Succession
Episodes on Succession
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.
- Family Trust
- Trust Planning
- Income Splitting
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
- Shareholder Agreement
- Business Owners
- Business Sale
EpisodeHelping Your Kids? CRA Takes a Cut
Why “gifts” can create tax exposure for parents.
- Wealth Transfer
- Family Trust
- Income Splitting
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
- Post-Mortem Planning
- Probate
EpisodeCRA Bill That Destroys Wealth After Divorce
Why family law, tax rules, and poor documentation can turn parental help into an unintended wealth transfer.
- Wealth Transfer
- Estate Planning
- Case Study
SoloCRA Takes 80% When You Die
How dying with an incorporated business can trigger layers of tax that devastates family wealth – and why post-mortem planning is critical before it's too late.
- Estate Planning
- Post-Mortem Planning
- Probate
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
- Post-Mortem Planning
- Succession Planning
Posts on Succession
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.
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.
The Tax Rule That Punishes Canadians for Helping Family — And What You Can Do About It
New CRA bare trust filing catches family bank accounts, joint titles, crypto held for relatives—$50K penalties even if you owe $0 tax. Bill C-15 passed House, Senate next. Sign petition + download checklist before 2026 tax year.
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 Succession
Same $1M RRSP, $390,000 Difference
Same $1M RRSP. Same family. $390,000 difference.
CRA Takes 54% Of Your RRSP When You Die
CRA can take 54% of your RRSP when you die. Not your business. Not your real estate. The retirement savings you built one paycheque at time. Here's what almost nobody tells you: your entire RRSP lands on your final tax return as income, all in one year. On a $1M RRSP, combined with the deemed disposition on the rest of your estate, the tax can hit $540,000. But there's a provision in the Income Tax Act that can redirect your RRSP to a minor child or grandchild, taxed at their rate instead of yours. It can drop the total tax to around $150,000. That's a $390,000 difference. Same RRSP. Same family. Same law.
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 Succession
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.
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.