In February, finance minister Chrystia Freeland said the government had no intention to change its position on the capital gains tax related to equity markets or principal residences. But, that was before the Liberal-NDP parliamentary co-operation agreement.PATRICK DOYLE/Reuters
Are you a professional financial advisor? Register for Globe Advisor and then sign up for the new weekly newsletter on our newsletter sign-up page. Get exclusive investment industry news and insights, the weeks top headlines, and what you and your clients need to know.
Advisors are fielding a fresh round of investor questions on potential tax changes in the upcoming federal budget as the Liberal government looks for ways to pay for billions in promised spending including costs that come with its recent parliamentary co-operation agreement with the NDP.
Conversations are resurfacing with clients about the possibility of an increase in the capital gains inclusion rate, advisors say. Some wonder if Ottawa will go as far as taxing inheritances, which happens in other countries, or even the seemingly untouchable profits from selling a principal residence.
The pre-budget conversations are all speculative, advisors caution, as the government hasnt said it plans to make any of these moves. Its expected to introduce an anti-flipping tax, based on a campaign platform last year, that would affect Canadians who sell their residences within a year after buying them.
Still, advisors note governments have made surprise tax announcements in the past and, with some clients, it may make sense to plan ahead.
What were saying to clients is, We cant predict the future, but Im relatively certain that were going to see very interesting innovation in taxation, says Darren Coleman, senior vice president, private client group and portfolio manager with Coleman Wealth at Raymond James Ltd. in Toronto
The Liberal Partys recent deal with the NDP which prevents another election until mid-2025 in exchange for action on NDP priorities such as dental care, pharmacare and increased federal transfers to the provinces for health care has some investors worried that major tax changes are coming to foot the bill.
Anytime you have a collaboration between two parties, it opens up a higher probability of tax changes, says Wes Ashton, co-founder, director of growth strategy and portfolio manager at Harbourfront Wealth Management Inc. in Vancouver.
Theres a little bit of anxiety with clients, where they ask: Should I be doing anything proactively? he says.
Mr. Coleman has been discussing the potential for a higher capital gains inclusion rate with clients during the past couple of years. It was first introduced 50 years ago at 50 per cent, then increased to 66.7 per cent in the late 1980s, and went as high as 75 per cent in the 1990s. It has been back at 50 per cent since 2000.
Mr. Coleman says some of his clients who were ready to take profits have sold their shares in anticipation of a higher tax rate.
Some said they wanted to do it now, so at least they know what their taxes are, while others were willing to wait and see what happens, he says.
Ottawas decision to force Canadians to record the sale of their principal residence on their tax return, even if its not taxed, also has some clients concerned, Mr. Coleman says.
Whats really created that wobble for clients is, Why is it on the tax return? he says.
Clients arent selling their properties in anticipation of a tax, he says, but some are asking him to run the numbers of what the impact could be on their broader wealth plan.
For many people, the bulk of their equity is in their homes, so I think its dangerous to plan on that being tax-free forever. If you plan [on paying more tax] and its wrong, thats okay; thats more [money] for you, says Mr. Coleman. But if you didnt [and] didnt think this might be coming, you may be in for an interesting surprise.
Some people have the view that taxing a principal residence is a sacred cow, he says, but hes not sure thats true anymore.
Mr. Coleman speculates the tax could be on principal residences over a certain high amount, in the multimillion or billions, which is in place in the U.S. It would be less controversial because it would only impact the wealthiest Canadians.
Jamie Golombek, managing director of tax and estate planning with CIBC Private Wealth Management, notes the NDP did propose an increase in the capital gains inclusion rate to 75 per cent in its election platform last year.
The NDP didnt win, of course, but this recent non-coalition coalition obviously makes things a lot more interesting, he says.
Mr. Golombek notes that finance minister Chrystia Freeland said in an interview in February that the government had no intention to change its position on the capital gains related to equity markets or principal residences of Canadians. Still, that was before the Liberal-NDP parliamentary co-operation agreement was made.
The question is, could the NDP have the influence to bump up the inclusion rate? he says.
I personally dont think that will happen, at least in the short term, Mr. Golombek adds, expecting the NDP to focus on its proposals for dental care and pharmacare.
Past CIBC research has shown that only about 10 per cent of Canadian taxpayers would be affected by a rise in the capital gains inclusion rate, which could make it less risky, politically.
