Trusts

Total 213 Posts

Principal Residence Exemption and some of the “What if’s”

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In my last blog, I wrote about the role of “beneficial” ownership in the determination of whether a property qualifies for the principal residence exemption. With an acknowledgment to Keith Masterman of “Advisor.ca”, I thought I would take the opportunity to write about some other “what if’s” and how the exemption may or may not apply. As an executor or trustee, you may encounter these scenarios and it might be….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Cottage, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Executors, Investments, Joint Tenancy, Property, Real Estate, Tax Issues, Trustee, Trusts

When Business Agreements Masquerade as Trusts

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Trusts are tricky – they can arise in circumstances where none of the parties involved ever use the word “trust.” There is good reason for this; often the settlor of the trust and the trustee are laypeople who can describe the type of relationship they wish to create, but are unaware of the legal terms to describe it. If a lawyer does become involved, she will likely set the terms….

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Trustee, Trusts

It is Not My Deed: How a Party Can Void a Trust Agreement

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One way for a party to set aside a trust agreement is by arguing that the settlor of a trust made a mistake about the trust. The concept, often found in contract law, is known as non est factum (note that a trust deed can be seen as a contract). The doctrine applies where there was both a mistake made in the execution of a contract, and the party was actually in error about….

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Trusts

Serving the Charitable Purpose

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I want to float a trial balloon about charitable trusts. A clause stipulating that a trust should be limited to using income for charitable purposes, meaning that capital is untouchable, should be viewed as an administrative clause and not part of the charitable objects. The charitable purposes of the trust may be perpetual, but making the trust “income only” is a historical drafting convention that no longer serves the charitable….

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Estate Planning, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Trustee, Trusts

INCOME FROM A U.S. TRUST: CAN IT EVER BE TREATED AS DIVIDEND INCOME?

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Sometime ago, a relative of a Canadian taxpayer died in the US and she left her money in a charitable trust, with some of the income bequeathed to the Canadian taxpayer annually. The trust income is derived mostly from US dividends. With a series of proposed adjustments to her personal tax returns, the taxpayer asked the Canada Revenue agency (“CRA”) why this income could not be treated as dividend income….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Canadian and US Tax Treaty, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Interest, Investments, Tax Issues, Trusts, United States, US Taxes
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