All About Estates

Category: Canada Revenue Agency

Total 278 Posts

Charitable remainder trusts: what are they and when are they useful?

A charitable remainder trust (CRT), although not widely used in Canada, can be a useful charitable giving tool that generates an immediate tax credit for the donor. In an inter vivos context, an individual establishes an alter ego trust and transfers property to the trust on a tax-deferred basis. The trust holds…

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AMENDING TAX ELECTIONS AFTER THE FACT

The rollover provisions of the Income Tax Act, under subsection 85, permit a taxpayer to elect to transfer “eligible property” to a taxable Canadian corporation in exchange for consideration that includes at least one share of the corporation. “Eligible property” includes most capital property, Canadian or foreign resource property, eligible…

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The medical expense tax credit: COVID-19 tests and vaccines

With the requirements for COVID-19 tests for entry into Canada and vaccines, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) was asked to comment on the availability of the medical expense tax credit (METC). Medical expenses which are eligible for the METC are limited to those described in our tax rules. If a…

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Some Ins and Outs of RRSPs & RRIFs Transfers on Death

Generally the RRSP or RRIF of a deceased can be transferred by specific bequest under the terms of the deceased’s will to a qualifying survivor tax-free. A qualifying survivor would be the deceased annuitant spouse or common-law partner or a financially dependent child or grandchild. When payments from a deceased…

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Inconsistency in CRA policy for dividends paid to a deceased beneficiary

A recent article discussed taxation anomalies that occur due to timing differences between when a trust receives a dividend and subsequently pays and allocates a dividend to a beneficiary. CRA view 2016-0647621E5 provides that when a trust receives a dividend in the year and subsequently pays and allocates the dividend to a beneficiary…

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