All About Estates

Tag: Canada

Total 10 Posts

Illiquid Assets and Estate Donations

Tax relief for an estate donation cannot be claimed until the property is transferred to a charity.  No tax receipt; no tax credits.  If the distribution is after 60 months after death of the donor there is no tax receipt at all.  But what if the estate has illiquid assets…

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Canadian Donation Incentives

I published a version of this blog three years ago to address the many questions on Canadian tax incentives for donations that I receive.  Since the questions keep coming here is a revised and updated version. Generous but Complex and Opaque Canada has the most generous tax incentives for charitable…

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Wine and Estates Revisited

When I last wrote about wine and estates it was 2019. A distant epoch. The Canadian situation has changed dramatically since then. Not only have I been drinking more and better wine (I’m not alone), but the secondary wine market has changed. It’s more liquid, if you will. This is…

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Charitable Remainder Trusts in Canada

The Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) is a gift planning structure that rarely works in Canada.  An import from the U.S. – where it is an integral part of the gift and estate tax regime – the CRT in Canada has fewer tax and planning benefits.  It’s a foreign plant that…

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Wine and Estate Planning

I recently went looking for information to assist wine and spirit collectors with their estate planning. To my surprise there is little material online.  It’s easy to uncovered truth by drinking wine – “in vivo veritas” – but much harder to find a comprehensive Canadian resource about estate planning for…

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Canadian Donation Incentives Explained

Generous but Complex and Opaque Canada has the most generous tax incentives for charitable giving in the world, but few Canadians understand what they save and how the system works. Why the paradox?  Here’s a longer-than-usual blog providing an overview for your future reference. For starters, it is helpful to…

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A Terrific Bday Gift- A Dementia Strategy

Congratulations Canada! 150 years young and we are living longer than ever. Along with long life often comes disability and for many dementia is, in my opinion, the most threatening disease of today. Finally we have joined the ranks of the more progressive countries, those that are preparing themselves for…

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Exporting Canadian Art

  Like most countries, Canada has a cultural property regime designed to protect art and objects of cultural significance.  Inspired by UNESCO Convention (1970), cultural property must get clearance from the Canadian Cultural Property Export and Review Board (CCPERB) before it leaves the country.  Outdated elements of this important system…

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Donations of Existing Life Insurance Policies

In 2008, Canada Revenue Agency changed the valuation rules for donations of existing life insurance policies to registered charities. Previously, policy donations were receipted for cash surrender value, which many policies don’t contain. Now, policy donations are receipted for the appraised fair market value (FMV), which may exist regardless of…

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Will The Elderly Bankrupt Canada?

Duty, responsibility and obligation are three words often associated with the term caregiver. However, more often than not, burnout, financial stress and leave of absence help portray a more realistic perception of what is associated with being a caregiver.

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