Estate Planning
Episodes on Estate Planning
SoloFamily Trusts Explained: Why The Wealthy Never Gift Their Kids Anything
Why wealthy Canadian families never put assets in their kids' names, how a family trust actually works, and the timing decision worth $1.3 million.
- RRSP
- Tax Benefits
- Business Sale
SoloDo You Actually Need A Holding Company?
How a holding company can reduce taxes, protect assets, and improve long-term planning for some Canadians – while creating unnecessary cost and complexity for others.
- Holding Company
- Holdco Structure
- LCGE
SoloEstate Planning Explained: Will vs. Trust In Canada
How wills, beneficiary designations, joint ownership, and trusts actually control your assets in Canada – and why many families discover critical estate planning gaps only after a crisis occurs.
- Estate Planning
- Family Trust
- Income Splitting
GuestIs Your Accountant Actually Helping You?
How financial planning, tax strategy, and the right advisory team come together to build long-term wealth.
- Estate Planning
- Business Sale
- Corporate Reorganization
GuestThe IRS And CRA Double Tax Trap For Canadians
What no one tells you about the million-dollar tax traps, IRS penalties, and the entity mismatch that can bankrupt your investment.
- Estate Planning
- Business Sale
- Corporate Reorganization
EpisodeImmigration Tax Traps That Cost Thousands
What no one tells you about foreign assets, worldwide income, and the CRA penalties that can wipe out your savings.
- Estate Planning
- Business Sale
- Corporate Reorganization
GuestMost Wills Fail. Here's Why
Why most wills fail in Canada – not due to drafting, but because they become outdated, clash with laws, and fail to reflect real family and asset changes over time and across jurisdictions
- Estate Planning
- Business Sale
- Corporate Reorganization
Solo3 CRA Powers Coming In 2026 Will Ruin You
How the government's proposed CRA powers could expand audits through taxpayer interviews, daily penalties, and broader enforcement against Canadians.
- CRA Audit
- CRA Powers
- Wills & Estates
EpisodeYour Business Partner Can Take Everything
How business partnerships that start with shared vision and ownership can unravel over time — often due to shareholder agreements, misaligned incentives, and structural decisions made at the beginning
- Estate Planning
- Business Sale
- Corporate Reorganization
EpisodeShould Your Money Live in a Corporation or Personally?
Most people focus on what to invest in – but where you invest matters far more, shaping taxes, growth, and long-term after-tax wealth over time.
- Estate Planning
- Business Sale
- Corporate Reorganization
EpisodeHelping Your Kids? CRA Takes a Cut
Why “gifts” can create tax exposure for parents.
- Estate Planning
- Business Sale
- Corporate Reorganization
EpisodeBeing An Executor Can Cost You Personally
How choosing an executor is far more than an administrative decision – and how personal liability, CRA reassessments, and estate risks can last years.
- Estate Planning
- Business Sale
- Corporate Reorganization
SoloCRA Tax Rule That Wipes Out Inheritances
How death can trigger layers of tax that erase millions in family wealth – exposing business owners and estates to probate, liquidity crisis, and devastating double and triple taxation without proper planning.
- Estate Planning
- CRA Audit
- CRA Powers
EpisodeCRA Bill That Destroys Wealth After Divorce
Why family law, tax rules, and poor documentation can turn parental help into an unintended wealth transfer.
- Estate Planning
- Business Sale
- Corporate Reorganization
EpisodeThe Audit Machine – What 53,000 CRA Employees Are Actually Doing
How CRA's growing audit machine uses data, automation, and aggressive enforcement tactics to identify risks, escalate reviews, and collect billions beyond regular tax filings.
- Estate Planning
- Business Sale
- Corporate Reorganization
EpisodeLeaving Canada? Here’s What The CRA Wants You To Know
What tax residency, departure tax, and cutting ties really mean when you move abroad.
- Estate Planning
- Business Sale
- Corporate Reorganization
EpisodeThe $10M Tax Bill When A Business Owner Dies
How one founder built a $50M company but left his family exposed to over $10 million in tax, probate delays, and succession chaos due to missing estate planning.
- Estate Planning
- Business Sale
- Corporate Reorganization
EpisodeCRA Voluntary Disclosure Program 2025 Explained | What's Changed & What It Means
How Canada’s updated Voluntary Disclosure Program changes the way unreported income, foreign assets, and tax filings are treated — and who still qualifies for relief under the new CRA rules.
- Estate Planning
- Business Sale
- Corporate Reorganization
Posts on Estate Planning
Should You Put Assets In Your Kids' Names? Why Wealthy Canadian Families Never Do
Wealthy Canadian families almost never put assets in their kids' names. Here's why, how a family trust works instead, and the timing decision worth $1.3 million.
