Businesses decry capital gains tax hike in letter to Freeland | Canada News Media
Connect with us

Business

Businesses decry capital gains tax hike in letter to Freeland

Published

 on

Forging ahead with increasing Canada’s capital gains inclusion rate “sows division,” and is a “shortsighted” way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.

In a new letter sent to Canada’s chief financial steward and deputy prime minister, six of the country’s largest industry organizations are sounding off about the concerns they have that the policy change will stifle economic growth and come at the expense of future generations’ prosperity.

“Put simply, this measure will limit opportunities for all generations and make Canada a less competitive, and less innovative nation,” reads the letter.

“Whether through the diminishing (of) the creation of new companies and jobs, reducing the availability of medical practitioners, eroding hard-earned pension returns … or threatening the retirement plans of millions of Canadians who pinned their plans on the proceeds of selling a family cottage or a small business … the effects will ripple from coast to coast to coast.”

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Federation for Independent Business, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, the Canadian Franchise Association and the Canadian Canola Growers Association are signatories.

The 2024 federal budget included a proposal to increase the inclusion rate on capital gains from 50 per cent to 67 per cent for individuals earning more than $250,000 in capital gains in a year, and for all corporations and trusts.

Since releasing the budget, Freeland and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have faced pushback about the policy from doctors worried about their savings, and start-up-minded entrepreneurs.

The Liberals have repeatedly defended their plan to target Canada’s highest earners, and in the process rake in billions in additional revenue, as a fair way to help offset other major investments in housing and Canada’s social safety net.

While the government has vowed this would impact approximately 12 per cent of Canada’s corporations and Canadians with an average income of $1.42 million, critics have warned its impacts could be more widely felt by any individual making $250,000 or more in profit on the sale of assets such as secondary or rental properties.

“The assertion that the increase of the inclusion rate to 67 per cent will only affect a small percentage of the wealthiest Canadians is misleading. In fact, one in five Canadians will be directly impacted over the next ten years and the effects of this tax hike will be borne by all Canadians, directly or indirectly,” the letter reads.

Last week, Freeland reaffirmed her intention to advance this tax change, opting to leave the needed law reforms out of the omnibus budget implementation bill. Instead, she is planning to table separate legislation focused on this measure that’ll move through Parliament on its own timeline, forcing the opposition parties to take a clear stance.

“We are very committed to the capital gains measures,” Freeland said. “Our view is it is absolutely fair to ask those in our country, who are at the very top, to contribute a little bit more.”

On Thursday, Freeland’s office told CTV News that while it’s understandable groups may have questions about new tax changes, when designing the parameters of this policy, it was done with Canadian productivity in mind.

Stating the finance minister remains committed to the plan she’s put forward, the individual speaking on background challenged the concerns about hindering economic growth, noting that Canada’s average marginal effective tax rate remains more advantageous to new businesses than rates in the U.S.

According to Finance Canada, in 2021 only around five per cent of Canadians under 30 had any capital gains at all. And, next year 28.5 million Canadians are not expected to have any capital gains income, while three million are expected to earn capital gains below the $250,000 annual threshold.

While Freeland has yet to unveil the legislation, this tax change is expected to apply to capital gains realized on or after June 25, 2024.

The industry organizations are calling on the federal government to scrap the “ill-advised inclusion rate increase” before it comes into effect. They instead want an independent review of Canada’s tax system as a whole.

“Under successive governments, our tax system has become a complicated web of carve-outs and caveats. Our country must end its reliance on tax-and-spend politics, which is undermining innovation and growth to the detriment of both today’s Canadians and future generations,” the letter reads.

“As Canada’s economy grows, so too does our tax base – all without the need for tax increases that will hurt Canadians and limit our collective potential… There is a better way. We’re prepared to roll up our sleeves and work with you to help Canada get there.”

In a separate letter sent Thursday morning, President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada Goldy Hyder echoed the concerns raised by other business groups.

“Based on the information provided to date, we are concerned the proposed changes will further undermine Canada’s ability to attract investment and talent,” Hyder said in his letter to Freeland.

