August 2021

Applying for a trust account number?

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 for the payment. While individuals and corporations are assigned tax identifications numbers, trusts are not. Since February 2021, the CRA….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Executors, Tax Issues, Trusts

Another Goodbye

I have written about my work with my long time elderly client, Audrey, for some time. Through these blogs, I have shared the loss of her sister, her prior discharge from palliative care,  her 100th (and 101) birthday, her most recent admission and discharge and today I want to share her passing with you. As I have said so many times before, she was one of the lucky ones; lucky….

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Caregiving, Elder Care

The Family Cottage: Fostering Friendship or Fuelling Foes?

Whether it be a lakeside summer home, a small log cabin in the woods, a ski chalet, or a country retreat, a family cottage can be the source of wonderful memories and an important part of family life. However, it can also become a source of stress and disagreement if not dealt with properly in the estate-planning process. Planning for the family cottage can be challenging, in part because clients….

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Uncategorized

An RESP may be a simple solution for funding a grandchild’s education, but beware of its limitations

This Blog was written by Joanna Mazin, Estate and Trust Planning Lead at MD Financial Management Inc. which is part of Scotia Wealth Management Many clients I work with are interested in finding a tax-efficient way to financially support their minor grandchildren’s savings for post-secondary education. I often suggest that they consider opening or contributing to a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). Presenting each of these options comes with instructions on how an RESP….

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Uncategorized

Reaffirming the Status Quo of Beneficial Designations: the saga of Calmusky v. Calmusky continued

The Rippling Effects of Calmusky v. Calmusky In March of 2020, Lococo J.’s decision in Calmusky v. Calmusky made waves in Ontario’s legal community. (For this reason, it was included in our top 20 estate law cases of 2020. An excellent summary and analysis of that decision by my colleague Demetre Vasilounis can be found here). By applying the law on the presumption of resulting trust to an RIF, Lococo….

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Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Resulting Trust, Succession Planning

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 the property for the benefit of the individual during the individual’s lifetime, entitling the individual to the trust’s income but….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Charitable Giving, Estate Donations, Estate Planning, Tax Issues, Wills
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