Still, Mr. Golombek says investors should never sell assets for tax reasons alone. But if they have a strong reason to do so, such as a portfolio that needs to be rebalanced, and are worried about an increase, now might be a good time to do some selling.
At the end of the day, you have to determine your level of comfort with [potential] tax changes, he says. If you werent going to sell anytime in the near future, then you wouldnt worry about it.
A higher tax rate for Canadians in the top tax bracket another NDP election proposal may be a more likely change in the upcoming budget, he says, especially as the Liberal government has been putting forward increases on high-income Canadians in recent years. Theres nothing Canadians who would be affected can do to avoid that change, especially as it could be made retroactive to the start of the year, he says.
Mr. Golombek says he believes any tax on principal residences is highly unlikely, describing it as a political mess, especially as many Canadians have relied on that asset growth for retirement.
[Ottawa] may crack down on some other, more complex type of corporate tax planning, he says.
Mr. Coleman says advisors should discuss potential tax changes with clients, even if they think theyre a long shot.
As an advisor, if Im wrong on any of those, you have a happier life. But if I underestimate, youre going to have a problem later. Thats not good, he says.
I would rather plan from the position of prudence and conservatism and have happiness than the opposite.
For more from Globe Advisor, visit our homepage.
Go here to read the rest:
What the Liberal-NDP co-operation pact could mean for tax changes in the budget - The Globe and Mail
- Have the Liberal Arts Gone Conservative? - The New Yorker - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Letters to the Editor: 'I see myself in Katie Britt' what liberal critics missed in the senator's response - Los Angeles Times - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Even when it criticizes Israel, the liberal world is not against us - opinion - The Jerusalem Post - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Former Trump Aide Alyssa Farah Griffin Becomes a Liberal Favorite - The New York Times - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Renowned author, liberal arts proponent to deliver annual Lester Lectures - Mercer University - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- NYU to Host Zaheer Ali at the Annual Liberal Studies Student Research ColloquiumApril 5 - NYU - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Power to the Neighborhoods!: New York City Growth Politics, Neighborhood Liberalism, and the Origins of the ... - Joint Center for Housing Studies - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Canada's Conservatives back NDP-Liberal anti-scab legislation that undermines the right to strike - WSWS - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- The Surprising Left-Right Alliance That Wants More Apartments in Suburbs - The New York Times - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- PARKER: Clarence Thomas, liberal racism and the ongoing denigration of Black conservatives - Kankakee Daily Journal - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal Media Scream: Hollywoods freaks over Trump - Washington Examiner - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Why liberals failed in the fight against antisemitism - JNS.org - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal Renew manifesto sneak peek and bits from Bucharest congress - EURACTIV - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Katie Britt calls on liberal media 'to pay attention' to border - 1819 News - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal truck wash cited $171k for OSHA violations - KSN-TV - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Over 30,000 Killed in Gaza, but Even Israel's 'Liberal Left' Says: That's War - Opinion - Haaretz - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal Man Injured in Beaver County Accident - KSCB News.net - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- What is the Market's View on China Liberal Education Holdings Ltd (CLEU) Stock's Price and Volume Trends Monday? - InvestorsObserver - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- German liberals send defence expert into tripartite EU election leadership team - EURACTIV - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Ramaswamy warns liberal justices 'buying political latitude' with 9-0 ruling as more Trump cases lie ahead - Fox News - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- How much of this is propelled by white liberal guilt from executives?: Gutfeld - Fox News - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberals and the Libel of Christian Nationalism - The Imaginative Conservative - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal Arts & Science Academy - Austin extends home winning streak to seven - MaxPreps - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal Racism and the Denigration of Black Conservatives - Daily Signal - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Watchdog group exposes radical, liberal ideology of school-based health centers - The Lion - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- What happens when a liberal learns her family owned slaves? - Leader & Times - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Is it Liberal Arts, Without the Arts? - Xavier Newswire - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Quebec Liberal Party would be more popular with Denis Coderre at the helm: poll - Montreal Gazette - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Maine's Liberal Members of Congress Stand by Biden After Disastrous, Confused Press Conference - The Maine Wire - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Liberal Media Scream: Kristen Welker likes to lecture Republicans, too - Washington Examiner - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Australia's only Liberal government lives on - for now - Yahoo News Australia - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Liberal institutions are the threat to liberal institutions Claudine Gay is warning about - Washington Examiner - January 10th, 2024 [January 10th, 2024]
- Elon Musk, the "free speech absolutist" kicks liberal journalists off Twitter - Daily Kos - January 10th, 2024 [January 10th, 2024]
