Newswire

A Turning Tide? Work From Home (& Tax Reminders)

April 19, 2025

Is the golden age of working from home (WFH) nearing its end? Last fall, the federal government mandated that employees return to the office (WFO) three days a week. Major corporations like Amazon and Dell have gone further, requiring full-time in-office work. The upside? This shift may help revitalize downtown areas that have struggled with vacancies since the pandemic. Proponents of WFO also argue it will boost productivity—one study suggests remote work may reduce productivity by 10 to 20 percent!¹

Regardless of your stance, tax season is a reminder for remaining WFH workers to claim home office expenses. This year, Form T2200 has been amended to simplify employer certification. Now, employers only need to confirm whether an employee worked from home more than 50 percent of the time over a period of at least four consecutive weeks. According to the CRA, taxpayers claimed a record $2.08 billion in home office expenses in 2023, a 41.4 percent increase from the 2022 tax year, when the temporary flat-rate method was last available.²

Here are other notable tax changes as you file your 2024 returns:

Capital Gains. The proposed increase to the capital gains inclusion rate was cancelled on March 21, 2025. For those impacted, the CRA is granting relief from late-filing penalties and interest until June 2, 2025, for individuals and May 1, 2025, for trusts to provide additional time for taxpayers reporting capital gains to meet their tax filing obligations.

Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). For 2024 and beyond, the AMT rate increases to 20.5 percent from 15 percent and the basic exemption threshold rises to $173,205 from $40,000.

Charitable Donations. Due to the postal strike, draft legislation extended the deadline for 2024 charitable donations to February 28, 2025. Individuals can choose to claim eligible monetary donations made up to February 28, 2025, on their 2024 tax return, 2025 return or during the normal five-year carryforward period. Corporations with taxation years ending after November 14, 2024, or before January 1, 2025, are also eligible.

Short-Term Rentals. If you rent a residential property for less than 90 consecutive days, you must now comply with all provincial and municipal regulations and licensing or the CRA will deny any expense deductions. Transitional relief is in place for the 2024 tax year.

Canada Carbon Rebate (CCR) for Small Business. While the government stated that the rebate is tax free, at the time of writing, legislation is pending so it must be reported as taxable income.3 This was distributed in December to eligible Canadian-Controlled Private Corporations (CCPCs) to offset the federal fuel charge in certain provinces: AB, MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, SK. CCPCs in other provinces/ territories may be eligible if they employ people in designated provinces.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/benjaminlaker/2023/08/02/working-from-home-leads-to-decreasedproductivity-
research-suggests/; 2. https://www.investmentexecutive.com/news/industry-news/claims-ofhome-
office-expenses-increased-41-last-tax-season/; 3. https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/
tax/businesses/topics/corporations/business-tax-credits/canada-carbon-rebate-small-businesses.html

The information contained herein has been provided for information purposes only. The information has been drawn from sources believed to be reliable. Graphs, charts and other numbers are used for illustrative purposes only and do not reflect future values or future performance of any investment. The information does not provide financial, legal, tax or investment advice. Particular investment, tax, or trading strategies should be evaluated relative to each individual’s objectives and risk tolerance. This does not constitute a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell securities of any kind. Market conditions may change which may impact the information contained in this document. Wellington-Altus Financial Inc. (Wellington-Altus) is the parent company to Wellington-Altus Private Wealth Inc. (WAPW), Wellington-Altus Private Counsel Inc. (WAPC), Wellington-Altus Insurance Inc. (WAII), Wellington-Altus Group Solutions Inc. (WAGS), and Wellington-Altus USA Inc. Wellington-Altus (WA) does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein, nor does WA assume any liability for any loss that may result from the reliance by any person upon any such information or opinions. Before acting on any of the above, please contact your financial advisor..

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The opinions contained herein are the opinions of the author and readers should not assume they reflect the opinions or recommendations of Wellington-Altus Private Wealth. Assumptions, opinions and information constitute the author’s judgement as of the date this material and subject to change without notice. We do not warrant the completeness or accuracy of this material, and it should not be relied upon as such. Before acting on any recommendation, you should consider whether it is suitable for your particular circumstances and, if necessary, seek professional advice. Graphs and charts are used for illustrative purposes only and do not reflect future values or future performance of any investment. The information does not provide financial, legal, tax or investment advice. Particular investment, tax, or trading strategies should be evaluated relative to each individual’s objectives and risk tolerance. All third party products and services referred to or advertised in this presentation are sold by the company or organization named. While these products or services may serve as valuable aids to the independent investor, WAPW does not specifically endorse any of these products or services. The third party products and services referred to, or advertised in this presentation, are available as a convenience to its customers only, and WAPW is not liable for any claims, losses or damages however arising out of any purchase or use of third party products or services. All insurance products and services are offered by life licensed advisors of Wellington-Altus.