Spring has sprung for Canadian accountants

May 1 is a special day for Canadians of all types (since it’s the day after taxes are due here), but it’s very special for accountants who’ve spent the past few months first up to their necks in audits (there are many businesses that operate on a calendar year end) and followed that up withContinue reading “Spring has sprung for Canadian accountants”

Income trust foreign takeovers may be a good thing

There’s been a lot of activity lately on the income trust front. Foreign firms are making bids left and right to acquire the Canadian entities, in the wake of the 31.5% trust tax introduced by the Conservative government. Jack Mintz, a professor at Rotman, the business school at the University of Toronto, discusses in aContinue reading “Income trust foreign takeovers may be a good thing”

Budget move likely to discourage global expansion

Yesterday’s Globe and Mail: The federal Finance Department is acknowledging it could reap a bonanza of additional tax revenue from a controversial budget move to scrap the deductibility of interest that companies incur to fund foreign operations. I’m trying to understand the logic here but I can’t. I know this is money leaving the country,Continue reading “Budget move likely to discourage global expansion”

Accounting news roundup

Congress wants financial reporting simplified for easier understandability. I can’t honestly say their desire for more regular updates on what the industry is doing to modernize itself is a bad thing, however. Seems like a good prod for the stiff collars at the helm. Here in Canada, there are rumors the federal government may tieContinue reading “Accounting news roundup”

Blogs can be important marketing tools

Originally published in The Bottom Line February 2007 print edition only. Blogs are all about having more personal and meaningful conversations with an audience about a topic. When you’re an accountant or accounting firm, blogs are a way to reach people interested in your expertise, whether they’re fellow accountants interested in discussing the profession orContinue reading “Blogs can be important marketing tools”