends.
The new RDTOH account referred to “eligible RDTOH” will be tracked under Part IV of the Income Tax Act while the current RDTOH account will be redefined as “non-eligible RDTOH” and will be tracked under Part I of the Income Tax Act. This means when a corporation pays non-eligible dividends, it’s required to obtain a refund from its non-eligible RDTOH account before it obtains a refund from its eligible RDTOH account.
Health and welfare trusts
The budget states that it will end the Health and Welfare Trust tax regime and transition it to Employee Life and Health Trusts. The current tax position of Health and Welfare Trusts are linked to the administrative rules as stated by the CRA, but the income Tax Act includes specific rules relating to the Employee Life and Heath Trusts which are similar. The budget will simplify this arrangement to have one set of rules across both arrangements.
2018 Financial Calendar
/in Blog, Family, individuals, Investment, mortgage, pension plan, Retirees, rrsp, tax, Tax Free Savings Account/by L.S. Smith and AssociatesGet in Touch
L.S. Smith & Associates
Shayne Smith
Insurance and Financial Advisor
Tel: (204) 489-1022
Toll Free: 1-877-489-1022
Email: Shayne@LSSmith.ca
7-549 Regent Avenue West
Winnipeg, MB
R2C 1R9
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