Flow Through Shares: deferring income to a later date at a lower rate.
What is a Flow Through Share, why should I purchase them?
Flow Throughs are investment products that allow for larger than normal tax incentives and short term tax sheltering (possibly long term)
Primarily involves investments in the Oil and Gas Industry, the Mining Industry, and the renewable energy sectors of the economy
The investment is at least 100% tax deductible against your gross income
After a certain period (usually 1-2+ years) your shares may roll over into a Mutual Fund which you can sell at any time
However, be aware that many Flow Throughs offered today in Canada may not offer a “roll over Mutual Fund” and therefore there is no liquidity offered until the manager of the specific Flow Through Share is able to sell the securities he or she bought
Flow Throughs turn fully taxable gross income into future tax advantaged capital gains
Your marginal tax bracket determines the amount of money your gross income will be reduced by when buying a Flow Through Share
The higher your gross income (the more taxes you pay), the higher the tax savings
Here's how it works:
Let's pretend you bought $10K worth of flow through shares and that you make the big bucks in Alberta, and your Marginal Tax Bracket is 48%.
When you get your tax refund- if you work as an employee, you will get $4800 back, meaning you will have tax savings of $4800.
This works by multiplying $10,000 x 48%= $4800
(It's just like an RRSP- whatever you contribute, you get a tax savings of your marginal tax bracket by lowering your gross income)
However, there's a catch.
When you sell your flow through shares- let's assume for simplicity's sake that you neither make nor lose money on the $10,000 you invested, the adjusted cost base is $0- so the capital gain is considered $10,000. ( We call this a buck for buck return)
So that tax you would have to pay when you sell is:
$10,000/2=$5000x 48%=$2400.
So you got $4800 back from the government, but when you sell, you have to pay a capital gains tax of $2400. Therefore, the net income advantage is $2400.
This means you have deferred and halved the tax payable on that $10,000 of gross income.
PROS:
It's a nice tax shelter from the government (as we know, there are few tax shelters!)
If you're in a high tax bracket, Flow Throughs are one concept that can help lower your overall gross income, and defer taxes to a later date at a lower rate
Instead of losing your hard earned income to taxes, you can invest directly into the resource and energy sectors of the Canadian Economy
Mitigates tax loss risk
CONS:
When you sell, the adjusted cost base is $0, so whatever you have is considered a capital gain
They can be super risky, and good managers of these funds are few and far between
Assets purchased by management are often sold at a large premium
The fund manager must spend every penny raised by their fund, or face penalties, therefore they are price takers
The purchase would be supportive of the oil and gas industry as well as resource mining.
If you have issues with it in terms of the environmental consequences of supporting exploration companies, then Flow Through Shares might not be for you
however, most Flow Through Share managers have access to environmentally conscious green energy stocks or shares, so this should also be considered when thinking of a purchase
Doing the taxes for flow through shares is complicated.
You will need the expertise of an accountant who specializes in tax
If you make this kind of money and do not work with an accountant who specializes in Canadian Tax Law; we can refer you to one
our own experience:
Over the last 20 some odd years we have seen many many MANY issues of Flow Through Shares and many other tax shelters and breaks that have been granted under various government budgets. Oil & Gas plays, Resource only plays that offer a SUPER Flow Through (127% in Alberta at the time), Entertainment and movie deals that offered incentive in tax breaks many times larger than what is offered in today’s Flow Throughs. One thing we can tell you is that, for the most part in the modern age (2010-present) Flow Through Shares are fully reliant on luck and timing.
If you are looking for a tax break over and above your RRSP’s to lower your gross income, and therefore your total tax payable, you better be ready to put at least half your money at risk.
As you see above, you will receive a 48% tax break on any dollars purchased in a Flow Through Share. (if that is the marginal bracket you are in)
This means that money is now off the table and back in your pocket. You won’t lose it to tax. Therefore, 52% of your capital is at risk and can be tracked pretty closely to the S&P TSX-V as well as the Canadian Dollar. Both of which are known to be volatile.
The lower your tax bracket, the more of your money is at risk.
Simply; if you absolutely must, we can find and offer a Flow Through Share that has access to a short duration Roll Over Mutual Fund. This means management will work to ensure that your money is not held in an illiquid position for any longer than necessary, has the tool necessary to ensure liquidity and can offer you further management and tax deferral. (If you stay in the Roll Over Mutual Fund for any period of time)
Timing is everything here, so be aware!
Tips on buying flow through shares:
It is recommended that Flow Through shares are not to exceed 5-15% of your portfolio
A suitable purchase is necessary to not overflow your portfolio with an illiquid, volatile and very probably poorly managed product
As a licensed registrant in the Exempt Market Darris can walk you through this type of product, and advise if it is suitable
Flow Throughs are now sold all year round in many cases, and we recommend buying them early and often to provide a dollar cost averaging strategy
Timing is everything, so perhaps years where the markets are reaching new highs is not a good time to be investing in Flow Throughs
Make sure you understand that your money won't be accessible for at least a year or two- so don't buy it if you're planning to save up for a large purchase
If you are only looking to stick it to the tax man, be prepared to take high risks on your capital in order to do so.
We do not endorse this kind of purchase as an investment to make large gains, if you put a dollar in and get a dollar out, you are in good shape