One of the main reasons that businesspeople often choose to lease equipment, rather than borrowing money to buy it outright, is the very low up front cost of obtaining a lease. Unlike bank loans, which often require a large down payment, you can generally initiate a lease arrangement with just two months of advance payments.
This lack of up front costs allows you to keep more of your capital to make valuable investments in growing your business.
Another advantage of leasing equipment is the potential for protection against obsolescence. When buying a new computer, for example, you can negotiate a fairly short lease term, then upgrade to newer machines before the old ones are out-of-date.
That way the gently used computers can be re-sold as refurbished consumer products, while your business never has to do without the top-of-the-line equipment it needs.
Finally, leasing business equipment can come with substantial tax advantages. Depending on the way that your lease is structured, it may be possible to deduct all of your payments as business expenses, offsetting depreciation costs.
It is a good idea to speak with a tax professional to ensure that your leasing arrangement qualifies as a business expense, and can be fully written off against your end-of-year tax bill.
Civil Forfeiture and the Standard of Proof
Unlike criminal proceedings, where an accused person must be presumed innocent until proven guilty and only punished once their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt, civil forfeiture proceedings operate on the balance of probabilities, meaning that the state must merely demonstrate that an individual has probably done something illegal in order to obtain forfeiture of their property.
The Right to Counsel in Canada
Section 10(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms preserves the right of a detained individual to contact counsel immediately upon arrest or detention, and simultaneously imposes a duty upon police to immediately inform individuals that they have this right.
Democratic Rights: A Broad Charter Guarantee
Summary: In Canada, the right to vote and participate in provincial and federal elections is robustly protected under Section 3 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This article delves into the nuances of this protection, highlighting key legal interpretations and decisions that underscore the strength of democratic rights in Canada, contrasting it with other freedoms that face more limitations.
