When it comes to finances, single people can't seem to get a break: whether that's taxes, housing, retirement, or something as simple as a hotel room. With The Singles Tax, Renée Sylvestre-Williams uses her expertise as a financial journalist and a single person to explain how things got this way and what we can do to manage that tax, from personal finance strategies to pushing to change the tax code.
Each chapter provides thought-provoking insights and answers questions such as: Why can't two people just live together and be considered an economic unit? Can people get married to take advantage of the few tax benefits for couples? Will that lead to rom-com shenanigans? Can single people ever retire? Why did housing get so expensive, and are solo earners doomed to roommates? Do they need a will? Sylvestre-Williams also shares stories, trials, and triumphs from other singles and advice from financial experts on how to navigate the systemic disadvantages of singledom.
Delivering friendly, battle-tested advice, The Singles Tax is the ultimate intersectional guide for single people who want to take control of their financial lives and build a secure financial future. Sylvestre-Williams is friendly and relatable as she shares advice from experts, stories, trials, and triumphs from single Canadians across the country, as well as her own personal experience of being a single adult living her life in this partner-focused financial world.
Renée Sylvestre-Williams is a Toronto-based writer and journalist who has worked in the finance, business, and investing space for over 15 years, and has been published by some of North America's top publications, including The Walrus, Canadian Business, The Globe and Mail, and the Toronto Star. She is the creator of The Budgette, a newsletter about money for single people.
Sales and Market Bullets
• PRACTICAL STRATEGIES AND EMPOWERING ADVICE: As single living hits record highs in Canada, The Singles Tax offers actionable tips and expert insights to help solo earners build savings, retire confidently, travel wisely, and live comfortably.
• AN AUTHOR WHO RESONATES: Sylvestre-Williams's articles in MoneySense, about the real cost of being single, inspired a 400+ comment thread on Reddit. Her newsletter, The Budgette, which focuses on solo earners, has 2.3K subscribers.
• ANSWERS COMMON PERSONAL FINANCE QUESTIONS: Why are taxes more couple-friendly? Are there any advantages to being single and doing your taxes? Why can't people who live together form an economic household, Golden Girls–style, when it comes to finances and taxes? How do you properly vet a financial adviser? An insurance agent? A lawyer? Do you need an estate plan? Can you afford to retire on a single income? And how do you plan for it?
• TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Intro: Hi, I'm Single and I Worry About Money
Chapter 1: Building a Team
Chapter 2: Housing
Chapter 3: Day-to-Day Spending and Saving
Chapter 4: Taxes and Spousal Benefits
Chapter 5: Entertainment and Traveling Alone
Chapter 6: Insurance
Chapter 7: Wills and Estate Planning
Chapter 8: Retirement
Chapter 9: Leaving a Legacy
• FROM THE AUTHOR: "I'm single. In fact, I've been single for most of my adult life, so I understand the fears that lurk with every glance at your bank account, every 2 a.m. staring-at-the-ceiling thought about retirement, and every deep sigh when your hydro, food, or insurance bill comes in. I'm not married with kids imagining what it's like being single. I'm right there with you, tapping numbers into a calculator, talking to my financial advisor, and pondering the state of my retirement funds. I'm not alone in wishing there was some kind of guidebook on how to be single without the goal of being partnered." - Renée Sylvestre-Williams
