There are three forms of Investment Income in Canada: Interest, Dividends and Capital Gains. Each Is taxed differently. Here’s a reminder of how smart investors use their knowledge to taxation rates, especially tax on Capital Gains, to protect their returns.

With stocks, you only pay capital gains tax when you sell or “realize” the increase in the value of the stock over and above what you paid for it. (Although mutual funds generally pass on their realized capital gains each year.)

Several years ago, the Canadian government cut the capital gains inclusion rate (the percentage of gains you need to “take into income”) from 75% to 50%. For example, if an investor purchases stock for $1,000 and then sells that stock for $2,000, then they have a $1,000 capital gain. Investors pay Canadian capital gains tax on 50% of the capital gain amount. This means that if you earn $1,000 in capital gains, and you are in the highest tax bracket in, say, Ontario (49.53%), you will pay $247.65 in Canadian capital gains tax on the $1,000 in gains.

The other forms of investment income are interest and dividends. Interest income is 100% taxable in Canada, while dividend income is eligible for a dividend tax credit in Canada. In the 49.53% tax bracket, you’ll pay $495.30 in taxes on $1,000 in interest income, and you will pay $295.20 on $1,000 in dividend income.

Three capital-gains strategies

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