Some people admire summer while a few wait till it ends, but one thing remains the same! The entrepreneur inside each person and the spark of starting summer jobs in Canada. If you are considering starting a part-time job in Canada, there are certain tax tips you should know about. These tax tips will help you save a lot of money and time! But to know these taxes, you first must understand how you can identify yourself as a self-employed person. You are definitely self-employed if you operate a business as a sole proprietor, an independent contractor, or a freelancer. It can include online businesses, part-time jobs, and full-time careers. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requires that you file a tax return every year declaring your income from all sources, both in Canada and outside. But we will focus on the tax tips as a self-employed person and tax implications for your summer jobs in Canada.
How to Know If You’re Self-Employed?
The first step to knowing if you are self-employed is determining whether you are an employee or self-employed. The difference between employed and self-employed is that your employer withholds taxes from your paycheque and then sends them to the government on your behalf as an employee. As a self-employed person, you will be responsible for paying your taxes directly to the government. You can be:
- An independent contractor in sales
- A social media sensation
- Babysitter
- Housecleaner
- Gardener
- A freelance promoter
There are a few key factors that the CRA uses to determine whether you are an employee or self-employed:
- Are you free to choose when and where you work?
- Do you provide your tools and equipment?
- Do you have more than one client or customer?
- Are you free to hire your assistants?
- Do you control the amount of profit you make?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then there’s a good chance that you are self-employed. Now that we know you are self-employed, let’s look at some tips to help you save on taxes!
Tax Tips for the Self-Employed
As a self-employed person in Canada, you are responsible for paying your income tax and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions. Fortunately, there are a few tax deductions for you that you can claim to offset some of these costs.
- Home office expense: If you work from home, you may be able to claim parts of your rents or mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities, and maintenance costs as business expenses.
- Vehicle expenses: If you use your vehicle for business, you can claim a portion of your gas, oil, and maintenance costs.
- Travel expenses: If you travel for business purposes, you can claim your airfare, hotel costs, and meals as business expenses.
- Business-related entertaining: If you entertain clients or customers for business purposes, you can claim 50% of the costs as business expenses.
- Education and training: If you take courses or attend seminars to improve your business skills, you can claim the costs as business expenses.
- Advertising and marketing: If you advertise your business online or in print, you can claim the costs as business expenses.
- Business-use-of-your-home expenses: You may be able to deduct a portion of your home expenses, such as heat, hydro, and insurance if you use part of your home exclusively for business purposes.
- Capital cost allowance: If you purchase capital assets for your business, such as equipment or vehicles, you may be able to claim a deduction for the depreciation of these assets.
Wrapping Up!
We hope that you found these tax tips helpful. Remember, as a self-employed person, and you are responsible for paying your income tax and CPP contributions. However, there are several deductions that you can claim to offset some of these costs. If you have any questions about your taxes, we recommend speaking to a qualified accountant or help from a professional accounting or tax firm in Canada. GTA Accounting is one of the most trusted professional accounting firms, and you can take help from their advisory services to ease your tax burden. Self-employment or summer jobs are a great way to earn a living, but it’s important to be aware of the associated tax implications. You can follow the tips above and ensure that you are prepared come tax time. Contact us to help you with a unique solution in no time.