On April 19, 2021, the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, presented Budget 2021: A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience, to the House of Commons.
No changes were made to personal or corporate tax rates (other than a temporary measure for zero-emission technology
manufacturers), nor to the inclusion rate on taxable capital gains.
Some highlights include:
A. Personal Measures
- The Canada Recovery Benefit and related programs will be extended.
- Individuals will have the option to claim a deduction in respect of the repayment of a COVID-19 benefit amount for the year when the benefit was received.
- Access to the disability tax credit will be broadened.
B. Business Measures
- The Canada Emergency Wage and Rent Subsidies (CEWS and CERS) will be extended.
- The Canada Recovery Hiring Program was introduced.
- The ability to immediately expense 100% of many capital asset purchases was introduced.
- The disclosure requirements for aggressive tax planning and filing positions will be expanded.
C. International Measures
- A 1% tax on the value of vacant or underused real estate owned by non-residents will be implemented.
D. Sales and Excise Tax
- Access to the GST/HST New Housing Rebate will be broadened for co-owners.
- A new tax of up to 10% will apply to the purchase of luxury vehicles, aircrafts or boats.
E. Electronic Filing, Payments and Certification
- Some CRA communications will be undertaken electronically without the taxpayer’s authorization.
- Certain levels of payments will be required to be made electronically.
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