All About Estates

Gowling WLG LLP

Total 11 Posts Website

THE “SLAYER RULE” – WHAT’S THE BURDEN?

Kira Domratchev, Associate Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP The litigators amongst us are no doubt familiar with the fact that matters of public policy affect the decisions of our Courts. Public policy does not tolerate a wrongdoer profiting from their crime. The “Slayer Rule” or the “Criminal Forfeiture Rule” is where…

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Is This a Bare Trust?

Andrew Coates, Associate, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP Today was supposed to be the due date for untold numbers of T3 returns and Schedule 15s for trusts known as “bare” trusts in existence on December 30, 2023. Not only was it going to be the first year that the Canada Revenue…

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Ontario Residents with Quebec assets

Today’s blog was written by Douglas Buchmayer, partner with the Ottawa office of Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP A common issue facing estate planning practitioners in Eastern Ontario is the Ontario resident client owning Quebec assets, often the family cottage, which need to be dealt with in a Will. Where a…

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PROCEED CAREFULLY – FRAUDULENT CONVEYANCES

Kira Domratchev, Associate Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP I recently came across an interesting decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice where the Court used the doctrine of a resulting trust to reach an outcome on a series of events that left a creditor unable to collect an outstanding costs…

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Pay Your Taxes, or Your Widow(er) Might Have To

This blog has been written by Maddi Thomas, Associate at Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP Beneficiary designations are commonly used by individuals to allow registered retirement savings plans (“RRSP”) and other savings accounts to “pass outside of the estate”, i.e., be distributed or transferred outright to a surviving co-owner; or, in…

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Tax Considerations for Gifts of Art in Canada PART TWO

Gwenyth Stadig, Associate and Upama Poudyal, Articling Student  – Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP This article forms part two of a two part series detailing the benefits and requirements of donating art for Canadian taxpayers to consider as part of their estate planning needs. Part one of this article series explored the benefits…

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Tax Considerations for Gifts of Art in Canada

Gwenyth Stadig, Associate and Upama Poudyal, Articling Student  – Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP An increasing number of Canadian taxpayers are interested in giving pieces of art to charities or other qualified donees as part of their estate plans. Some of these Canadian taxpayers are choosing to make decisions to give…

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Taxable Preferred Shares – Some Potential Relief for Specified Amounts

Andrew Coates, Associate, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP The potential tax implications of estate trustees finding themselves holding taxable preferred shares (“TPS“) owned by a deceased and the “substantial interest” exception for Part VI.1 tax was explored previously in the March 2, 2021 post, but TPS is a complicated subject so…

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What Makes an Indigenous Trust Unique?

What makes an Indigenous trust unique from other inter vivos trusts? Two factors in particular are worth noting: (1) the nature and involvement of the beneficiaries of the trust, and (2) the manner in which Indigenous entities as settlors can utilize the income attribution rule under s 75(2) and their tax-exempt status under s 149(1)(c) of the Income Tax Act.

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Trustees Holding Title to Real Property: It Used to be Simpler

Trustees holding title to real property jointly with right of survivorship should make estate succession efficient and inexpensive. But recent changes implemented by the Director of Land Titles are challenging that notion.

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