“More importantly, we believe the debate over capital gains taxes overshadows an even greater issue of concern – that the government’s fiscal framework is unsustainable. No tax increases would be required if the government reduced its planned spending and took proactive measures to stimulate growth, such as removing regulatory barriers.”

 

Source link

Continue Reading

Business

What Difference Will You Make to an Employer?

Published

 on

Ex-Employer (Job)

It’s common knowledge that companies don’t hire the most qualified candidates. Employers hire the person they believe will deliver the best value in exchange for their payroll cost.

Since most job seekers know the above, I’m surprised that so few mention their Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Most job seekers list their education, skills, and experience without substantiating them and expect employers to determine whether they can benefit their company; hence, most resumes and LinkedIn profiles are just a list of opinions—borderline platitudes—that are meaningless and, therefore, have no value. Job seekers need to better explain, along with providing evidence, how they’ll contribute to an employer’s success.

Employers don’t hire opinions (read: talk is cheap); they hire results.

You’re not offering anything tangible when you claim:

 

  • I’m a great communicator.
  • I’m detail oriented.
  • I’m a team player.

 

Tangible:

 

  • “At Global Dynamics, I held quarterly town hall meetings with my 22 sales reps, highlighting our accomplishments, identifying opportunity areas, and recognizing outstanding performers.”
  • “For eight years, I managed Vandelay Industries IT department, overseeing a staff of 18 and a 12-million-dollar budget while coordinating cross-specialty projects. My strong attention to detail is why I never exceeded budget.”
  • “While working at Cyberdyne Systems, I was part of the customer service team, consisting of nine of us, striving to improve our response time. Through collaboration and sharing of best practices, we reduced our average response time from 48 to 12 business hours, resulting in a 35% improvement in customer feedback ratings.”

 

These examples of tangible answers provide employers with what they most want to hear from candidates but rarely do; what value the candidate will bring to the company. Typically, job seekers present their skills, experience, and unsubstantiated opinions and expect recruiters and employers to figure out their value, which is a lazy practice.

Getting hired isn’t based on “I have an MBA in Marketing and Sales,” “I’ve been a web designer for over 15 years,” “I’m young, beautiful and energetic,” blah, blah, blah. Likewise, being rejected isn’t based on “I’m overqualified,” “I’m too old,” “I don’t have enough education,” blah, blah, blah. Getting hired depends entirely on showing employers that you can add value and substance to their company; that you’ll serve a purpose.

When you articulate a solid value offer, the “blah, blah, blah” doesn’t matter. Job seekers focus too much on the “blah, blah, blah,” and when not hired, they say, “It’s not me, it’s…” The biggest mistake I see job seekers make is focusing on the “blah, blah, blah”—their experience and education—believing this is what interests employers. Hiring managers are more interested in whether you can solve the problems the position exists to solve than in your education and experience.

 

Not impressive: Education

Impressive: A track record of achieving tangible results.

 

You aren’t who you say you are; you are what you do.

 

If you want to be somebody who works hard, you have to actually work hard. If you want to be somebody who goes to the gym, you actually have to go to the gym. If you want to be a good friend, spouse, or colleague, you have to actually be a good friend, spouse, or colleague. Actions build reputations, not words.

The biggest challenge job seekers face today is differentiating themselves. To stand out and be memorable, don’t be like most job seekers, someone who’s all talk and no action. Any recruiter or hiring manager will tell you that the job market is heavily populated with job seekers who talk themselves up, talk a “good game” about everything they can “supposedly” do, drop names, etc., but have nothing to show for it.

More than ever, employers want to hear candidates offer a value proposition summarizing what value they bring. If you’re looking for a low-hanging fruit method to differentiate yourself, do what job seekers hardly ever do and make a hard-to-ignore value proposition.