- Liberal Arts and studies in humanities under attack on college campuses - The Community Word - January 10th, 2024 [January 10th, 2024]
- Liberal candidate for federal byelection planned to run for Conservatives last year - National Post - January 10th, 2024 [January 10th, 2024]
- Bill Barton: 'The Liberal by the Bay' - Redheaded Blackbelt - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- OPINION | Female-dominated liberal arts imperative in male-dominated tech world - Tulane Hullabaloo - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Dean of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts job with Tarleton State University | 37572379 - The Chronicle of Higher Education - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Laughing Stock: 'A liberal agenda' may not be what you think - Tucson Weekly - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Justin Trudeau plays the Trump card - POLITICO - POLITICO - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Norman Lear, Producer Of TV's 'All In The Family' And Influential Liberal Advocate, Dies At 101 - Newstalk 750 - 103.7 ... - KFQD - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Kremlin Taps Liberal Businessman to Oppose Putin in 2024 Election Report - The Moscow Times - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Norman Lear, producer of TV's 'All in the Family' and influential liberal advocate, has died at 101 - WV News - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- MoveOn Carries Out Layoffs as Liberal Groups Struggle to Raise Money - The New York Times - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Norman Lear, producer of TV's 'All in the Family' and influential liberal advocate, has died at 101 - El Paso Inc. - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- UW System President suggests universities with high numbers of low income students should shift away from liberal arts - Wisconsin Examiner - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Norman Lear, producer of TV's 'All in the Family' and influential liberal advocate, has died at 101 - The Caledonian-Record - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Israels representative in New York resigned to protest Netanyahu. Now hes got some tough words for liberal New York Jews. - Forward - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Neal Milner: Watch That Swinging Door, Liberals, Lest It Hit You On The Way Out - Honolulu Civil Beat - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- The Liberal Answer to Cancel Culture - Manhattan Institute - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Study: Liberal US priests facing 'progressive' extinction - The Pillar - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Liberal Jewish U.S. Groups Are Walking an Oh-So-Thin Tightrope - The New Republic - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Why a liberal arts degree is often a ticket to career success - USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Open Forum: In their time, founding fathers were liberal - The Winchester Star - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Liberals announce National Campaign Committee Co-Chairs - Liberal Party of Canada - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- UT College of Liberal Arts hosts panel about Senate Bill 17 - The Daily Texan - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Liberal Arts student uses platform to educate others on the ... - Pennsylvania State University - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Stanford celebrates 50 years of Structured Liberal Education ... - Stanford University News - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Brookline homes: One wealthy liberal town reckons with its past - The Boston Globe - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- The Value of a Liberal Arts Degree: Whats the Return on Investment? - The New York Times - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- California Police Say Investigation Ongoing into Death of Liberal Pro ... - Crime Report - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Liberal Arts, IST student scores sports technology internship with ... - Pennsylvania State University - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- And the award for the worst Liberal Party leader goes to... - The New Daily - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Street fights over prayer offer liberal Israelis a chance to define a Judaism they can believe in - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Unmasking Hinduphobic Cartoons: The Liberal Media's Double Standard - The Jaipur Dialogues - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- UC presents lecture on liberal arts featuring Michael W. Twitty - University of Cincinnati - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- ISU makes progress on liberal arts cuts through incentivized ... - The Gazette - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Investing in the future of the liberal arts | Binghamton News - Binghamton - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Challenges to Liberal Democracy on Global Scale Is Topic of 2023 ... - University of Idaho - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Liberal Democrats edge ahead of Labour on charging, with free ... - Disability News Service - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Kerry Washington Creates $1 Million Earl and Valerie Washington ... - GW Today - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- LILLEY: Justice Rouleau may have old Liberal Party ties but he's not Justin Trudeau's uncle or related at all - Toronto Sun - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- Brian Lilley: Justice Rouleau may have old Liberal Party ties but he's not Justin Trudeau's uncle or related at all - The Province - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- force.com - November 27th, 2022 [November 27th, 2022]
- Liberal Party SA - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From ... - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- Ex-VP Hamid Ansari's 'Challenges to a liberal polity' book review: The politics of being Indian - The New Indian Express - November 7th, 2022 [November 7th, 2022]
- English | Liberal Arts | UT - Austin - November 5th, 2022 [November 5th, 2022]
- Liberal values are absolute - The Tribune India - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Fixing another liberal tax burden - The Hill - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]