Estate & Trust Planning
Protect what you've built. Pass it on.
Your wealth represents decades of hard work. Without proper planning, a significant portion can disappear to taxes at death. We help families and business owners structure their affairs to minimize estate taxes and transfer wealth efficiently.
Book Free Consultation
What We Offer
Who Is This For?
Why Choose Synergy
Tax-Efficient Transfers
Proper planning can significantly reduce the deemed disposition at death. We identify strategies to keep more wealth in your family.
Business Succession
Transferring a business to a family member or employee involves complex tax elections. We guide you through the process.
Peace of Mind
Knowing your estate plan is tax-optimized means your family faces less financial stress during an already difficult time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is deemed disposition at death?
When a person dies, the Income Tax Act treats them as having sold all their capital property at fair market value immediately before death. This can trigger significant capital gains — on investments, rental properties, shares of a private corporation, and other assets. Proper estate planning uses strategies like spousal rollovers, graduated rate estates, and insurance arrangements to defer or reduce this tax burden. Without planning, a large estate can lose 30–50% of its value to taxes.
What is a family trust and how can it help?
A family trust (formally an inter vivos trust) is a legal structure that holds assets for the benefit of named beneficiaries — typically family members. It can be used to split income among family members in lower tax brackets, remove growth from an estate, protect assets from creditors, and facilitate the use of the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption when selling a business. Family trusts are complex to set up and administer, but for the right family, they can save significant taxes over time. We advise on whether a family trust makes sense for your situation.
When should I start estate planning?
The honest answer: as soon as you have assets worth protecting. For business owners, estate planning should happen well before you plan to sell or step back — ideally when the business is still growing and the shares have the most room for tax-efficient planning. For individuals with real estate or significant investments, planning in your 40s and 50s gives you the most options. Waiting until retirement or illness limits your strategies.
Can you help with an estate I'm administering as executor?
Yes. Serving as an executor is a significant legal and financial responsibility. We help executors prepare the deceased's final T1 return, file any required T3 trust returns during the estate administration period, obtain the CRA clearance certificate before distributing assets, and navigate any tax issues that arise. We work alongside your estate lawyer to ensure the tax side of the estate is handled correctly.
Ready to get started?
Let's talk.
Book a free, no-obligation consultation with our team today.