On November 17, 2011, the Minister of State (Finance) and the Minister of Industry announced the introduction of Bill C-25, An Act relating to pooled registered pension plans and making related amendments to other Acts, new legislation implementing the framework for the federal component of the PRPP. The government will shortly release draft tax rules…
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2012 EI Premium Rate Parameters Set, Work-Share Program Enhancement Extended
On November 8, 2011, the federal government announced a reduction in the maximum potential increase in Employment Insurance (“EI”) premium rates for 2012 from 10 cents, to 5 cents. Under these new parameters, the 2012 premium rate will not exceed $1.83 per $100 of insurable earnings. In addition, the government announced a temporary extension of…
Standing Committee Reports on the Federal Budget Bill (C-13)
On November 4, 2011, the Standing Committee on Finance presented its Report to the House on the federal government’s omnibus Budget implementation Bill C-13, Keeping Canada’s Economy and Jobs Growing Act. As previously reported, the Bill was introduced on October 4, 2011.
2012 Pension and Retirement Savings Limits Announced
The Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) has released the 2012 limits for pension plan and retirement savings plans: The 2012 annual pension for the year in which a pension commences to be paid under a Defined Benefit pension plan will be limited to $2,646.67 per year of service. The 2012 Money Purchase (Defined Contribution) limit will…
New Legislative Tax Proposals for Benefits, Tuition Awards and Shareholders
On October 31, 2011, the federal government proposed a number of legislative reforms to sections in the Income Tax Act (“ITA”), that if adopted, would in part amend the rules dealing with the valuation and deeming of benefits in respect of employment, benefits conferred on shareholders and rules respecting prohibited investments made by multi-employer pension…
Regulatory amendment proposed for CPP Post-Retirement Benefit elections
The federal government has proposed a regulatory amendment to the Canada Pension Plan Regulations which prescribes the manner of employee elections (or revocations) regarding the new Post-Retirement Benefit (PRB), which will be available under the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) effective January 1, 2012. The PRB extends participation in the CPP to those employees (and self-employed…
Federal Budget Implementation Bill Introduced (C-13)
On October 4, 2011, the federal government introduced Bill C-13, Keeping Canada’s Economy and Jobs Growing Act, omnibus legislation designed to implement a number of measures proposed in its 2011 Budget (as previously discussed here). If passed, the Bill would, among other things: amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to eliminate the mandatory retirement age…
Proposed PIPEDA amendments re-introduced as Bill C-12
On September 29, 2011, the federal government introduced Bill C-12, Safeguarding Canadians’ Personal Information Act, which, if passed, will amend the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA“). Bill C-12 reintroduces Bill C-29 (previously reported here), which expired on the Order Paper when Parliament was proclaimed dissolved in March, 2011. Among other things,…
2012 Basic Rate Set By Superintendent of Financial Institutions
On September 7, 2011, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions set the basic rate for the Office year beginning on April 1, 2012 at $18.00, pursuant to section 25 of the Pension Benefits Standards Regulations, 1985. This rate applies to the fees paid by federally regulated pension plans with a year-end between October…
Bill 133 (Asset Division on Marriage Breakdown) – Q & A Posted
In anticipation of January 1, 2012, when new legislation related to the division of pension assets on the breakdown of a spousal relationship comes into force, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (“FSCO”) has published a Question and Answer guide (“Q & A”) for members of the public. As previously reported, the pension division and…