EIFEL Rules May Affect Your Ability to Deduct Interest and Financing Costs Going Forward

By John Grummett FCPA, FCA, Taylor Leibow LLP, Hamilton, ON

New rules are now in effect related to the deductibility of interest and financing costs. The rules are referred to as "Excess Interest and Financing Expenses Limitation" or EIFEL.

In general, the rules limit net interest and financing expenses to 30% of Adjusted Taxable Income ("ATI") for taxation years beginning on or after January 1, 2024. In addition...

Bare Trusts - Updated Filing Requirements Announced August 2024

By Beth Porter CPA, CA, CFP, Noseworthy Chapman,  St. John's, NL

Over the last few years, Finance Canada has announced several changes to tax filing requirements for Trusts. One of the more significant changes was the requirement for all bare trusts to file tax returns commencing with the tax year ended December 31, 2023. The details regarding this requirement were...

What is GAAR?

By Mark R. Servello, CPA, CGA, Kenway Mack Slusarchuk Stewart LLP, Calgary, AB

GAAR stands for the General Anti-Avoidance Rule.

The GAAR rules were added to the Income Tax Act ("the Act") in 1988 to prevent abusive tax avoidance transactions while not interfering with legitimate transactions. In Finance Canada's 2022 consultation paper on GAAR it was stated that...

Capital Dividend Election Trap

By Jeff Saunders, Teed Saunders Doyle, Fredericton, NB

There has been a lot of coverage in the media lately about the Federal Government changing the inclusion rate for capital gains (the part of a capital gain that is taxed) from 50% to 66.7%. One issue that has not received as much attention is the impact this change has on capital dividend elections. And it is an issue that could prove to be quite costly if you are not careful.

First, a little background on capital dividend elections. Without getting into all of the technical definitions and Income Tax Act references associated with capital dividend elections, corporations have a tax account called...

Employee Ownership Trust Update – Federal Budget 2024

By Yves Lagasse, Craig Ross LLP, Winnipeg, MB

The 2024 federal budget provides additional details on the $10 million exemption from taxation on capital gains realized on the sale of a business to an Employee Ownership Trust ("EOT") that were not included in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement or Bill C-59. The 2024 budget also proposes to expand the definition of a "qualifying business transfer"....