Estate Planning

Total 1065 Posts

Principal residence and the change in use

It is not unusual for find the value of a deceased’s home makes up a significant part of their net worth and estate value on death. Often there is an automatic reliance on the principal residence exemption to tax exempt the gain on the deemed sale triggered on death.  What if during the person’s life the property was used for other purposes such as a home office, or day care….

Principal residence and the change in use Continue Reading »

Canada Revenue Agency, Cottage, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Executors, Property, Real Estate, Tax Issues

The Intersection between Family Law and Estates Law

The Family Law Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.3 provides that when a spouse dies and the surviving spouse’s net family property[1] is less than the net family property of the deceased spouse, the surviving spouse may elect to take one-half of the difference between the net family property of the deceased spouse and the net family property of the surviving spouse (“equalization”). Will vs. Equalization: The general rule is that….

The Intersection between Family Law and Estates Law Continue Reading »

Estate Planning

DEATH BENEFITS: CAN THEY BE APPLIED TO THE INCORPORATED OWNER-OPERATOR?

A death benefit is an amount received after a person’s death for their employment service. In general, any amount up to $10,000 received is not subject to tax, pursuant to regulations contained in the Income Act (“ITA”). What if the deceased was the sole shareholder of a corporation and received a death benefit? Recently, the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) was asked to consider two scenarios: 1. The sole individual shareholder….

DEATH BENEFITS: CAN THEY BE APPLIED TO THE INCORPORATED OWNER-OPERATOR? Continue Reading »

Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Probate Tax, Small Business, Tax Issues, Uncategorized

OFFSHORE ESTATE PLANNING AND MONEY TRANSFERS: A WORD OF CAUTION

Just I am completing my personal income tax return and assisting many others with theirs, I continue to cling to the belief that most Canadians pay their fair shares of taxes. However, it appears many do not by “hiding” their money in offshore tax havens, sometimes under the guise of estate planning. There has been a lot of publicity in the past couple of years on how wealthy individuals around….

OFFSHORE ESTATE PLANNING AND MONEY TRANSFERS: A WORD OF CAUTION Continue Reading »

Canada Revenue Agency, Canadian and US Tax Treaty, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, In the News, Investments, Tax Issues, Uncategorized

The Ten D’s of Geriatric Psychiatry

In my consulting work, I have provided independent medical/legal assessments of seniors regarding capacity to sign powers of attorney, capacity to manage property and personal care, capacity to marry, capacity to provide instructions, capacity to provide evidence and both retrospective and contemporaneous assessments of testamentary capacity and capacity to provide inter vivos gifts. I have been accredited as an expert witness in contemporaneous and retrospective assessments by the Ontario Superior….

The Ten D’s of Geriatric Psychiatry Continue Reading »

Capacity Law, Disability, Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Geriatric Care Management, Testamentary Capacity

Making Effective Distributions of Estate Taxable Income Tax

Dealing with the taxation of income earned by an estate can be complex. It has become even more complex since January 1, 2016.  It was on this date that all estates, other than those that qualify as a “graduated rate estate” (GRE), were no longer able to benefit from graduated rates of taxation on their taxable income.  Rather, to the extent an estate that is not a GRE earns and….

Making Effective Distributions of Estate Taxable Income Tax Continue Reading »

Estate Planning, Tax Issues, Trusts, Wills
Scroll to Top