small business
FATCA agreement signed, implementation Bill to come
The federal government has signed an agreement to help the United States catch tax-evading “US persons” living outside the US, including those with dual US-Canada citizenship.
American law turns Canadian banks into tax agents
Here is an issue you might need to keep in mind in the coming months. As it stands, a recent United States tax law will require Canadian banks nd other financial institutions (including credit unions, pension managers, insurance companies, and others) to provide some Canadian (and American) citizens’ information to the American Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, which is set to come into effect through 2013 and 2014, aims to catch tax-evading “US persons” living abroad, including those with dual US-Canada citizenship
Recent tax measures aim to simplify compliance for small business
When I think about taxes—as one can’t help around this time of year—I find it nearly impossible not to think about the trouble our representatives put us through—not only in tax season, but throughout the year. Except for a few lucky individuals, taxes are confusing; if they weren’t, we wouldn’t need a massive (and growing) class of citizens to explain them to us—or to simply take them out of our hands. And when politicians say they want to make taxes simpler or less burdensome—and they often do say these things—they almost always want to add some tax measure or another (i.e., complicate matters) rather than take any away (i.e., simplify).
Thinking about customer relationship management
The concept of customer relationship management (CRM) has long-existed before it was given a designation. In fact, it is a not-so-new buzzword that sounds wonderful, but is actually very hard to implement. What CRM refers to is a kind of cross-functional business strategy that allows organizations to learn more about their customers.
Accountants call for national entrepreneurship strategy
Canadians are pretty good at creating businesses that last, according to a new study by the Chartered General Accountants’ Association of Canada. Around 85 percent of new Canadian businesses survive for a year, 62 percent make it at least three years and 51 percent are still going after five years. The Business Development Bank of Canada puts this last number above 66 percent.
Election fever! Who’s got it?
It’s that exciting time again, when somewhat more than half of Canadians over 18 will come together to select the people who will govern us until the next impassable crisis of parliamentary confidence. For some, it’s a celebratory time when we Canadians demonstrate our democratic will. For others, it’s a cynical time (I know: how can it be?) when incumbents and hopefuls tell us what we want to hear just to win their seats in Ottawa and their cushy benefits.
Manitoba update!
We’ve paid embarrassingly little attention to Manitoba at First Reference Talks. But that’s all changing as the province that sits on Ontario’s western shoulder (presumably Ontario’s “angel” conscience) has set out to distinguish itself recently. The province has stood up with Alberta and Quebec against the prospect of a national securities regulator, arguing that securities regulation is solely a provincial matter and that the current system works better than a centralized one would.
Another take on IT strategy
In a recent issue of Inside Internal Control, I discussed a report on why small and medium-sized businesses should take information technology strategy and planning seriously. Essentially, according to the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, if you don’t strategize your IT, you’re probably wasting time and money just keeping up, when you could be using your resources to support your strategic business plan.
Well, I hope you didn’t rush away after reading that piece and create and implement an IT strategy…
Pension reforms are coming to Ontario (and Canada, too)
But who’s going to explain them to you? Or maybe more importantly, who’s going to explain whether the changes mean anything to you?
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