Using Clients’ Tax Returns as a Roadmap to Tax & Financial Planning

Date: October 17, 2015

Name: Using Clients’ Tax Returns as a Roadmap to Tax & Financial Planning

Presenter: Don Nilson

Tax returns can be a useful tool for leaders to gain high level insight of their clients’ financial and wealth management position. Moreover, leaders can add values to their clients based on the analysis from their tax returns. Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia invites Don Nilson, the Principal of Nilson & Company and AFT TRIVEST Management Inc, to discuss his insight of using tax returns to manage high level financial strategies for clients. This presentation will teach leaders the method of systematize financial planning into tax preparation. In addition, leaders will develop strong approach to integrate financial strategies in the details of annual tax returns. Leaders in financial planning services and accounting will benefit from this presentation. This presentation will focus on Canadian Taxation.

Don Nilson is the Principal of Nilson & Company for over 30 years. After achieving both the Certified Management Account and Certified Financial Planning designations, he became the Registered Portfolio Manager. Nilson spends many years lecturing in accounting topics in many major academic institutions, such as University of British Columbia, and CGA, and the Society of Management Accountants. In addition, he delivers many webinars and seminars across Canada and United States. Nilson serves on National Boards and involves with local communities. Furthermore, he receives many career achievement recognitions based on his contributions to leadership, teaching, and volunteerism.

Don Nilson defines Return on Investment as the number of insight over time. Nilson believes leaders must focus on “Fission”, “Fusion”, and “Fishin”. Fission means the act of process of splitting into parts. Fusion means the process of combining two or more things into one, and Fishin means the process undertaken with the hope of discovering information. By focusing on behavior knowledge, patience, experimentation, observatory power, and procedures, leaders will be able to raise their standards.

Nilson emphasizes leaders must understand who is in charge of client’s well-being and who the role they play in. Most leaders can categorize as value-added or a commodity. Nilson describes knowledge and skills as iron bar, which means it will only worth what leaders do with them.

“The way leaders create with knowledge will raise their value and worth”

In tax return process, it can lead to compliance and planning. Leaders must understand the planning part is place for them to create value for their clients. However, Nilson shows there is another value added area most leaders forgot, yet leaders can add value in advance from tax. Leaders must think forward and help their clients to see their status in next 15 years. Based on statistic, a majority of people of their income level stay the same. People need to think forward and leaders have the obligation to do help them.

Nilson creates a term called “Family Confab”, which means inspiring a healthy and successful approach to the custodian ship of money across family generation by having all family members actively engaged in that process. Leaders must understand that due to multiple generations, the traditional wealth management needs to change. He believes wealth can be impacted by 6 dimensions, which are financial, human, family, structural, spiritual, and societal. Leaders need to understand both concepts of giving and receiving. Many people learn money from school, observation, and self-determination. Based on genome mapping, leaders learn their financials from their family background. Therefore, leaders must start with observation and change their mapping structures.

“Got to move before time to move”

Nilson develops a system to produce diagnostics for tax compliance, tax planning and financial planning. The system will flag over 92 different strategies and tactics to help clients add value to their wealth management.

Information Page

Birthdate can lead to different pension implications. It signals leaders to ensure if there are enough assets to set aside to retirement. Nilson suggests leaders to build a retirement cash flow proforma to help their clients understand their retirement cash flow.

Other implications can be Old Age Security, Canadian Pension Plan, and the convert of Registered Retirement Saving Plan to Registered Retirement Income Fund. Leaders must ensure they are applying the new regulations to maximize the benefit. The conversion can signal leaders to many different options, such as elect younger spouse’s age and change cash flow production. Leaders can use this opportunity to revisit the designated beneficiary elections and other investment strategies.

Address can help leaders to determine the right tax and financial implications. Leaders can change approach by based on either the property is owned or rent. If there is an address change, leaders can help clients to determine if they are eligible for first time home buyers credits.

Married status can change the tax and estate planning implications. When there is foreign property verification, leaders can help clients to see if they are required to pay other countries taxes. Even though Tax Free Saving Accounts is tax exempt, but other countries are not. Leaders must be aware of these changes.

Death date can signal leaders to revisit the will. Leaders can revisit designated beneficiary elections and other life insurance policies. Nilson recommends leaders to draft a 5 year comparison to check for sources, fluctuations, risk exposures and other qualifications.

Total Income

T4 employment can also flag many strategies. Leaders can determine if clients are entrepreneurs. This will change the management of capital gain deduction and any other significant retirement asset building requirements. Preferred redemption management should be visit and death benefit payout policy should revisit.

The slips can indicate if the amount of OAS, CPP and other EI are correct. If clients are over 65, leaders must ensure they have enough cash flow and determine paying in or paying out strategies. Leaders can help clients to research if they have company benefit plan or other foreign pensions. Based on the policies, leaders need to determine if clients have the eligibility for pension splitting. If clients are withdrawing pensions, leaders need to determine if clients have cash problems. Leaders must help clients to prepare tax management.

If there is a maternity leave, Leaders can help client to start Registered Educational Savings Plan. When clients are withdrawing RRSP, leaders must understand if that is an opportunity or contribution trap.

Limited partnership income can have some pregnant tax shelter issues. Dividends and interests can provide insight to risk profiles. If there is investment income or T5 slips, leaders can use these insight to do financial investment strategies. Foreign income needs to file Foreign Income Verification. The form can help leaders to verify if clients are exposed to US Estate Tax. Different investment strategies can be varied based on different kind of rental or self-employment income.

Net & Taxable Income

Leaders must watch out for pension deductions. They should also watch out for reasonable risks from claiming deductible investment interests. Support payments should have appropriate tax treatment and resource claims should be using tax shelters.

In schedule 1, leaders must clarify the rules of tax breaks for donations. Disability amount transfers can be used as a strategy. The notice of assessment will show the carry forwards, carry losses, and RRSP contribution room. This will help leaders to create future tax management. Leaders can verify if clients are applying all the necessary benefit. Nilson suggest leaders to do couple comparative to check for marginal tax brackets, unused credits, and craw back. Solutions such as income split or portfolio management are used appropriately to maximize clients’ wealth. Leaders are client’s GPS and it is important for leaders to take up the responsibility.