Home/Two Minute Tax Tips

Going back to school? Use this trick for tax savings.

Plan ahead to get a tax bonus using the money you've saved for tuition The Canada Revenue Agency encourages continuing your education via the Lifelong Learning Plan, or LLP. Under this program you may make a tax­-free withdrawal from your RRSPs when you are entering an educational program as a full-­time student for at least [...]

Falling Behind In Your Taxes Doesn’t Make You A Bad Person | Filing Back Taxes

Here at Personal Tax Advisors, we serve a lot of new clients who come to us having fallen several years behind on their income tax filing. Helping people clear away years of unfiled taxes is incredibly rewarding because we’re able to not only help with taxes (as always), but alleviate a lot of emotional distress. [...]

Can a joint tenant use the home buyer’s plan or the first home savings account?

Can a joint-tenant qualify as a first-time homebuyer? Q: I'm a joint tenant in my current home, and I'm ready to buy my own place. Can I use the Home Buyers' Plan (HBP) or the Tax-Free First Home Savings Account (FHSA) as a first-time homebuyer? A: To take advantage of the HBP and/or FHSA, [...]

Can a paid companion qualify as Attendant Care?

Q:  My 87-year-old mom lives in a long term care home in Ottawa. I hired a wonderful woman as a companion to her, to supplement my weekly visits. Would her fees be tax deductible as Attendant Care? A: Possibly, if a few other factors are in play. Definition of Attendant Care The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) [...]

Capital Gain On A Principal Residence That Becomes A Rental

As you may know, you don't pay tax in Canada on the sale of your principal residence. But what if the property was your principal residence, but was an investment property by the time you sold it? Q: I purchased my home 20 years ago for $120,000. Fifteen years later I converted that principal residence [...]

Don’t despair if you’ve fallen years behind on your tax filing

It starts with missing one year. Tax time rolls around and you’re going through some things so you put it off or it slips your mind. Second year – it happens again. It starts to bother you, but life is hectic. Third year: now it’s becoming a habit not to file. Every now and then, [...]

The Covid Work-From-Home deduction (2020-2022)

The special Work-From-Home deduction relating to Covid-19 came into effect for the 2020 tax year and continued until the end of the 2022 tax year. Let's recap what this deduction does and how to claim it. The Covid-19 Work-From-Home Deduction As a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Canadian government allowed a special Work-From-Home deduction [...]

All About CRA Matching

Little-known fact: 80% of Canadian income tax filing works on the honour system. During tax season, CRA receives an avalanche of income tax returns; far more than they could ever review in real time. Consequently, they send out most Notices of Assessment having done little-to-no review of what is actually in those tax returns. Unless [...]

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