All About Estates

Category: Property

Total 128 Posts

What is a Reasonable Error

Further to my last post, the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) does have the discretion to waive tax penalties on excess (or deemed to be excess) contributions to Tax Free Savings Accounts (“TFSA’s) and Registered Retirement Savings Plans (“RRSP”) if an excess contribution  to a TFSA or RRSP resulted from a…

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New Privacy Legislation Aims to Address Digital Assets in Estate Administration

Practitioners and clients alike have come to realize that there can be numerous legal challenges to administering a testator’s digital assets, including, among them, ambiguous or restrictive privacy legislation. For most Canadian provinces,[1] the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”) does not appear to grant executors, trustees, or…

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Valuing Estate Assets – A Hierarchy of Evidence

Acting as an estate trustee can be a difficult job. It is often made more difficult when you have to work with a sibling. While the types of disputes co-estate trustees can have with one another are seemingly infinite, one common fight is over valuing an estate asset. Valuing estate…

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Use of Cottage By Children of Settlor of an Alter Ego/Joint Partner Trust

Both alter ego and joint partner trusts (the trust) allow a settlor to transfer capital assets into the trust on a tax-deferred basis if the following conditions are met: The trust is created after 1999. The settlor is at least 65 at the time of creation. In the case of…

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POST MORTEM PLANNING: AGAIN MORE GOOD NEWS

CRA will allow post-mortem pipeline transactions to continue, which will allow individuals to avoid double tax on disposition of certain assets.

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Spousal Election – The Right of the Survivor

In Ontario, the Family Law Act (“FLA”) regulates the division of property and the availability of spousal support on separation or death.

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SOME TAX TIPS IN THE COVID ERA

Our epidemiologists and public heath officers are warning us gently that the dreaded virus will be with us for awhile. Nevertheless, we are all hoping that our economy will recover soon (and to some extent our financial markets have), but it appears asset values in general may be depressed for…

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Gift Ideas for the Freshman in the Family

This Blog was written by: Alicia Godin, Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotia Wealth Management As we approach mid-August, many students (and parents) have turned their minds to the new school year. Although this year post-secondary education may look slightly different for many students with the switch to online learning, it…

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Of Love, Resulting Trusts, Matrimonial Homes and Fenelon Falls

The gratuitous transfer of property from a parent to an adult, capable child may result in a resulting trust.

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Constructive Trust and Proprietary Estoppel – Built With Your Own Hands

Families often fall into patterns and routines; they are comfortable, stable, and predictable. They can also give rise to legal rights over land. The extent and enforceability of those rights will be put to the test following death or divorce. Such was the case in Tomek v Zabukovec, 2020 ONSC…

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