Eligible dividends

As readers of this blog know, Joe Monaco and I prepared a presentation last spring on eligible dividends. “Eligible dividends” are taxable dividends paid by a corporation resident in Canada after 2005 that are received by a person resident in Canada and that are designated as eligible for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada). An individual who receives an eligible dividend is entitled to claim an enhanced dividend tax credit. As a result, the effective tax rate on an eligible dividend for an individual otherwise subject to tax at the highest marginal rate is only about 25%.

What are the corporate procedures that a Canadian-controlled private corporation (a CCPC) should follow to pay and designate an eligible dividend?

IT-474R3

The CRA recently released Interpretation Bulletin IT-474R3 (“Amalgamations of Canadian Corporations”). One of the big changes relates to the requirement to obtain a certificate under section 116 of the Income Tax Act. Previously, the CRA took the position that a…

Interest relief

The late 1980’s and early 1990’s were riotous times for tax shelters and their promoters. Unfortunately, many of them tended to leave taxpayers with severe hangovers in the form of large tax bills complete with assessments for interest amounts that tripled or quadrupled the amount of tax payable. What to do about that interest?