The need for business owners to diversify risk and focus on tax efficiency is extremely important given the higher taxation of passive versus corporate income.. Get exclusive investment industry news and insights, the week’s top headlines, and what you and your clients need to know. For more from Globe Advisor, visit our
To shed some light on the types of complications that may arise when a small business owner retires, let’s examine a hypothetical scenario. The client requires the savings from his business to fund his lifestyle in retirement, but he also wants to transfer his business to the next generation.To do that, he can initiate an estate freeze, which allows the transfer of the business to the next generation but still permits the transferor to retain control of the business. He can receive a source of income from dividends on his preferred shares. That means he and his wife’s shares hold all the value and control of the business.
That’s why it’s important for advisors to build their practices with a multi-generational client strategy to ensure a smooth transition. Business owners receive a tax deferral on business income, but there’s no such tax deferral on investment income. Corporate investment tax rates range by province but, on average, they’re approximately 50 per cent on taxable investment income.
Advisors can also consider Canadian stocks, exchange-traded funds or mutual funds that distribute eligible dividends from publicly traded Canadian corporations for the client’s corporate investment portfolio because