On Friday, June 22, budget bill C-52 received Royal Assent. This bill includes many of the proposals announced in the 2007 federal budget. Key measures included in the bill, and now law, are as follows:
- reduced corporate income tax rate effective 2011
- increased age credit (from $4,066 to $5,066) effective January 1, 2006
- pension income-splitting for seniors effective 2007
- new non-refundable child tax credit ($2,000 claim per child – good for a credit of $310 per child)
- increase to spousal credit and amount for eligible dependants
- increase to age limit for maturing RRSPs (from 69 to 71)
- increased contribution limits for RESPs, increased CESGs, and expanded eligibility requirements for EAPs paid to part-time students
Certain measures announced in the 2007 budget were not included in this budget bill. The excluded measures are expected to be included in a subsequent bill and will become law subject to the passing of that bill. These measures include:
- working income tax benefit available to low-income working Canadians
- new Registered Disability Savings Plan
- increase to lifetime capital gains exemption (from $500,000 to $750,000)
- extension of 15% mineral exploration tax credit (to March 31, 2008) available through the purchase of certain flow-through investments
- elimination of capital gains tax on gifts of publicly-listed securities to private foundations
- exemption of elementary and secondary school scholarships from federal tax
Details of bill C-52 can be found in the following link.
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Grant Hicks, C.I.M., FCSI is a professional speaker, co-author and a Retirement Planning Specialist with Manulife Securities and 