James D. Peros C.A. C.P.A

TECHNOLOGY Marshmallow, Anyone? Security of the mobile devices used in your business should be a primary concern. Because mobile devices are able to take on more and more tasks traditionally performed by desktop computers, work done in an office environment can increasingly be done almost anywhere. As a result, the security features of the mobile device and platform should be important considerations for your business. Marshmallow Introduced In October 2015, Google released Android 6.0 “Marshmallow”, the latest version of their mobile device operating system. Google has strengthened security in a move to attract the business consumer. Should you consider an Android switch in your business? Are you already an Android-based business wondering if your security is up to snuff? Is Marshmallow secure enough for small business? Encryption Marshmallow devices ship with full-disk-device encryption enabled by default although some exceptions are permitted for low...

Happy New Year! The end of the year is a good time to review long-term investments and mortgages. New Year’s resolutions. So easy to make, so hard to keep. According to a Nielsen survey, the most common resolution for 2015 was to keep fit. A resolution to spend less money and save more was only the fourth most popular after lose weight, and enjoy life to the fullest. As we are about to enter 2016, perhaps we should all resolve to pay more attention to spending and saving and the effect on our investment portfolios and mortgages in the coming year. Review Your Investment Portfolio Start with investments outside the RRSP or RRIF. Calculate the gain or loss between the end of 2014 and the end of 2015. Review your statements for the entire year. Calculate investment fees paid. Identify withdrawals or contributions. Net your gains against your losses. Calculate the percentage return on investment after deducting the cost of fees paid to your broker, financial advisor or...

TAXATION Giving to Charity Check with your tax advisor to make sure your charitable donation meets the requirements for your maximum tax deduction. Canadians seem to be a very generous people and are more than willing to support charities or give to non-profit organizations that promote ideas in which the donors believe. A Statistics Canada study reported that in 2010, approximately 24 million or 84% of Canadians 15 years of age and older donated a total of $10.6 billion. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) facilitates this desire to help by providing a tax deduction. For the individual to receive the tax deduction, the donee (i.e., a charity or other qualified recipient of donations) must be registered with the CRA. Donees are not required to issue a receipt for a donation but the taxpayer cannot receive the deduction without supplying one to the CRA when remitting their tax return.  Qualified donees include: * registered charities and national arts services organ...

HEALTH AND SAFETY Sorry, I Couldn’t Hear That Excessive noise levels can injure employees and result in expensive insurance claims. Hearing loss is an occupational hazard covered by workers’ compensation boards in most, if not all, jurisdictions in Canada. In Ontario, for instance, exposure criteria have been developed under the Occupational Health and Safety Act that would consider compensation if a person has been exposed to noise levels of 90 decibels or higher for eight hours a day for five years. Many employers and employees simply accept noise as a necessary part of the job. This careless attitude can often result in hearing losses for exposed employees and ultimately costly claims. A decibel (dB) meter will determine the noise level at your place of work. They are easy to obtain; free iPhone and Android apps will provide you with a rough estimate of the noise levels in your workplace. All provinces have some form of agency concerned with workplace safety. In O...