What are the best ways to make your taxes work for you?

Many Canadians don’t realize they can choose how to redirect their involuntary philanthropy — or tax dollars — to support causes and values that are important to them.

The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines a philanthropist as “a benevolent supporter of human beings and human welfare.” But, that may describe more of us than you think.

Consider the following: whom are we describing when we reference an individual who potentially gives up approximately a quarter of her/his capital gains and/or up to roughly one-half of his or her income to support the general welfare of our country? Of course, the answer is most of us! In other words, as taxpayers, we can all be considered involuntary philanthropists.

Take a moment to review the pie chart below, and consider if that is how you would choose to donate your money. If the answer is, no, then you may wish to investigate how you could redirect your involuntary philanthropy, or tax dollars, to voluntary philanthropy.

Please don’t misunderstand. We realize taxes are necessary and important, but our government is actually a strong supporter of voluntary philanthropy.

Historically, Ottawa has provided incentives to encourage activity in the economy. As an example, if our government wishes to increase real-estate ownership, it allows tax breaks for the purchase, ownership and sale of this asset class.

To encourage philanthropy, the federal government introduced more than 20 pieces of legislation into our Income Tax Act in the ’90s. Many international tax experts suggest this has created the most generous tax environment in the world to encourage individual charitable activity.

There are many income-tax reduction and estate-tax elimination tactics that can help you…

• minimize or even eliminate taxes on your estate
• avoid double taxation on your “red” retirement accounts
• bypass paying upfront capital gains taxes when selling your investments
• convert assets into an income you can’t outlive and leave a lasting legacy.

If this type of voluntary philanthropic planning, with its focus on your relationships and values, resonates with you, register for our income-tax reduction and estate-tax elimination webinar on January 30 at 1:00 p.m. ET (for Ontario), February 13 at 1:00 p.m. PT (for British Columbia) or February 27 at 1:00 p.m. MT (for Alberta).

About Children Believe

Children Believe works globally to empower children to dream fearlessly, stand up for what they believe in — and be heard. For 60+ years, we’ve brought together brave young dreamers, caring supporters and partners, and unabashed idealists. Together, we’re driven by a common belief: creating access to education — inside and outside of classrooms — is the most powerful tool children can use to change their world.

About Childfund Alliance

A member of ChildFund Alliance, Children Believe is part of a global network of child-focused development organizations working to create opportunities for children and youth, their families and communities. ChildFund helps nearly 23-million children and their families in 70 countries overcome poverty and underlying conditions that prevent children from achieving their full potential. We work to end violence against children; provide expertise in emergencies and disasters to ease the harmful impact on children and their communities; and engage children and youth to create lasting change and elevate their voices in decisions that affect their lives.