RLB Blog

The 2024 Federal Budget of Canada was made public on April 16, 2024. Delivered by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, The Budget will address many concerns at the forefront of the Canadian business economy. It will offer insight into measures in critical areas that will affect many of our clients, such as audit and enforcement, business tax, credits and incentives, international tax, and private client services. Upon review of the Budget, we have highlighted some of the more considerable changes and the implications of these measures for the Canadian economy, businesses, and individuals.

Canada’s 2024 Federal Budget (Budget 2024), delivered by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on April 16, 2024, addresses critical economic challenges faced by Canadians and businesses.

In a previous blog, we discussed proposed changes to Underused Housing Tax (UHT) legislation in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement which may alleviate UHT filing requirements for many Canadians. As we approach the April 30, 2024, filing deadline for 2023 UHT returns, we revisit these proposals and review their current status.

Many people are unaware that there is more than one way to prepare financial records. There are two methods: cash accounting which involves recording revenue and expenses at the time they are paid, and accrual accounting which records revenue and expenses in the period that services are applicable to. Although cash accounting can be easier than accrual accounting, it does not provide an accurate picture of a corporation’s annual revenue and expenses. Accrual accounting not only gives a more accurate picture of the corporation’s revenue, expenses, assets, and liabilities, it is also required under the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). This means that auditors only audit based on the accrual method, therefore, if cash accounting was used to prepare the financial records, the books must be updated to reflect accrual accounting before having an audit completed.

Initially proposed during the 2021 Federal Budget, the Underused Housing Tax (“UHT”) and the commentary around it has continued to evolve over recent months. Intended as a tax on vacant or underused housing in Canada owned by non-residents, the UHT has attracted a lot of additional attention primarily due to its wide-reaching filing requirements and severe late filing penalties. 

The Underused Housing Tax Act (the “UHTA”) came into effect from January 1, 2022. The rules for UHTA were enacted June 9, 2022, for residential properties owned on December 31 each year starting December 31, 2022. The Underused Housing Tax (“UHT”) rules require residential property owners to file an annual return, unless certain exemptions apply, even if no tax is due.

This article was originally written for and published in the GVCA Journal (Mar-Apr 2023 - Issue 2).

As part of the 2021 Federal Budget, the Government of Canada announced plans to add an annual tax of 1% on the value of residential real estate owned by any non-resident, non-Canadian that is considered vacant or underused. The rules for UHT were enacted June 9, 2022 for residential properties owned at December 31st each year starting December 31st, 2022.

A compilation engagement (previously referred to as a notice to reader) will be going through some changes this year. This is the first time in over 30 years that the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board has issued a new standard. For those who manage a business and engage a practitioner to compile your financial information, these changes should be taken note of.

November 14th marks the beginning of Fraud Awareness Week. Are you or your business vulnerable to fraud? What is it and what should you look out for? Let’s take a look at the “Fraud Triangle”.