Executors

Total 349 Posts

Death Benefit Payments

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) recently released a translated technical interpretation with helpful guidance on the tax treatment of a death benefit payment in certain specific situations. A death benefit is income of either the estate or the beneficiary who receives it. Up to $10,000 of the total of all death benefits paid (other than CPP or QPP death benefits) is not taxable. The CRA had the following to say….

Death Benefit Payments Continue Reading »

Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Planning, Executors, Small Business, Tax Issues

Dude, Where’s My Car? – How to Transfer the Ownership of a Deceased Person’s Vehicle to a Beneficiary in Ontario

More often than not, we come across the following question from an Executor: How do I transfer the ownership of the deceased’s vehicle where the deceased specifically named a beneficiary in the Will? This seems like a fairly simple process but as I’ve learned over time, nothing is as simple as it seems. This can be a time consuming and frustrating process for the Executor. Please note that for the….

Dude, Where’s My Car? – How to Transfer the Ownership of a Deceased Person’s Vehicle to a Beneficiary in Ontario Continue Reading »

Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Executors, Wills

The Mysteries of Probate, Revealed

Of all the questions I am asked about the administration of estates, the ones that come up the most frequently are: “what is probate?”; “how do I know if I need probate?”; and “what’s involved in applying for probate?” Herein – the answers…..

The Mysteries of Probate, Revealed Continue Reading »

Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Planning, Executors, Practice Management, Probate Tax, Succession Planning

Professional fees incurred in the context of a litigation with CRA

On occasion, the personal representative of an estate may have to incur costs to either settle or disclose a matter with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). In a translated technical interpretation, the CRA provided some of its own guidance on how to navigate the relevant rule in the Income Tax Act (ITA). The ITA generally permits a deduction in computing a taxpayer’s income for a taxation year for amounts paid….

Professional fees incurred in the context of a litigation with CRA Continue Reading »

Canada Revenue Agency, Costs, Estate Administration, Executors, Tax Issues, Trustee

An ETDL will continue to act until all appeals exhausted

I previously blogged about the case of Gefen v. Gaertner where the Court of Appeal quashed an appeal regarding an estate trustee during litigation (ETDL) and punted the matter to the Divisional Court. Now this estate has generated another appeal regarding the ETDL – this time properly brought before the Divisional Court – which dealt with whether an ETDL’s role continued after a judgment is appealed. In Gefen v. Gefen,….

An ETDL will continue to act until all appeals exhausted Continue Reading »

Courts, Estate Litigation, Executors

Big New Rules for Small Estates

The law in Canada is not static – it evolves and changes to meet our society’s needs through incremental changes to the common law (i.e. the application and interpretation of the law through the courts) and through legislative changes. One recent change to Ontario’s laws was made through the Smarter and Stronger Justice Act, 2020 (the “Act”). The purpose of the Act is to make it easier, faster and more….

Big New Rules for Small Estates Continue Reading »

Courts, Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Executors, Trustee, Wills
Scroll to Top