Trusts

Total 212 Posts

7th Annual Trustee Investment Review

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This is my 7th annual year end investment review for Trusts. As I have indicated in the past, Trustees are accountable for a prudent investment policy. This includes a review of the performance of the investments in the Trust. For Trusts that hold a portfolio of marketable securities, a fundamental element of the review includes a comparison of the performance of the investments in the Trust against relevant benchmarks. For….

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Investments, Trusts

RRIF rollovers and grandchildren.

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Can RRIF proceeds paid after death to a testamentary trust, and used to purchase an annuity for the deceased’s grandson, qualify for a tax deferred rollover? The Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) was recently asked to rule on the following set of circumstances and facts. The grandson’s parents were incapable of caring for him and he was placed in the annuitant’s custody. He lived with the annuitant and she provided financially for all his needs. The….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Dependant Support, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, In the News, Investments, Resulting Trust, Tax Issues, Trustee, Trusts, Wills

Taxable Income of an Estate: Can it be Distributed?

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Suppose a straightforward will with very simple instructions to the executor: The executor is to pay the debts and expenses of the deceased, execute certain specific bequests of property and with some general instructions, distribute the residue of the estate to the named beneficiaries. During the administration of an estate, taxable income is generated during the course of paying all the debts and executing the specific bequests. Because it might….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Executors, Tax Issues, Trusts, Wills

TAX FREE ROLLOVERS: DIVORCE AND DEATH – NOT A GOOD MIX

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Recently, the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) was asked to comment on a scenario involving the transfer of a RRSP and a capital asset between ex-spouses, and one the spouses dies before the rollover can be effected: Do the tax free rollover provisions found in the Income Tax Act (“ITA”) still apply? In the scenario presented to the CRA, Mr and Mrs. Z are ex-spouses. They have a written separation agreement….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Planning, Executors, Investments, Property, Real Estate, Tax Issues, Trustee, Trusts

Testamentary Trusts – Are they Dead?

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Dating back to the 12th century when the English court of equity created the concept of the “use”, which in modern day is known as the “trust”, trusts have been an important tool in estate planning for both tax and non-tax reasons. Prior to January 1, 2016, testamentary trusts had enhanced tax benefits for purposes of incorporating into an estate plan. Effective January 1, 2016, changes to the Income Tax Act (the “ITA”) eliminated one of these enhanced tax benefits that testamentary trusts offered, leading practitioners to ask whether testamentary trusts continue to serve a purpose in a individual’s estate plan…..

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Estate Planning, Trusts

Don’t Look a Gift House in the Mouth

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“A resulting trust arises when title to property is in one party’s name, but that party, because he or she is a fiduciary or gave no value for the property, is under an obligation to return it to the original title owner.” Pecore v Pecore (SCC). In 1969, Luisa immigrated from Portugal to Canada. By 1972, all of Louisa’s seven children had joined her (spanning in ages from 20 to….

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Estate Litigation, Property, Real Estate, Resulting Trust, Trusts
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