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The company that operates the Toronto Stock Exchange has unveiled a new “Tax Facts & Planning” section to the TMXmoney.com website.

TMX Group has teamed up with tax expert Evelyn Jacks of The Knowledge Bureau to provide timely and topical articles on tax planning and preparation for investors.

“It’s important that Canadians have a solid understanding of how the taxation system works,” said Jacks, president of The Knowledge Bureau. “The Tax Facts & Planning” section on www.TMXmoney.com will provide investors with the tools and information necessary to increase their financial literacy in this important area.”

Among the topics covered are how to reduce the amount of taxes you pay; understanding how to leverage the effectiveness of family tax planning and income splitting; and preparing for taxation changes triggered by retirement.

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Mavrix files Explore 2010 prospectus

Mavrix Fund Management has announced the filing of the preliminary prospectus for the Mavrix Explore 2010 – I FT Limited Partnership, which will invest in flow-through shares of resource issuers engaged in mineral or oil and gas exploration in Canada.

Mavrix is the manager and portfolio advisor of the partnership. The maximum size of the offering is $50 million.

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TFSA may be better than RRSP: report

A new report by the C.D. Howe Institute suggests that tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) may be a more tax-efficient retirement savings vehicle than RRSPs and employer-sponsored registered pension plans.

The Savers Choice: Comparing the Marginal Effective Tax Burdens on RRSPs and TFSAs report finds that many Canadians will discover that the marginal effective tax rate on their retirement income will be higher—not lower, as is often assumed—than it was on their work income.

If the 40% tax rate on earned income is higher than a 30% tax rate paid when retirement income is withdrawn, then the RRSP is superior, say the authors of the report. However, if the tax rate on earned income is 30% and lower than paying 40% tax on retirement income, then the TFSA is superior.

(01/28/10)