Do You Need A Holding Company In Canada? The 5 Signs
A holding company can save hundreds of thousands in tax – or add needless complexity. Learn the five signs it makes sense, from surplus cash and investments to asset protection and business sales.
The RRSP Trap: Why CRA Takes 54% Of Your RRSP When You Die (And How To Stop It)
A $1 million RRSP can trigger a $540,000 tax bill at death. Learn the little-known strategy that can legally reduce that tax burden and preserve more wealth for your family.
Will vs. Trust: Which One Actually Controls Your Assets In Canada?
Most Canadians think their will controls everything they own – but beneficiary designations, joint ownership, probate, and tax rules often determine where assets actually go.
3 CRA Powers Coming in 2026 That Every Canadian Needs to Know
The CRA's new 2026 audit powers — compelled sworn testimony with no transcript, $50/day penalties without a court, and reassessment clocks frozen indefinitely. Here are the three every Canadian needs to understand.
One Mistake Killed His $5M Deal — Why the Wrong Team Destroys Business Sales
Selling your business? One wrong hire and hidden tax traps can kill the deal. Why regular accountants fail at business-exit tax planning — and how to build the deal team that protects your sale.
CRA’s 5 Most Dangerous Weeks: What TEBA Means for Your Next Audit
What is TEBA, and why does it make February–March the most dangerous weeks for a CRA audit? How the CRA's March 31 year-end drives aggressive reassessments — and a 3-phase plan to protect yourself.
$800K Tax Bill That Should’ve Been $0 — The 5 Mistakes That Cost This Business Owner Everything
Discover the 5 critical errors that turned a $0 tax bill into an $800K disaster for a business owner. Learn how to protect your company from CRA reassessments, audits, and massive penalties.
Visual Guides on Estate Planning
The Power Of A Family Trust
Same business. Same sale. Same CRA rules. The only difference is how the shares were held. Without a trust: $1,275,000 sheltered through LCGE. With a family trust and three kids: up to $3,825,000 sheltered. The math speaks for itself.
CRA Is Still Auditing A Tax That No Longer Exists
The Underused Housing Tax was rescinded under Bill C-15 for 2025 and subsequent years. No filings required. No tax owed. But the CRA is still auditing taxpayers who were exempt from the old rules and didn't file the paperwork – for a tax they were never going to owe in the first place. The minimum penalty? $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for corporations. Per property. Per year. That is not compliance work. That is revenue collection through paperwork penalties on a regime the parliament has already thrown out.
Will Vs. Trust Explained
Most Canadian think their will handles everything. It doesn't. Your RRSP goes to whoever is on the beneficiary form. Your jointly-owned house goes to the surviving owner. Your will? It only controls what's left over. Here's what a will CAN'T do: • Save you tax • Control when your kids get their money • Help if you're incapacitated • Protect assets from creditors A family trust does all of that. And the difference can be hundreds of thousands of dollars.
5 Signs You Actually Need A Holding Company
Not everyone needs a holding company – but for the right person, it can save hundreds of thousands in tax and protect everything you've built. Here are 5 signs it might be time to consider one.
Why The Wealthy Never Gift Their Kids Anything
The wealthiest families in Canada almost never put anything in their kids' names. Not the company. Not the property. Not the investments. It isn't because they don't trust their kids. It's because a gift is the one financial move you can never take back. Swipe for what they do instead, and the $1.3 million difference it made for one family.
Resources on Estate Planning
Estate Planning Audit: Where Are Your Gaps?
Map every asset you own to one of three transfer buckets. See exactly who gets what when you die, and whether that's who you intended. Most people find at least one surprise.
The Family Trust Decision Guide
Use this guide to determine whether a family trust fits your situations and learn when it can help protect wealth, reduce tax, and preserve flexibility.
The Holding Company Decision Guide
Find out if a holding company is right for you with a practical self-assessment covering tax savings, asset protection, and business planning.
Estate Planning Checklist for Business Owners
Calculate business value, ACB, capital gains tax, probate fees, and LCGE eligibility to estimate what your family could owe after your death.
The Executor Checklist
Five concrete actions for anyone named executor — from the Section 159 conversation to have with the person you've named, to the accountant questions about Form TX19 clearance certificates, to the personal-liability protection most executors don't know they need.
The Must-Do Checklist Before Any Sale, Restructure, or Freeze
Use this before speaking to your accountant or lawyer. Covers 6 key tax triggers—LCGE, safe income, shareholder loans, ownership, reorganizations & cross-border risk.