Tax Issues

Total 358 Posts

Canadian Donation Incentives Explained

Generous but Complex and Opaque Canada has the most generous tax incentives for charitable giving in the world, but few Canadians understand what they save and how the system works. Why the paradox?  Here’s a longer-than-usual blog providing an overview for your future reference. For starters, it is helpful to understand that the Canadian tax system is grounded in unspoken social policy: we all must contribute to society, but there….

Canadian Donation Incentives Explained Continue Reading »

Estate Donations, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Tax Issues

Capital Gains Exemption Purification before a Share Sale: Be Careful about Timing

Assume a family trust (“Trust”) which has a December year end owns 100% of an operating company (“opco”). A separate corporation (“holdco”), owned by the founders of opco, is a corporate beneficiary of the Trust. Opco is up for sale. Opco has excess funds which may affect the Trust’s and its beneficiaries’ ability to claim the capital gains exemption. A common technique to purify opco for capital gains exemption purposes….

Capital Gains Exemption Purification before a Share Sale: Be Careful about Timing Continue Reading »

Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Planning, Investments, Property, Small Business, Succession Planning, Tax Issues, Trusts

Requirement to File a Tax Return Expanded

As written previously, the requirement to file a tax return for trusts has been expanded. Thanks to new legislation, there are now exceptions to the exception to file. Generally speaking, a trust (other than a trust established by law or judgment) that is resident in Canada must file a tax return, unless the trust had been in existence for less than three months at the end of the year or….

Requirement to File a Tax Return Expanded Continue Reading »

Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Administration, In the News, Investments, Tax Issues, Trusts

Source of Income and the TOSI Rules: Clarification?

Since the Tax on Split Income (“TOSI”) legislation was released, there has been considerable consternation amongst professionals as to how the rules apply. Even the most sophisticated readers of the legislation agree that it contains provisions that are both ambiguous and somewhat complicated. Somewhat out of exasperation, many deal with the TOSI rules on the assumption that all income amounts received by shareholders, beneficiaries, and partners are subject to TOSI,….

Source of Income and the TOSI Rules: Clarification? Continue Reading »

Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Planning, In the News, Investments, Property, Real Estate, Small Business, Tax Issues, Trusts

Safe Income and an Estate

In a recent technical interpretation, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) made the point that safe income of a corporation owned by a person that died did not flow through to the estate of that person.  The reason was not clearly stated but appears to be that the safe income became encompassed in the adjusted cost base of the shares to the estate. The situation described in the technical interpretation involved….

Safe Income and an Estate Continue Reading »

Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Planning, Tax Issues

Fair Market Value Used to Test the Meaning of All or Substantially All of the Assets Used in an Active Business

Under The Income Tax Act (“ITA”), if a taxpayer disposes of property that is all or substantially all of the assets used in an active business for consideration that includes shares of a corporation, the shares are deemed to be capital property. The disposal is considered to be a capital gain and may be eligible for the lifetime capital gains exemption for qualifying companies. This is a very important piece….

Fair Market Value Used to Test the Meaning of All or Substantially All of the Assets Used in an Active Business Continue Reading »

Business Succession Planning, Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Planning, In the News, Investments, Property, Small Business, Tax Issues, Uncategorized
Scroll to Top