For business owners

Your company and you are taxed separately. Start with how money comes out.

If you own a corporation, tax is paid twice over: once in the company and once when you take money out. These guides explain the main decisions in plain language.

TaxOptima does not model corporate tax yet. These are explainers, not calculators, and the right answer depends on your province and your situation. Talk to an accountant before you act.

Your reading list

1

Start here 2 min read

Salary vs Dividends in 2 Minutes

The first choice every owner faces: how to pay yourself.
2

Step 2 2 min read

Dividend Tax in 2 Minutes

How the dividends you take out are taxed personally.
3

Step 3 Calculator

Dividend Tax Calculator

See the personal tax on the dividends you pay yourself.
4

Step 4 2 min read

Passive Income in Your Company: Tax in 2 Minutes

Why investing inside your company can cost you the small-business rate.
5

Step 5 2 min read

Cash Damming in 2 Minutes

Advanced, and simplest for the self-employed: run business costs through a HELOC to shift debt to the deductible side. Companies need extra care.
6

Step 6 2 min read

Selling Your Business: The Lifetime Exemption in 2 Minutes

How a lifetime exemption can shelter the gain when you sell the company shares.
7

Step 7 2 min read

Capital Gains Tax in 2 Minutes

The basics of how a gain is taxed, which you will need if the sale does not qualify.

What these guides do not cover

Corporate tax rates and holding company structures
Family trusts and paying dividends to family members
GST/HST, payroll and how to incorporate

This is education, not tax, legal or investment advice. Talk to a licensed Canadian chartered professional accountant or certified financial planner before you act.