There’s a lot of advantages to dividing power between governments; it allows individual regions to cater more carefully to the needs of their population. The disadvantage to multiple parties splitting power, however, is inconsistency. Look at the conflict between Alberta and British Columbia over pipelines, for an example of how provincial powers, both under a greater federal power, can lead … Read More
Lowering Property Taxes in Winnipeg
I’m going to level with you right off the bat – you can’t actually lower the property tax rate unless you get elected to the municipal council with enough like minded citizens. That means the efforts we’re going to describe in this post all relate to how much property tax you’ll end up paying – not the rate at which you … Read More
Manitoba Tax Credits
Paying taxes is an important part of creating a vibrant, sustainable place to live. Our taxes contribute to infrastructure, social programs, incentives for new business owners, and more. That all said, the fewer taxes a person has to pay, the more money they have in their pockets. This has created a scheme by which governments will provide tax relief in … Read More
The Right Kind of Audit
There are words that can strike fear into the heart of any business owner. Claim denied. Slow season. Business tax increase. Tariffs. All of these things can make you want to run for the hills, but none are likely to ruin your day quite so much as two simple words: “Tax audit”. Being audited can take a lot of … Read More
What is Accounting?
Accounting has been called “the language of business”. We vaguely understand what accounting is; we hire accountants to take a look at our financial transactions, to help us understand the tax code, and to help establish permanent systems for recording transactions. What is accounting, exactly? The question is somewhat hard to answer because it can mean so many different … Read More
The Impact Fee
In 2017, Winnipeg introduced a new by-law, the impact fee. This by-law introduces a fee on new developments in the City – presently, it only affects residential developments in certain areas, but it may be expanded to commercial developments and new zones soon (more on that later). In this brief post, we’ll go over the current cost of the … Read More
Accounting Before Tax Season
For most Canadians, we’re well away from tax season at this point, and everyone has breathed their collective sigh of relief. A lot of folks only think of accounting when tax season comes around, but accountants can be useful year round, for a number of different reasons. Whether you want an accountant for personal reasons, or for your business, there’s … Read More
Cooperatives in Manitoba
Back in 2013, Sobeys acquired Safeway Canada; in order to allow the deal to go through, the government stipulated that Sobeys would have to sell off some of their assets to other grocers. As a result, all throughout Winnipeg and Manitoba, you’ve likely see Co-op grocery stores, branded the same as the Co-op gas stations. These stores are owned by … Read More
SME Stats
We want Winnipeggers to be excited about starting their own business. We’ve talked a lot about how small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are the lifeblood of Canada; today, we have the statistics to back it up. In January 2019, the Government of Canada released it’s Key Small Business Statistics. We’re going to pick out some of our favorites … Read More
Tools for New Winnipeg Entrepreneurs
You’ve decided you want to start your own business. Congratulations! You’re going to become a part of one of the most important and influential sectors of Canada’s economy; there are niches and sectors that can only realistically be served by small to medium sized businesses, and with the right strategy and growth, you might end up becoming a large … Read More