6 Estate Tax Planning tax and accounting engagements in full — what the client came to us with, what we did, and what it was worth. Each one is specific to estate tax planning work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · CRA review defended
$82,000 Reassessment Reduced To Nil On Review — Family Transferring a Farm, Regina
Client: A family transferring a farm to the next generation · Where: Regina, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Reassessment reduced toNil
Tax protected$82,000
Prior filingsUndisturbed
The situation
A review notice arrived at a family transferring a farm to the next generation in Regina, Saskatchewan covering estate tax planning for two tax years. The auditor's working position was an adjustment of $82,000, driven by a trust that had never filed a T3 under the expanded reporting rules.
What we did
Rather than negotiate, we rebuilt the record. We filed the outstanding T3 returns with full beneficial-ownership schedules and secured relief on the late-filing penalty and submitted a point-by-point response that answered each proposed adjustment with the document behind it.
The result
The auditor accepted the documented position and closed the review without adjustment, protecting $82,000 and leaving the prior filings undisturbed.
Case Study 2 · Missed incentive claimed
$28,000 In Credits Claimed That Prior Filings Had Missed — Family with a Cottage, Winnipeg
Client: A family with a cottage held in trust · Where: Winnipeg, Manitoba · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Credits claimed$28,000
Years adjusted3
Review outcomeNo adjustment
The situation
A family with a cottage held in trust in Winnipeg, Manitoba had been filing for 3 years without ever claiming the incentives its activity qualified for. Behind that sat a trust that had never filed a T3 under the expanded reporting rules.
What we did
We tested each activity against the eligibility criteria rather than the description on the invoice, then implemented an estate freeze with a supported valuation, capping the current generation’s exposure and moving future growth to the successors.
The result
$28,000 in credits claimed, with the open prior years adjusted as well. The claim passed review without adjustment.
Case Study 3 · Sale and succession
$865,000 Sheltered By The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption — Executor Administering an Estate, Guelph
Client: An executor administering an estate · Where: Guelph, Ontario · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Gain sheltered$865,000
ClosingOn schedule
Share qualificationMet
The situation
An executor administering an estate in Guelph, Ontario had an offer on the table and 10 months to close. The shares did not qualify for the capital gains exemption, and a shareholder loan balance that would have been picked up as income on closing was part of the reason.
What we did
We purified the corporation so the shares met the qualifying tests, then made the graduated rate estate designation and re-filed, moving the estate off top-marginal-rate taxation for its first three years well ahead of the closing date.
The result
The sale closed on schedule with $865,000 sheltered by the lifetime capital gains exemption across the shareholders.
Case Study 4 · Backlog brought current
5 Years Filed, $106,000 Removed From The Assessed Balance — Trustee of an Alter-Ego, Kitchener
Client: A trustee of an alter-ego trust · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Years filed5
Assessed balance removed$106,000
CollectionsStopped
The situation
A trustee of an alter-ego trust in Kitchener, Ontario had not filed for 5 years. The CRA had issued arbitrary assessments, and the business was carrying a family trust approaching its 21-year deemed disposition with no plan on top of a growing interest balance.
What we did
We started with the oldest year and worked forward so each year's closing balances fed the next. We filed the separate rights-or-things return alongside the final T1, claiming a second set of personal credits, filing the years in sequence rather than all at once.
The result
Every year is now filed and assessed on actual figures. The notional assessments were vacated and $106,000 of the estimated balance came off, with a payment arrangement covering the rest.
Case Study 5 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $71,000 Saved Each Year — Spousal Trust Following a, Hamilton
Client: A spousal trust following a death · Where: Hamilton, Ontario · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$71,000
Tax on reorganisationDeferred
Elections filedOn time
The situation
A spousal trust following a death in Hamilton, Ontario had outgrown the structure it started with. A farm transfer completed without using the intergenerational rollover was the immediate problem; the longer-term one was that the structure blocked the next step.
What we did
We mapped the current structure, modelled the target, and filed the outstanding T3 returns with full beneficial-ownership schedules and secured relief on the late-filing penalty — with the tax-deferred elections filed on time and the supporting valuations documented.
The result
The reorganisation completed without triggering tax, and the new structure saves approximately $71,000 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
Case Study 6 · Objection and relief
$37,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — Trustee Facing the Expanded, Lethbridge
Client: A trustee facing the expanded reporting rules · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$37,000
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation
An assessment of $37,000 landed at a trustee facing the expanded reporting rules in Lethbridge, Alberta following a desk review. The auditor had not seen the records behind a trust that had never filed a T3 under the expanded reporting rules.
What we did
We implemented an estate freeze with a supported valuation, capping the current generation’s exposure and moving future growth to the successors, then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result
$37,000 of penalties and interest was cancelled under the taxpayer relief provisions, and the underlying assessment was adjusted to match the filed position.
Reviewed for the 2025 tax year by Udit Gupta, Certified Tax Accountant. Figures describe representative engagements of this type; outcomes depend on your own facts. Client names and identifying details are omitted for confidentiality.