  1. Increase sales: “Based on my experience managing Regina and Saskatoon for PharmaKorp, I’m confident that I can increase BioGen’s sales by no less than 25% in Winnipeg and the surrounding area by the end of 2025.”
  2. Reduce cost: “During my 12 years as Taco Town’s head of purchasing, I renegotiated contracts with key suppliers, resulting in 15% cost savings, saving the company over $450,000 annually. I know I can do the same for The Pasta House.”
  3. Increase customer satisfaction:“During my time at Globex Corporation, I established a systematic feedback mechanism that enabled customers to share their experiences. This led to targeted improvements, increasing our Net Promoter Score by 15 points. I can increase Dunder Mifflin’s net promoter score.”
  4. Save time: “As Zap Delivery’s dispatcher, I implemented advanced routing software that analyzed traffic patterns, reducing average delivery times by 20%. My implementation of this software at Froggy’s Delivery can reduce your delivery times by at least 20%, if not more.”

 

If you want to achieve job search success as soon as possible, structure your job search with a single thread that’s evident and consistent throughout your résumé, LinkedIn profile, cover letters and especially during interviews; clearly convey what difference you’ll make to the employer.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

Continue Reading

Business

Netflix’s subscriber growth slows as gains from password-sharing crackdown subside

Published

 on

 

Netflix on Thursday reported that its subscriber growth slowed dramatically during the summer, a sign the huge gains from the video-streaming service’s crackdown on freeloading viewers is tapering off.

The 5.1 million subscribers that Netflix added during the July-September period represented a 42% decline from the total gained during the same time last year. Even so, the company’s revenue and profit rose at a faster pace than analysts had projected, according to FactSet Research.

Netflix ended September with 282.7 million worldwide subscribers — far more than any other streaming service.

The Los Gatos, California, company earned $2.36 billion, or $5.40 per share, a 41% increase from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 15% from a year ago to $9.82 billion. Netflix management predicted the company’s revenue will rise at the same 15% year-over-year pace during the October-December period, slightly than better than analysts have been expecting.

The strong financial performance in the past quarter coupled with the upbeat forecast eclipsed any worries about slowing subscriber growth. Netflix’s stock price surged nearly 4% in extended trading after the numbers came out, building upon a more than 40% increase in the company’s shares so far this year.

The past quarter’s subscriber gains were the lowest posted in any three-month period since the beginning of last year. That drop-off indicates Netflix is shifting to a new phase after reaping the benefits from a ban on the once-rampant practice of sharing account passwords that enabled an estimated 100 million people watch its popular service without paying for it.

The crackdown, triggered by a rare loss of subscribers coming out of the pandemic in 2022, helped Netflix add 57 million subscribers from June 2022 through this June — an average of more than 7 million per quarter, while many of its industry rivals have been struggling as households curbed their discretionary spending.

Netflix’s gains also were propelled by a low-priced version of its service that included commercials for the first time in its history. The company still is only getting a small fraction of its revenue from the 2-year-old advertising push, but Netflix is intensifying its focus on that segment of its business to help boost its profits.

In a letter to shareholder, Netflix reiterated previous cautionary notes about its expansion into advertising, though the low-priced option including commercials has become its fastest growing segment.

“We have much more work to do improving our offering for advertisers, which will be a priority over the next few years,” Netflix management wrote in the letter.

As part of its evolution, Netflix has been increasingly supplementing its lineup of scripted TV series and movies with live programming, such as a Labor Day spectacle featuring renowned glutton Joey Chestnut setting a world record for gorging on hot dogs in a showdown with his longtime nemesis Takeru Kobayashi.

Netflix will be trying to attract more viewer during the current quarter with a Nov. 15 fight pitting former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson against Jake Paul, a YouTube sensation turned boxer, and two National Football League games on Christmas Day.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Business

All Magic Spells (TM) : Top Converting Magic Spell eCommerce Store

Published

 on

Product Name: All Magic Spells (TM) : Top Converting Magic Spell eCommerce Store

Click here to get All Magic Spells (TM) : Top Converting Magic Spell eCommerce Store at discounted price while it’s still available…

All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors.

All Magic Spells (TM) : Top Converting Magic Spell eCommerce Store is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.

(more…)

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version