This past weekend, we had the honour to be part of the Jamaican Canadian Association’s (JCA) annual scholarship ceremony as one of the donors. The JCA Scholarship Program was established in 2002 to recognize academic excellence and support access to post-secondary education for students of Caribbean and African heritage. So far, the organization has given more than 800 scholarships. This is amazing. I was blown away by the achievement and aspirations of the more than 50 students who were awarded scholarships this year. If you have young kids in high school or university, check out this scholarship program and apply. Also consider ways to donate so more kids can benefit from this scholarship opportunities. Enjoy this issue where I share valuable ideas on tax and financial planning as well as an upcoming workshop we’re hosting for Not-for-profit leaders. Please remember to share this with everyone in your network:

1. The 3 D’s of Tax Planning

As you may already know, tax planning is all about minimizing or eliminating taxes. Effective tax planning requires time to implement. The earlier you start planning, the more tax-efficient you’ll be with your affairs. As we approach the end of the year, there is a limited opportunity to implement some tax planning. A good tax plan will often include strategies to deduct, defer, and divide.

• Deduct: A tax deduction (or “write-off”) reduces your taxable income, on which your federal tax is calculated. If you’re paying some taxes, a deduction is worth about 25% to 50% of your taxable income depending on your marginal tax bracket. A few examples of common deductions include RRSP contributions, interest expense on money borrowed to earn income, child care expenses, etc.
• Defer: As the name suggests, a deferral strategy allows you to move your tax liability into a future year. You owe the tax, but rather than paying it today, you can pay it at a future date. This strategy allows you to take advantage of the time value of money and also gives you some control over the timing of when you pay the taxes.
• Divide: This strategy is more commonly referred to income splitting. This strategy allows you to spread income among different taxpayers to lower the effective tax rates for the combined family. When done correctly with planning, income splitting can result in significant tax savings as we have a marginal tax rate system in Canada.

Remember, every dollar saved in taxes will help accelerate your wealth. You can use those extra dollars to improve your lifestyle, to contribute to your community, and to pass on to the next generation. To read the full article, click here.

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2. Financial Governance Workshop for Not-for-Profit Organizations

We are excited to announce that registration is now open for this hands-on workshop for financial leaders in the Not-for-profit space. This workshop is tailored for small not-for-profit organizations that do not have a robust financial reporting system. If you’re an Executive Directors, a Board Treasurer, or involved in the preparation of financial statements for your not-for-profit organization, then this workshop is for you.

This full day workshop is designed to fix the systems behind your finances and also provide you with tips on grant writing.

Date: October 24th, 2025

Time: 10 AM – 5 PM

Location: Artistic Decor Venue; 66 Jutland Rd unit #43, Etobicoke, ON M8Z 2G6

Includes: Lunch + practical tools

Cost: $450 +HST per person

This workshop is not a lecture. It’s a hands-on, practical workshop where you’ll learn, apply, and walk away with systems you can use immediately. To learn more and to register, click here.

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3. How Curiosity Can Empower You

In our society, curiosity can either empower you and impede you. As you plan for the the year ahead, think of ways you can use curiosity to give you an unfair advantage. In one of his recent weekly emails, James Clear provides more detail on this in this insightful quote:

"Curiosity can empower you or impede you.

Being curious and focused is a powerful combination. I define this combination as unleashing your curiosity within the domain of a particular task: asking questions about how things work, exploring different lines of attack for solving the problem, reading ideas from outside domains while always looking for ways to transfer the knowledge back to your main task, and so on. Even though you're exploring widely, you're generally moving the ball forward on the main thing. You start something and you keep searching until you find an effective way to finish it.

Meanwhile, when your curiosity sends you off in a dozen different directions and fractures your attention, then it can prevent you from focusing on one thing long enough to see it through to completion. Curious, but unfocused. You're jumping from one topic to the next, they aren't necessarily related, your efforts don't accumulate, you're simply exploring. You start many things and finish few.

How is your curiosity being directed? Is it rocket fuel or a roadblock?"

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, shares insightful quotes like this weekly. Consider subscribing to his weekly emails for tips on cultivating winning habits. Check it out here.

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4. Getting the in-depth advantage

This month, I begin a 3-year indepth tax program to deepen my knowledge in the field and to help solve the increasing tax issues our clients are facing. The In-Depth Tax Program (IDTP) is CPA Canada’s flagship certification for CPAs and business professionals looking to accelerate their career in tax. I’m excited to continue to develop myself professionally as I join Canada’s most reputed tax training program. I can’t wait to share the deep insights from this program with all of you. So, keep an eye out for this if you’re looking to accelerate your wealth tax-efficiently.

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5. How Solid Is Your Financial Defense?

We focus excessively on making money and building wealth but often forget that without a strong financial defense, we risk losing everything we've worked so hard to build. All it takes is one crisis to wipe out your life's savings! In this video, I share the four important walls you need to build around your finances to protect yourself from a potential financial disaster.