Tax Issues

Total 360 Posts

Control in the Valuation of Business Interests for Estate Planning

From time to time, I am asked to prepare, review or comment on structures for estate planning purposes with a mind to valuation issues. A common valuation issue is control and whether or not the value of the business interest(s) in the estate plan should be discounted for lack of control or should have premium attached to it because the holder of the business interest(s) do(es) have control. Valuators rely….

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

Transfer of corporate-owned life insurance

It is not uncommon to see corporate owned life insurance transferred to a shareholder particularly when the company is being sold. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) was asked to comment on a set of facts and their response was no surprise given the relatively new rules in this area of the tax law. X owns 100% of Opco’s preferred shares that have a redemption value of $1 million, an adjusted….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Insurance, Tax Issues

Will Planning for Beneficiaries

In what might be one of the last pipeline transactions my office will advise on (depending on the outcome of the Government of Canada tax proposals), I ran into an unfortunate situation which served to highlight a fundamental aspect of estate planning: Planning for your beneficiaries. Recently, I reached out to the beneficiaries of the estate I am working on to determine their personal tax positions for this current year…..

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Business Succession Planning, Disability, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Tax Issues, Trusts, Uncategorized, Wills

Morneau Stands Firm on Tax Proposals

Minister of Finance Bill Morneau (“Morneau”) met with small-business owners in British Columbia earlier this week to hear their complaints about and concerns with the tax proposals which were launched on July 18, 2017. With a consultation process of only 75 days, doctors, farmers, small business advocacy groups and various professional associations have been quickly digesting the significant proposed changes and making their views known about the negative impact these….

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Tax Issues

GIFTS – Some Additional Thougths

Recently, I wrote about the gifting of cash or assets during one’s lifetime as an alternative method of distributing your wealth (beyond what you need to live on comfortably) and possibly avoid taxes (probate, income etc.) at time of death. I suggested that your heirs could use the funds in a manner that will likely cost less tax: For example pay down some personal debt, apply it as a deposit….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Charitable Giving, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Family Conflict, Investments, Joint Tenancy, Loans, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Probate Tax, Property, Real Estate, Tax Issues, Trusts, Uncategorized

Principal residence exemption and fire loss

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) was asked to comment on the availability of the principal residence exemption (PRE) when a previously occupied property is destroyed by fire and a decision is made to sell the property in a later year. The taxpayer purchased a house in 2010 which was ordinarily inhabited as a principal residence.  In 2016, the house was completely destroyed by a fire and the taxpayer decided to move….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Cottage, Executors, Property, Real Estate, Tax Issues, Uncategorized
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