Publications

We are committed to helping you reach your financial objectives. Whether you are buying your first home or considering your retirement investment choices, there are registered plans and services that can help you save for your goals on a tax assisted basis. This guide provides an overview of the benefits of registered plans and how they fit into your financial situation.

Having a TFSA works. Get one working for you. Whether you’re saving for a new car, a home purchase, your child’s education or retirement, a TFSA can help you reach your financial goals sooner.

Introduced in 2023, the tax-free First Home Savings Account (“FHSA”) is an innovative registered plan that allows prospective first-time home buyers to contribute up to $40,000 towards their first home, benefiting from tax-free growth. Similar to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (“RRSP”), contributions to an FHSA are tax-deductible, and withdrawals to purchase a first home — including from investment income — are non-taxable, like a Tax-Free Savings Account (“TFSA”).

A formalized savings plan that uses a registered plan, such as a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) or a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF), is one of the soundest ways to realize your retirement goals. Here are some strategies you can use to maximize the benefits of your RRSP, TFSA and RRIF.

Investing in a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (“RRSP”) is one of the soundest ways to ensure you enjoy a financially secure retirement. In order to maximize the benefits of an RRSP, it’s important to have a basic understanding of the rules that govern them.

RRSP Rules

A RRIF is very much like an RRSP in reverse. An RRSP is an account designed to help you save for retirement – a RRIF is an account designed to provide annual income in the form of withdrawals from a registered plan during your retirement. Click to read on about how you can benefit from an RRIF.

The locking-in of pension benefits is an important concept. Pension regulations are designed to ensure that the pension benefits promised by an employer are available at the employee’s retirement date and that the accumulated pension funds are used to provide a lifetime retirement income for the employee. In response to the growing demand for more flexibility, many provinces, as well as the Federal government, have amended their pension acts to allow additional maturity options.

RESP - your contributions and grants

Knowing how tax rules affect your investments is essential to maximizing your after-tax return. In addition, keeping up to date on changes to the tax rules ensures that you take advantage of all the tax savings available to Canadian-resident individuals. This article provides an overview of select strategies to assist you in reducing your tax bill.

The family farm continues to serve an important role in the Canadian economy and, as such, receives special status under Canada’s tax law. In particular, there are two important tax planning strategies that can be used when transferring a Canadian farm property. The Capital Gains Deduction is available to potentially shelter capital gains realized on transfers of qualified farm property, and the Intergenerational Farm Property Rollover (“Intergenerational Rollover”) permits tax-deferred transfers of farm property to other family members. Both strategies can apply to lifetime transfers (i.e., a sale or gift), or to transfers that take place upon the death of the owner. The rules surrounding these strategies are very complex and only a general discussion is provided here.

Before the end of the year, it is a good idea to review your investment portfolio and consider engaging in a tax-loss selling strategy. In doing so, you can potentially reduce your overall tax liability (especially in 2024, due to the recent increase in the capital gains inclusion rate)1, or receive a refund on your previous year’s taxes paid.

This Guide provides an overview of tax reporting for BMO Nesbitt Burns clients, information about filing deadlines, estimated mailing dates of tax slips, answers frequently asked questions about the annual tax season, and provides other information to help simplify your tax preparation efforts.

While most Canadians are aware of the April 30 personal income tax filing deadline, there are other important tax deadlines that must be observed over the course of the year – especially if you want to take advantage of certain tax deductions and credits. This calendar summarizes several important dates on the tax calendar and offers some tips to help you with your overall wealth planning. Where a deadline falls on a weekend or a holiday recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”), the deadline is generally extended to the next business day.