Jan 19, 2022
As we advised in Tax Tip 20-04 , significant additional disclosure and filing requirements for trusts were announced in the 2018 Federal Budget and are scheduled to apply for trust’s 2021 and subsequent tax years.
“such trusts provide for incapacity planning”
While an earlier Tax Tip (2010-16) pointed out some of the traps and pitfalls in using an alter ego trust, these trusts can be useful for a variety of planning purposes, including:
Generally to qualify as an alter-ego, joint spousal or joint common-law partner trust, the following criteria must be met:
Where these conditions are met, property can be contributed to a trust on a tax-deferred rollover basis. The 21-year deemed disposition rule does not apply to the capital property held within this type of trust.
Some non tax advantages of creating such a trust include the facts that the trust can serve as a “will substitute” and protect the assets from unscrupulous acts of predators who might attempt to take control of an elderly person’s assets.
The trust might also be structured to avoid probate and the incumbent fees associated with the grant of probate. Confidentiality may also be an important issue and the terms of these trusts are not a matter of public record.
Finally, such trusts provide for incapacity planning, in that the settlor can arrange for a trust company or other personal representative to be appointed as a co-trustee, or as an alternate trustee, should the settlor become incapacitated and unable to act. A degree of tax planning and optimization can also be achieved if the residence of the trust is in a provincial jurisdiction with a lower tax rate than the jurisdiction in which the testator lived.
TAX TIP OF THE WEEK is provided as a free service to clients and friends of the Tax Specialist Group member firms. The Tax Specialist Group is a national affiliation of firms who specialize in providing tax consulting services to other professionals, businesses and high net worth individuals on Canadian and international tax matters and tax disputes.
The material provided in Tax Tip of the Week is believed to be accurate and reliable as of the date it is written. Tax laws are complex and are subject to frequent change. Professional advice should always be sought before implementing any tax planning arrangements. Neither the Tax Specialist Group nor any member firm can accept any liability for the tax consequences that may result from acting based on the contents hereof.
TAX TIP is provided as a free service to clients and friends of Cadesky Tax.
The material provided in Tax Tip is believed to be accurate and reliable as of the date of posting. Tax laws are complex and are subject to frequent change. Professional advice should always be sought before implementing any tax planning arrangements. Cadesky Tax cannot accept any liability for the tax consequences that may result from acting based on the contents hereof.