Malcolm Burrows, Author at All About Estates

Esther the Pig and Animal Sanctuaries

Malcolm Burrows • October 4, 2018 • 0 Comments

[caption id="attachment_6858" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photograph by Rob MacInnis in a page shot from The Walrus, September 2018[/caption] I am fortunate to work with many animal lovers on their philanthropic estate plans. They are interested in a wide range of animals and issues. A recent article in The Walrus magazine about the animal sanctuary, registered charity and social media phenomenon Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary highlights a number of key estate planning….

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Estate Planning, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Uncategorized

Cultural Property Tangle: Export v. Donation

Malcolm Burrows • September 13, 2018 • 2 Comments

[caption id="attachment_6826" align="alignleft" width="425"] Gustave Caillebotte’s 1892 oil Iris bleus, jardin du Petit Gennevilliers[/caption] How can an export permit affect charitable giving? Quite easily if you are dealing with a foreign art work deemed “cultural property” under Canada’s Cultural Property Export and Import Act (CPEIA). A June 12 Federal Court of Canada decision on the export of French impressionist painting has reportedly frozen donations of “foreign” art to Canadian museums…..

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Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Uncategorized

Charities and Political Activities

Malcolm Burrows • August 16, 2018 • 2 Comments

A battle has been waging in Canada since 2012 over “political activities” by registered charities. The previous Federal Government initiated an audit by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) of 60 registered charities, which was discontinued in 2017 by the current government. On July 16, 2018, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice struck down the limitations as unjustifiable restriction of a charity’s freedom of expression. On August 15, the Government of….

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Estate Donations, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving

Artist Foundations

Malcolm Burrows • August 2, 2018 • 3 Comments

[caption id="attachment_6702" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Tom Thomson’s The Pointers, 1916-17 (Hart House, University of Toronto) – See Thomson’s catalogue raisonne at http://tomthomsoncatalogue.org/[/caption] In the U.S. there is a generation of contemporary artists who have never been richer and they are endowing – with art and money – some significant foundations. Cy Twombly Foundation, for example, reportedly has assets of over $1.5 billion. There is even a support initiative called the Artist-Endowed Foundation….

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Estate Donations, Estate Planning, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Uncategorized

Art Copyright and Estates

Malcolm Burrows • July 19, 2018 • 1 Comment

[caption id="attachment_6654" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The Derby Day (1856-58), William Powell Firth – The Tate Britain, Public Domain[/caption] Copyright & Art Ernest Gambart was a pioneering art dealer and showman in Victorian England who uncovered the value of art copyright. His specialty was a triple play. First, he mounted an exhibition (typically a single painting such as William Powell Firth’s The Derby Day); second, the sold the work; and third, he produced prints for….

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Estate Administration, Estate Planning

Donate to Eliminate Clauses

Malcolm Burrows • June 28, 2018 • 3 Comments

Last week I received a call from a client who wished to include a “donate to eliminate” clause in his will. His goal is to wipe-out all taxes in his estate by giving just the right amount to his favorite charities. A few years ago, this planning idea was all the rage in gift planning circles. It turned on a model clause that directed the executor to calculate the value of….

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Estate Donations, Estate Planning, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Uncategorized