
December 11, 2024
Joint last-to-die life insurance – Food for thought
When is joint last-to-die life insurance the right fit? And when is it not? Here are some considerations.

September 11, 2024
The rundown on in-kind charitable gifts of life insurance and some recent clarifications
For considerations and rules relating to in-kind gifts of life insurance and an update on recent, specialized clarifications from the 2024 CALU CRA Roundtable and the August 12, 2024 draft legislation concerning life insurance gifts.

July 3, 2024
Post-mortem planning – Some updates
For an update on recent post-mortem planning items and a reminder that life insurance can fund tax liabilities arising in respect of owning private company shares on death.

April 18, 2024
2024 Federal budget – Reflections on the increase to the capital gains inclusion rate through an insurance lens
By now you’ve read the 2024 Federal Budget summaries and digested some of the impacts. Here is what we think about the capital gains inclusion rate changes, looking through a distinctly insurance-focused lens.

March 13, 2024
Post-mortem pipelines under the new GAAR are OK
The CRA has confirmed that it does not see post-mortem pipeline planning as a misuse or abuse under the new GAAR and will continue to issue favourable rulings. Life insurance in conjunction with post-mortem pipeline…

February 28, 2024
Avoiding the 21-year rule? – Be notified
Certain tax planning to avoid the 21-year rule must be reported to the CRA and in their view, subject to GAAR. Consider using life insurance to solve for problems this planning is meant to address.

January 31, 2024
Holdco and Sisterco owners of life insurance with Opco as beneficiary results in shareholder and indirect benefits
In the case of Gestion M.-A. Roy Inc. et al, the Federal Court of Appeal affirmed the reasoning of the Tax Court to include the amount of premiums paid by Opco in respect of policies…

January 17, 2024
Imperfect conduit – Transfer of a life insurance policy as a dividend-in-kind via a trust
Trusts are not perfect conduits. Dividends received in-kind by a connected corporation that is a beneficiary of a trust maintain their character as inter-corporate dividends but on the disposition of the property itself, differences in…