Alter-ego and joint-spousal[1] trusts are inter-vivos trusts commonly used in estate plans to hold legal title of assets for the benefit of the individual and/or their spouse, prior to death, accomplishing some of the following benefits: avoiding probate, providing privacy, expediency of inheritance distribution, and minimization of legal challenge on…
If a taxpayer owns shares of a corporation and passes away, he or she is deemed to have disposed of their shareholding at fair market value (“FMV”) unless a tax-free rollover is applied (e.g., rollover to a surviving spouse). The disposition of shares may cause a tax liability. In the…
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) was recently asked to provide an update regarding the new online application process for a trust account number. In my capacity as an advisor, I ask clients to make tax payments if an only if there is an account number assigned to the taxpayer responsible…
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…
Changing a beneficiary designation is as simple as writing it down.
Several years ago, I wrote about probate planning involving the use of joint accounts. At the time, my father-in-law had just passed away and my mother-in-law, who survived him, was intent on paying the least amount of Estate Administration Tax (EAT). Jointly held property with a spouse or with one…
This Blog was written by: David McPhee, Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotia Wealth Management When the term “power of appointment” comes to mind, one often thinks of the provision in a will or inter vivos trust deed which creates a trust for a beneficiary for his or her lifetime, and…
There is renewed discussion on whether Canada will become another jurisdiction where specific gift or estate taxes will be imposed on inheritances. There is speculation that the discussion will lead to something concrete as early as next week’s Federal Budget. In the meantime, there are situations where inheritances can come…
The tax reform of 1987 introduced the term “taxable preferred shares”[1] to curtail the tax advantage for non-taxpaying corporations using preferred share financing over debt financing. The result of this reform subjected the non-taxpaying corporation to a (current) 25 per cent tax on dividends that were paid on taxable preferred…
Use of spousal trust or common-law partner trusts Setting up a spousal or common-law partner trust is a very important decision that generally results from non-tax reasons. One of the common reasons for setting up this type of trust is to protect the surviving spouse from influencers who might try…
