Skip to main content

Featured

Use a Debt Repayment Calculator to Build Your Payoff Plan

Stop Guessing. Start Calculating. Knowing you have debt is one thing. Knowing exactly when it will be gone — and how much interest you'll pay along the way — is something entirely different. That's where a Debt Repayment Calculator earns its keep. Whether you're carrying a credit card balance, a car loan, a student loan, or a combination of all three, a repayment calculator takes the guesswork out of your payoff journey and puts you in the driver's seat. What Does a Debt Repayment Calculator Do? A debt repayment calculator takes three simple inputs: Your current balance — how much you owe today Your interest rate — the annual percentage rate (APR) on the debt Your monthly payment — what you're paying (or plan to pay) each month From there, it instantly tells you: Your payoff date — the exact month and year you'll be debt-free Total interest paid — the real cost of carrying that balance Interest saved — how much you'd save by increasin...

article

CRA may tax company gifts to employees, depending on what it is and how much it’s worth

 


Here is a short article about the tax rules surrounding gifts by employers in Canada:

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) distinguishes between gifts, awards, and long-service awards. The value of gifts and awards are generally taxable to employees as employment income, but certain non-cash gifts and awards may not be taxable under the updated administrative policies.

A gift is something given to an employee for a special occasion such as a religious holiday, birthday, wedding, or the birth of a child. Gifts given around this time of year will generally fall under this category. 

An award is given for an employment-related accomplishment such as outstanding service, or an employee’s suggestion. It recognizes an employee’s “overall contribution to the workplace, not recognition of job performance.” 

A valid, potentially non-taxable award has clearly defined criteria, a nomination and evaluation process, and a limited number of recipients, according to the CRA. Contrast this with a reward, which is provided to employees for performance-related reasons, such as meeting or exceeding sales targets, or completing a project. These rewards are considered to be taxable benefits to the employee, akin to a bonus or extra compensation. 

Under the CRA’s administrative policy, employees can receive an unlimited number of tax-free non-cash gifts or awards each year, provided the combined total fair market value of those gifts and awards is less than $500 (including tax). Excluded from this $500 limit are small items or items of a trivial value such as coffee or tea, T-shirts, mugs, plaques, and trophies. If, however, the total of non-cash gifts and awards is more than $500 in a calendar year, the amount over $500 will be considered a taxable employment benefit.


Comments