Gwyneth James

Every year at this time of year I see a few struggling taxpayers who put money into an RRSP, only to hit a roadblock and need to take it back out. The problem is, withdrawing from your RRSP increases your taxable income – which could affect government benefits and tax credits – and your overall … Read more

The door and phone at accounting firms across the country are starting to get busier as tax season approaches. All slips are supposed to be issued by Feb 28 so by the second week of March, in theory, you should be able to file your tax return. Regardless of your sources of income, if you … Read more

The financial media tends to spend most of its time on tax saving strategies for the wellhealed and I understand the attraction, but once in a while it is important to remember that not all people are so fortunate. This month’s column will address two of the payments available to low income families: the Working … Read more

For some reason I have been running across a number of articles lately on that unmentionable five-letter word: “death”. The Globe and Mail ran an extremely good column by Tim Certnickon Nov 24 entitled “Ten financial steps to take before you die”. I am certain he would be flattered if I relayed the key points … Read more

By the time you read this the municipal elections will be behind us, but as I write one of the favourite topics of discussion is job creation. In light of that, this month’s article will be about hiring youth. …to read more download: “Hiring Youth” Article November 2010

Income splitting is a tax strategy that involves transferring income from a higher-earning  spouse to a lower-earning spouse or adult child. Despite tax credits for a wholly  dependent spouse, it is still more tax advantageous to have both spouses in a similar tax bracket. …to read more download: “Income Splitting Essentials” Article October 2010