Hamza Hasan, CIM

04/23/2026

Say your professional corp earns $400K a year and you only need $200K to live, you don’t have to withdraw all $400K. You leave $200K inside the corp.

That $200K is taxed at the small business rate (~12.2% in Ontario for the first $500K), not your personal marginal rate (which could be 40–50%).

That means:

– More money stays in the corp
– You now have more capital to invest
– And it’s growing without the drag of personal tax

You’re essentially building wealth before the CRA gets their full cut.

And if structured properly, with a hold co, tax-efficient investments, or corporate-class funds, you can control when that money gets taxed personally.

That’s how incorporated professionals can outpace employees, even with the same or lesser income.

04/01/2026

If you own a business in Canada and want to upgrade your tech/equipment this year, then this is for you

For 2026, the government is basically letting business owners write off the full cost of many business purchases immediately.
Normally it doesn’t work like that.

If you buy a $10,000 piece of equipment for your business, the CRA usually only lets you deduct a small portion of it each year. It can take 5–10 years before you fully get the tax benefit. It’s slow.

But under the current rules, if you buy the equipment and start using it before December 31, 2026, you can deduct the entire $10,000 this year.

That means your taxable income drops right away.

What qualifies for that 100% instant write-off?

✅ Laptops, desktop computers, servers, and even the routers and switches for your office network.

✅ Any systems software you need to run the business.

✅ If you’re in a medical or dental practice, your specialized instruments and even certain large-scale diagnostic equipment.

Simply paying the invoice in 2026 isn't enough; the equipment must be delivered and ready to work in the office on or before December 31st to claim the deduction on your 2026 taxes.

Other things qualify too but double check with your accountant before making a purchase.

https://www.pwc.com/ca/en/services/tax/budgets/2026/ontario.html

This information has been prepared by Hamza Hasan, who is an Associate Investment Advisor for iA Private Wealth Inc. Opinions expressed in this article are those of the Associate Investment Advisor only and do not necessarily reflect those of iA Private Wealth Inc. iA Private Wealth Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization. The information contained herein may not apply to all types of investors. iA Private Wealth is a trademark and business name under which iA Private Wealth Inc. operates.

On March 26, 2026, Ontario’s Minister of Finance, Peter Bethlenfalvy, presented the province’s budget.

03/10/2026

In Ontario, if your corporation makes $500k in active income, you pay roughly 12.2% tax. It’s the best deal in the country.

But once your corporate investments (GICs, dividends, capital gains) make more than $50k in a year, the CRA starts "grinding down" that 12.2% rate.

For every $1 above $50K of passive income limit, you lose $5 of your small business deduction.

If you hit $150k in passive income? Your 12.2% rate vanishes. You’re now paying 26.5% on your earned business profit.

Luckily in Ontario, only the federal portion gets phased out. (Federal rate jumps from 9% to 15%). The provincial small business rate stays intact @ 3.2%, which softens the tax hit.

There are different strategies to deal with this but everyone's situation is different. Just keep an eye on your passive income so you don’t get caught off guard.

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This information has been prepared by Hamza Hasan, who is an Associate Investment Advisor for iA Private Wealth Inc. Opinions expressed in this article are those of the Associate Investment Advisor only and do not necessarily reflect those of iA Private Wealth Inc. iA Private Wealth Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization. The information contained herein may not apply to all types of investors.

08/23/2025

When your corporation sells an investment for a gain, not all of it gets taxed.

Here’s what actually happens:

Only 50% of a capital gain is taxable inside your corporation.

The other 50% goes into something called the Capital Dividend Account (CDA).

And money in the CDA can be paid out to you personally, 100% tax-free.

Example:

Your corporation realizes a $200,000 capital gain.

$100,000 is taxable.

The other $100,000 goes to your CDA.

You can pull out that $100,000 completely tax-free.

It’s one of the few ways to move money out of a corporation without a personal tax hit.

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This information has been prepared by Hamza Hasan, who is an Associate Investment Advisor for iA Private Wealth Inc. Opinions expressed in this article are those of the Associate Investment Advisor only and do not necessarily reflect those of iA Private Wealth Inc. iA Private Wealth Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization. The information contained herein may not apply to all types of investors.

08/20/2025

Sometimes clients ask me, “So… what’s going to happen in the market?”

Honestly? I don’t know. No one does.

Think of Google maps, you make a wrong turn, it doesn’t panic, it recalculates your route.

For me, being an advisor isn’t about predicting the future. I am here to help you adjust when markets shift, manage your emotions, and stay on track with the life you’re trying to build, even when the path changes unexpectedly.

08/19/2025

“I’m going to work until I die. I’ll never retire.”

I hear this almost every time I ask someone about their retirement plans.

But here’s the part that rarely gets considered, life doesn’t always give you the choice.

Getting laid off, health issues, accidents, family responsibilities, and many other circumstances can force you out of work long before you planned to stop.

