Q: Hi 5i,
I've just read Thomas's question regarding taxation on RRIF's. He has absolutely identified a serious issue affecting taxpayers and estate planning, which I see often in dealing with estates through my work.
The tax deferment we receive by contributing to RRSP's pays the government off in spades when the day comes that the resulting RRIF (or the RRSP if no RRIF has yet been created) is taxed.
If a spouse dies and his/her spouse is beneficiary of the deceased's RRSP or RRIF there are no tax consequences - a spousal rollover applies, and taxes continue to be deferred. However, when the surviving spouse (legal or common law) dies, the entirety of the RRIF in that person's hands is taxed as income of that deceased person in their year of death. I have seen many cases where the RRIF of a surviving spouse is made up of both his /hers and that of the deceased spouse and is worth in excess of $5M. That is a whole lot of income for an estate to pay tax on at one time. (Because investments held in a RRIF are considered income at the time of death they are not taxed based on capital gain, which would result in less tax being owed - their value at death is deemed to be income.)
I don't believe there is any way around this costly trap except to control taxes while living by taking considerable money out of a large RRIF every year and paying tax on it in affordable chunks. Other than that, surviving children are going to bear the brunt of the tax liability when the estate of their last to die parent pays income tax on whatever is left in the RRIF at the time of death.
If any of your readers have other strategies for reducing tax on large RRIF's I'd sure like to hear them.
Peter
I've just read Thomas's question regarding taxation on RRIF's. He has absolutely identified a serious issue affecting taxpayers and estate planning, which I see often in dealing with estates through my work.
The tax deferment we receive by contributing to RRSP's pays the government off in spades when the day comes that the resulting RRIF (or the RRSP if no RRIF has yet been created) is taxed.
If a spouse dies and his/her spouse is beneficiary of the deceased's RRSP or RRIF there are no tax consequences - a spousal rollover applies, and taxes continue to be deferred. However, when the surviving spouse (legal or common law) dies, the entirety of the RRIF in that person's hands is taxed as income of that deceased person in their year of death. I have seen many cases where the RRIF of a surviving spouse is made up of both his /hers and that of the deceased spouse and is worth in excess of $5M. That is a whole lot of income for an estate to pay tax on at one time. (Because investments held in a RRIF are considered income at the time of death they are not taxed based on capital gain, which would result in less tax being owed - their value at death is deemed to be income.)
I don't believe there is any way around this costly trap except to control taxes while living by taking considerable money out of a large RRIF every year and paying tax on it in affordable chunks. Other than that, surviving children are going to bear the brunt of the tax liability when the estate of their last to die parent pays income tax on whatever is left in the RRIF at the time of death.
If any of your readers have other strategies for reducing tax on large RRIF's I'd sure like to hear them.
Peter
5i Research Answer:
There are not a lot of additional strategies other than those mentioned, and some insurance and...