Profit from Tax-Free Savings Accounts

Article Excerpt

Starting in 2009, Ottawa’s new Tax-Free Savings Accounts (or TFSAs) will let you earn investment income — including interest, dividends and capital gains — tax free. The new accounts are open to Canadian residents who are at least 18 years old and have filed at least one tax return. A nice complement to RRSPs Unlike RRSP contributions, TFSA contributions DON’T give you a tax deduction. But you pay NO tax on TFSA withdrawals. You’ll have a maximum you can contribute each year, regardless of income. It will consist of the sum of these three amounts: 1) $5,000 a year (after 2009, this annual amount will be indexed to inflation and rounded to the nearest $500 on a yearly basis), plus 2) Any previous TFSA withdrawals not yet added back, plus 3) Any unused contribution room from previous years. You’ll add these three sums to compute your TFSA contribution limit for the current year. You may have multiple tax-free savings accounts. However, the combined yearly contributions to your…