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Canadian Insolvencies Hit a 16-Year High — What the New Data Means for You

  More than 37,000 Canadians filed for insolvency in just three months — the highest quarterly total since the 2009 financial crisis. New data paints a sobering picture of where household finances stand heading into summer 2026. Fresh data from the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (OSB) and a new Equifax Canada report released this week confirm what many Canadians have been feeling: the financial pressure is real, it is growing, and it is reaching households that once seemed insulated from serious debt trouble. 📊 Q1 2026 — Key Numbers at a Glance 37,121 Consumer insolvencies filed in Q1 2026 +8.5% Year-over-year increase 17/hr Canadians filing every single hour $2.66T Total Canadian consumer debt The Highest Volume Since the 2009 Financial Crisis The Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals (CAIRP) confirmed that Q1 2026's tally of 37,121 consumer insolvency filings is the largest quarterly figure since 2009 — the year North America was still re...

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The alternative minimum tax


 

The alternative minimum tax (AMT) is a secondary way for Canadians to calculate their income tax. It is often applicable when you have claimed a preferential tax deduction or credit, such as capital gains, dividend, or employee stock options.

Each year, your tax owing is calculated under the normal method, which considers the preferential tax credits and deductions. This number is then compared to a second calculation where you don’t receive these same credits and deductions, but your tax is calculated at a lower tax rate. For most instances, the normal calculation will result in more tax owing. When the second calculation results in a higher amount owing, you will pay this higher amount. The difference between the regular tax owing and the second calculation is the AMT. When you are subject to the AMT, this should be viewed as a prepayment of future tax. Over the next seven years, you can recover this amount paid against your regular income tax. In order to recover this AMT in the future, you would have to be taxable in future years, thus if you do not have taxable income in these years, this AMT will be lost.

I hope this helps!

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