Friday, March 30, 2012

Five Year Freeze on Expected Tax Cuts


Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan announced on Tuesday that plans for corporate tax cuts will be put on hiatus until the province can get back on track with its debt.

Businesses were looking forward to a drop from the current corporate rate of 11.5% down to 10%. They will now have to wait at least five years for any chance at seeing those cuts take shape.

As the Liberals look to balance the ledgers by 2018, businesses that were counting on a tax break need to find other ways to save cash for the near future.

Will this news cause significant hardship for your business?

See below for an excerpt from the article.

* * * * *


By Romina Maurino, The Canadian Press, thecanadianpress.com, Updated: March 27, 2012 8:08 PM
Ontario delays cut to corporate tax rates
It's a move Finance Minister Dwight Duncan called necessary, and one he said will put $1.5 billion in government coffers over three years.

The budget also promised to save $250 million by merging many business support programs into a Jobs and Prosperity Fund, as well as freeze scheduled decreases in business education taxes, again until the budget is balanced, for an additional $300 million in savings.

Duncan said he spoke with various business leaders and they "recognize that the business community has to make its contribution."

"We have made Ontario a more attractive place for businesses to invest and create new jobs," Duncan told the legislature while delivering his budget.

"So we are asking business to do its part to help Ontario balance its budget."

View the full article here at MSN Money Canada

Source URL: http://money.ca.msn.com/investing/news/business-news/ontario-delays-cut-to-corporate-tax-rates

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Insurance for the Uninsurable

Life insurance is generally used to cover an insurance need that arises at the death of an individual immediately we think of insurance to pay a debt like credit cards or a line of credit or a mortgage. We also think of using insurance to replace one’s income so the family can maintain a specific standard of living.

But what happens if you are permanently uninsurable due to your health as many people are? Don’t stop looking for coverage we advise clients. While it is preferable to receive a death benefit at the time of your death, it is also possible to buy a JOINT and LAST survivor policy. In this case we join two people into one policy and in this J&L (Joint and Last) policy, a death benefit is paid following the second death, not the first. As such we combine the ages of the two lives, and come up with an Estimated Single Age.  For example, your father is 74 years old and your mother is 69 years old. Combine the two ages and we come up with an estimated single age of 62. Even if one of the two people are uninsurable, there is potential that a policy can be issued. The death benefit is paid following the death of the second person, and can be used for financial needs of the family, or the pay tax on unused RRSP funds.

This concept can be used in business, in families, and for parents, young and old.