Fasken

Not All “Trump Bumpf” is Bluster

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As part of the ‘Donald’s’ post-election “promises” we heard rumours that US gift and estate taxes were going to be repealed. While we did not see a repeal, we did see a significant change to the rules related to US gift and estate tax. The particular change came forward in the US Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) which was signed into law on December 22, 2017. Specifically, the amendment….

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Estate Planning, IRS, Tax Issues, United States, US Taxes

Life Insurance Joint Tenants[1]

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I think it is fair to say that joint ownership of property[2] is one of the most commonly used strategies for property ownership in the context of developing an estate plan.  Like any form of partnership, there are many issues to consider in jointly owning property.  In the context of jointly owned life insurance, there are some specific nuances that must be addressed when dealing with jointly owned life insurance,….

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Insurance, Joint Tenancy

Death and TOSI Part 2: Spouses

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My past two blogs have looked at the December 13, 2017 draft legislation that amends and expands the tax on split income (“TOSI”) rules. In my last blog I outlined some of the special rules that apply (in the context of TOSI) to income and gains on property that is acquired as a consequence of death. A further special rule relates specifically to spouses. If an amount qualifies as an….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Planning, Family Conflict, Tax Issues

Safe Space: Governance in Action

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For most businesses they evaluate their success by quarters or perhaps terms described as “short”, “medium” and “long”. For a family business, they measure success by ensuring the company is preserved for the next generation and beyond.  And despite the statistics which suggest that successfully transitioning a family business to the next generation is elusive, the goal for a large proportion of family businesses still is to transition the business….

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Business Succession Planning, Family Conflict, Small Business, Tax Issues

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

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The phrase “No good deed goes unpunished” is often attributed to Clara Boothe Luce, an American Dramatist, who was the first American woman appointed to a significant ambassadorial post abroad. Today it is often used to express the idea that beneficial actions often go unappreciated or are met with hostility.  The decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal in Teixeira v. Markgraf Estate, 2017 ONCA 819 no doubt left Arlindo….

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Elder Care, Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Trustee

Your Family Trust Has a Non-Resident Beneficiary

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In today’s world of international families it is not uncommon for a Canadian family to have one or more members that are non-residents of Canada. When that same family has set up a Canadian discretionary family trust that is intended to benefit its members with, say distributions from a family business, a number of complexities arise for the administration of that family trust.  Often the trustees of such a family….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Planning, Tax Issues, U.S. Citizen
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