Can an executor act as a witness to a Will?

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Two witnesses are sometimes hard to find. In a pinch, could an individual who is appointed as an executor under a Will act as a witness to that Will? In Ontario, the rules governing the formalities of Wills, including the eligibility of witnesses, are set out in the Succession Law Reform Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.26 (the “SLRA”). Section 14 of the SLRA states that an executor can be a….

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Estate Planning, Executors, Wills

Principal residence exemption – renting to a child

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The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) was asked if a taxpayer’s property designated as his “principal residence” but rented and lived in by his son continued to qualify as his “principal residence” for the purpose of claiming a principal residence exemption to shelter a gain from personal tax.
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Canada Revenue Agency, Cottage, Disability, Elder Care, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Executors, Real Estate, Tax Issues

Serving the Charitable Purpose

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I want to float a trial balloon about charitable trusts. A clause stipulating that a trust should be limited to using income for charitable purposes, meaning that capital is untouchable, should be viewed as an administrative clause and not part of the charitable objects. The charitable purposes of the trust may be perpetual, but making the trust “income only” is a historical drafting convention that no longer serves the charitable….

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Estate Planning, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Trustee, Trusts

QDT’S AND THE PREFERRED BENEFICIARY ELECTION

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As fellow bloggers have noted, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners held its annual national conference in Toronto on June 9th and 10th. Each year, one of the most anticipated sessions is the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) Roundtable. Question No. 4 at this year’s Roundtable concerned the interplay between the preferred beneficiary election (“PBE”) and the qualified disability trust (“QDT”). I have in a previous blog outlined the requirements….

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Estate Planning
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