Entries by Samuel J. Esaw

Paying for Education

Post-secondary education can be expensive, however having the opportunity to plan for it helps with making sure that you’re capable to meet the costs of education.

Importance of a Buy-Sell Agreement

Working as a partnership between 2 or more individuals is never an easy task, and the situation only gets more complicated when one or more of them exits the business. Protecting not only the business, but your personal interests, as well as your family’s future are very important objectives for any business owner, and should not be overlooked.

Life Insurance after 60- is it necessary?

You may have had life insurance for as long as you can remember. You knew it was important to make sure that your family would be taken care of and be able to pay their bills if anything happened to you.

But now that you’re over 60, your children are grown, and your mortgage is paid off, you may feel you don’t need life insurance anymore. However, there are some circumstances under which it may still make sense for you to have life insurance:

• You still have substantial debt.
• You have dependent children or grandchildren.
• You want to be able to leave a financial legacy.

Estate Freeze

An estate freeze can be an integral part of your estate planning strategy. The purpose of an estate freeze is to transfer any future increase in your business’s value (generally shares) that you own to someone else.

Succession Planning for Business Owners

Business owners deal with a unique set of challenges. One of these challenges includes succession planning. A succession plan is the process of the transfer of ownership, management and interest of a business. When should a business owner have a succession plan? A succession plan is required through the survival, growth and maturity stage of a business. All business owners, partners and shareholders should have a plan in place during these business stages.

British Columbia 2021 Budget Highlights

On April 20, 2021, the B.C. Minister of Finance announced the 2021 budget. We have highlighted the most important things you need to know, including:

• Changes in the requirement to repay the B.C. Emergency Benefit for Workers
• Home Owner Grant threshold change
• PST exemption for electric bikes
• Elimination of PST rebate for certain vehicle sales
• Delay in the carbon tax increase
• Tobacco tax increases
• Changes to the speculation and vacancy tax

Federal Budget 2021 Highlights

On April 19, 2021, the Federal Government released their 2021 budget. Our article contains highlights of the various financial measures in this budget, divided into three different sections:

• Business Highlights, including an extension to COVID-19 Emergency Business Supports, new programs to support job creation, and a change in interest deductibility limits.

• Individual Highlights, including details on the tax treatment and repayment of personal COVID-19 benefits (such as CERB), eligibility changes to the Disability Tax Credit, an increase in OAS for those 75 and up, and support for job skills retraining.

• Additional Highlights, including a proposed federal minimum wage of $15, changes to the GST New Housing Rebate conditions, and new or increased taxes in areas such as luxury goods, tobacco, and Canadian housing owned by non-resident foreign owners.

What’s new for the 2021 tax-filing season?

Tax season is upon us once again. But since 2020 was a year like no other, the 2021 tax-filing season will also be different. Due to all the changes in both where and how Canadians worked, the Canadian government has introduced some new tax credits and deductions to keep pace with these changes. Our article covers all of the following:
• How to claim home office expenses
• The new Canada Training Credit
• Pandemic emergency funds
• New digital news subscription tax credit

Do you REALLY need life insurance?

You most likely do, but the more important question is, What kind? Whether you’re a young professional starting out, a devoted parent or a successful CEO, securing a life insurance policy is probably one of the most important decisions you will have to make in your adult life. Most people would agree that having financial safety nets in place is a good way to make sure that your loved ones will be taken care of when you pass away. Insurance can also help support your financial obligations and even take care of your estate liabilities.