A vacation property—whether it’s a cottage in Muskoka or a chalet at Tremblant—is a valuable asset, not just in terms of the real estate, but also as a place that holds years of family memories. For many Canadians, passing the property to the next generation is a priority, but there are significant tax and non-tax-related considerations associated with keeping that cabin or condo in the family.
The lifetime capital gains exemption (LCGE) is one of the key tax planning advantages available to small business owners, farmers, and fishers. In 2021, it can exempt from tax up to $892,218 of capital gains realized on the sale of shares of a qualified small business corporation and up to $1 million of capital gains realized on the sale of shares of a family farm or fishing corporation.
An important part of financial planning is making sure that you have an estate plan that meets your personal needs. A key component of any well constructed estate plan is to make sure that you have an up to date power of attorney for financial decisions (referred to as a “protection mandate” in Quebec).
IG Wealth Management is a proud sponsor of the Alzheimer’s walk, and as part of that, we want to support Canadians who are dealing with dementia, or may have a family member dealing with dementia.
A core component of your retirement plan is the CPP retirement benefit (or Québec Pension Plan for Québec residents, which mirrors many aspects of the CPP). CPP offers flexibility as to when payments can begin, which affects how much you could receive. Familiarizing yourself with CPP provisions can help you decide when to start payments and optimize the benefit throughout your retirement.
As a business owner, having a well thought out tax and estate plan is key for financial success.