Retirement planning isn’t about giving up work and more about protecting your future self from situations you can’t control.

You don’t always get to decide when your last day of work will be.

08/12/2025

Saving for retirement is only half the game — the real win is knowing how to take the money out without overpaying the taxman.

Think of your money like 3 taps:
💧 RRSP
💧 TFSA
💧 Corporate / non-registered investments

Most people just turn the taps on whenever they need cash.

Here’s the problem:

Open the wrong tap at the wrong time…
And CRA gets a much bigger sip than they should.

· Wait too long to use RRSP funds → huge tax bills later
· Ignore your corporate money → higher passive income taxes
· Drain your TFSA early → lose years of tax-free growth

The sequence of withdrawals — the order you pull from each account — changes everything.

It could mean:
✅ Lower taxes every year
✅ More money staying invested
✅ Your savings lasting 10+ years longer

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This information has been prepared by Hamza Hasan, who is an Associate Investment Advisor for iA Private Wealth Inc. Opinions expressed in this article are those of the Associate Investment Advisor only and do not necessarily reflect those of iA Private Wealth Inc. iA Private Wealth Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization. The information contained herein may not apply to all types of investors.

08/11/2025

You’ve got $100K+ sitting in your corporation. Now what?

Every month, that cash just… sits there.
Safe, but doing nothing.

It’s not creating income.
It’s not growing.
And it’s not reducing your tax bill.

For many incorporated professionals, this is the silent leak in their financial plan — the “lazy” money that quietly erodes purchasing power every year.

If your corporation has $100K+ in retained earnings, you have options. Powerful, tax-efficient options that may grow that money without putting your business at risk.

The longer you wait, the more you’re leaving on the table.

I help incorporated professionals turn idle corp cash into a tax-efficient investment plan.

Book a meeting to see if there is a fit.
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This information has been prepared by Hamza Hasan, who is an Associate Investment Advisor for iA Private Wealth Inc. Opinions expressed in this article are those of the Associate Investment Advisor only and do not necessarily reflect those of iA Private Wealth Inc. iA Private Wealth Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization. The information contained herein may not apply to all types of investors.

08/05/2025

Is your Investment Advisor a fiduciary?

It’s a simple question — but most people have never asked it; and many advisors hope you never do.

A fiduciary is legally obligated to act in your best interest at all times.

Here’s what that means in practice:

No hidden commissions
No sales targets
No conflicts of interest
No product pushing

Just advice that’s aligned with you.

It’s the standard I work under — and frankly, the only one that makes sense when you’re serious about your wealth

07/29/2025

When I get on a call with corp owners and they go “Quick question for you…”

I get it — you want answers. Fast.

BUT if someone gives you answers without knowing your full picture — you should run.

- Should I pay myself salary or dividends?
- Where should I invest my corp cash?
- Should I open an RRSP or just use my holdco?
- Am I on track to retire?

Fair questions. But here’s the truth:

Good advice isn’t given in the first five minutes.

It comes after seeing the full picture.

Because answers depend on so many different factors and how all of it fits together

*️⃣ How your corporation is structured
*️⃣ Your income needs
*️⃣ Whether your spouse is involved in the business
*️⃣ How much risk you can actually stomach
*️⃣ Your exit plans
*️⃣ Your personal and corporate tax situation

You wouldn’t make business decisions with half the data.
So why do that with your wealth?

You don’t need surface-level answers.
You need someone who asks the right questions first — even if they’re uncomfortable.

Real planning takes details, scenarios, and clarity.

If you want quick answers, I’m not your guy.
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This information has been prepared by Hamza Hasan, who is an Associate Investment Advisor for iA Private Wealth Inc. Opinions expressed in this article are those of the Associate Investment Advisor only and do not necessarily reflect those of iA Private Wealth Inc. iA Private Wealth Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization. The information contained herein may not apply to all types of investors.

07/16/2025

Here’s something most incorporated professionals miss:

When your corp earns more than $50,000 in passive income (like interest, dividends, capital gains, etc.), you could lose access to your small business tax rate.

Yep — your corp might start paying 38%+ on active business income instead of the usual 12.2% (in Ontario).

Why?

Because of a weird rule that punishes corps for having too much passive income.

Say your corp earns $100,000 in business income.
But it also earns $70,000 from corporate investments.

Now CRA says: “Too much passive income — no more small business rate for you.” And boom — you pay way more tax on your active income.

It’s called the passive income grind — and it kicks in once you cross $50K in passive income.

At $150K passive income, your entire small biz deduction is gone.

Not many people talk about it. But it’s a huge deal if you’re building wealth inside your corporation.

There are ways to plan around it — you just need to know it’s there
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This information has been prepared by Hamza Hasan, who is an Associate Investment Advisor for iA Private Wealth Inc. Opinions expressed in this article are those of the Associate Investment Advisor only and do not necessarily reflect those of iA Private Wealth Inc. iA Private Wealth Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization. The information contained herein may not apply to all types of investors.