our 10th year
blog anniversary
People often wish to ensure confidentiality in doing their estate planning as an important goal. A trust is a common vehicle to do so, since court probate processes, which have been around for centuries, are public and once a will is probated it becomes a public document. The current government
Now that the flurry of another tax season has come and gone, and we can put tax return preparation to the side until next year, its seems timely to consider in a dispassionate way how Canadian tax rates stack up against other countries, in particular the U.S.. Do we pay
Many people who live or have assets in Ontario are concerned about the amount of Estate Administration Tax (probate fees or “EAT”) that will be payable on their death given the high rate of approximately 1.5% of the value of estate assets. One common estate planning technique for minimizing EAT
Everyone knows that death and taxes are two of life’s certainties, but some of us may not appreciate that our tax liabilities don’t disappear on death and that our legal representatives become responsible for sorting out our unfinished tax business. Some tax liabilities are expected to arise on or after
When a loved one passes away, whether it is expected or not, their death begins not only the process of grieving by those left behind, but also the process of dealing with what the deceased family member has left behind. There is often uncertainty and apprehension felt by those in
In both our August 2015 and March 2016 blog posts, we discussed the importance of frequently reviewing your estate planning documents, as personal and financial circumstances can constantly change. Failing to make necessary revisions to your estate planning documents may result in unintended consequences that do not accurately reflect your
On July 18, 2017, the Federal Government announced changes to close “loopholes” in the taxation of private corporation income. One of the stated goals is to provide for “fairness” in the taxation of income so that business income earned through a private corporation is not “unfairly” subject to lesser rates
U.S. tax reform measures were signed into law by President Trump on December 22, 2017, culminating a whirlwind legislative process at the end of 2017 which resulted in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”), the most significant changes to U.S. tax law in over three decades. These
As we return from Labour Day weekend and reflect back on the summer that never quite was, a major issue that will grab attention over the next weeks, now that it’s business as usual again, is the government’s recent tax proposals. The government chose on July 17, 2017 in the
Most taxpayers know that when you sell an asset which has increased in value, the federal Income Tax Act provides that you will generally be liable for capital gains tax on the net increase in value, unless there is an applicable exemption. One exemption from capital gains tax is for