Tax Tips You Need To Know Before Filing Your 2022 Taxes

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Tax Tips You Need To Know Before Filing Your 2022 Taxes

This year’s tax deadline is May 1, 2023, as April 30 falls on a Sunday this year. It’s important to make sure you’re claiming all the credits and deductions you’re eligible for. In this article, we’ll provide you with tips to help you maximize your tax refund and ensure you’re taking advantage of all the available tax benefits.

Canada Workers Benefit

The Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) is a refundable tax credit designed to help low-income working families and individuals. The credit is made up of two parts:

  • The basic amount

  • A disability supplement (if you qualify).

To determine whether you qualify for the tax credit, you’ll need to consider your net income and where you live. The CRA website provides full details about the net income qualification amounts.

The maximum amounts you can qualify for are as follows:

  • The maximum basic amount is $1,428 for single individuals and $2,461 for families.

  • The maximum amount for the disability supplement is $737 for single individuals and $737 for families.

Claiming Home Office Expenses Due To COVID-19

You can still claim home office expenses if you’re not self-employed but worked from home due to the pandemic. You can:

  • Claim the temporary flat amount if you worked more than 50% of the time from home for at least four consecutive weeks in 2022. You can claim $2 for each day worked from home, up to a maximum of $500. No paperwork or forms are required!

  • Use the detailed method and claim the actual amounts. In this case, you’ll need supporting documentation, plus a completed and signed T2200S form from your employer. You can claim various applicable expenses, including home Internet access fees.

The Tax Deduction for Zero-Emissions Vehicles

A capital cost allowance (CCA) is a tax deduction that helps cover the cost of an asset’s depreciation over time. The CRA created two new capital cost allowances, which apply to zero-emission vehicles bought after March 18, 2019.

They are as follows:

  • Class 54. This class is for motor and passenger vehicles, excluding taxis or vehicles used for lease or rent. It has a CCA rate of 30%. For 2022, capital costs will be deductible up to $55,000, plus sales tax. This amount will be reassessed every year.

  • Class 55 is for leased and rented vehicles or taxis. The CCA rate is 40%.

Return Of Fuel Charge Proceeds To Farmers Tax Credit

You may be eligible for this tax credit if you are either self-employed or part of a farming partnership in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan.

This tax credit aims to help farmers offset the high cost of the carbon tax.

Eligible Educator School Supply Tax Credit

You can claim up to $1,000 of eligible supplies and expenses if you qualify for the educator school supply tax credit.

The tax credit rate for the 2022 tax year is 25%, with a maximum credit of $250.

Need help?

Do you qualify for a credit or deduction? Call us – we’re here to save you money on your taxes!

Salary vs Dividend

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As a business owner, you have the ability to pay yourself a salary or dividend or a combination of both. In this article and infographic, we will examine the difference between salary and dividends and review the advantages and disadvantages of each.

When deciding to pay yourself as a business owner, please review these factors:

  • How much do you need?

  • How much tax?

  • Other considerations including retirement and employment insurance.

How much do you need?

Determine your cash flow on a personal and corporate level.

  • What’s your personal after-tax cash flow need?

  • What’s your corporate cash flow need?

How much tax?

Figure out how much you will pay in tax. Business owners understand that tax is a sizeable expense.

  • What’s your personal income tax rate?

Depending on the province you reside in and your income, make sure you also include income from other sources to determine your tax rate. (Example: old age security, pension, rental, investment income etc.)

If you decide to pay out in dividends, check if you will be paying out eligible or ineligible dividends. The taxation of eligible dividends is more favorable than ineligible dividends from an individual income tax standpoint.

  • What’s your corporation’s income tax rate?

For taxation year 2020, the small business federal tax rate is 9% . Please also remember, if you pay out salary, salary is considered a tax-deductible expense, therefore this will lower the corporation’s taxable income versus paying out dividends will not lower the corporation’s taxable income.

Other considerations

If you pay yourself a salary, these options are available.

  • Do you need RRSP contribution room?

As part of this, it’s worth considering ensuring that you receive a salary high enough to take full advantage of the maximum RRSP annual contribution that you can make.

  • Are you interested in contributing to the Canada Pension Plan?

This is unique to your circumstances and a cost-benefit analysis to determine the amount of contributions makes sense.

  • Do you need employment insurance (EI)?

For shareholders owning more than 40% of voting shares, EI is optional. There are situations worth careful thought such as maternity benefit, parental benefit, sickness benefit, compassionate care benefit, family caregiver benefit for children or family caregiver benefit for adults.

The infographic below summarizes the difference between Salary vs. Dividend.

We would also advise that you get in touch with your accountant to help you determine the best mix for your unique situation.

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