David A. Altro / Advisor’s Edge / May 26, 2021
We are very pleased to share that partner David A. Altro was asked to prepare a special for The Advisor’s Edge, which was published on May 26, 2021. His article is titled “What U.S. tax proposals mean for Canadians”.
To read the article you can see it in part below, or click here to view it on the Advisor’s website.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s American Families Plan would increase estate, capital gains and income tax rates, as well as exposure to the gift tax. The proposals will adversely affect many Canadians with U.S. assets and U.S. citizens residing in Canada, so now’s the time to help your clients plan.
U.S. estate tax
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) can tax Canadians on their U.S assets upon death but not their worldwide assets. U.S. assets for Canadians include U.S. stocks, mutual funds, life insurance policies, real estate (including mortgage debts owed by U.S. persons to Canadians on U.S. real estate sales) and even boats. Under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Canadians with U.S. assets at death are exempt from U.S. estate tax where their Canadian and worldwide assets (that includes all assets) have a market value of less than US$11.7 million (the exemption amount).
That’s obviously a high bar, and most Canadians with a personal-use Florida condo will be under the exemption amount and pay no U.S. taxes when they die. Under Biden’s plan (as well as proposed bills from Democratic senators Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen) the exemption amount on worldwide assets is expected to drop to approximately US$3.5 to US$5 million (all figures below are in U.S. dollars).
What does that mean for Canadians? A Canadian who dies with U.S. real estate in their name personally — with, for example, a Florida residence worth $500,000 — and a worldwide estate above the new exemption amount would be subject to estate tax on the U.S. property’s market value — not the gain, as is the case under the Canadian tax system. In the Sanders bill, the tax rate would rise from the current 40% to 45%, and then up to 65% after the next year. The tax would apply to clients whose property is titled in their name or in a revocable trust. The Canadian owner of that Florida residence would owe U.S. estate taxes of well over $100,000 upon death if no tax planning was set up.
Is there a way for Canadians to better plan their ownership of U.S. property? Clients could buy the U.S. personal-use property in a transnational irrevocable trust (TNIT) rather than in their personal name. This works well for those planning to purchase, or for those who already own but whose property hasn’t increased in net value. The TNIT should shield Canadians from U.S. estate tax on the value of the U.S. property at death. It won’t matter what the value of the property is at that date: there shouldn’t be any estate tax application if the trust is prepared properly and the proper administration is followed.
(Interestingly, in the Van Hollen tax bill, assets in a non-grantor or irrevocable trust will be deemed sold every 21 years, triggering a gain on any unrealized appreciation. If that sounds familiar, it’s because that’s the current Canada Revenue Agency rule for irrevocable trusts, other than for spousal trusts.)
The situation is more complicated for clients who already own property in the U.S. For example, if a client paid $500,000 for a Florida condo that’s now worth $1 million, a transfer to the TNIT would be considered a deemed disposition — triggering Canadian capital gains tax. Instead, a better plan would be to transfer the property on a tax-free basis to a cross-border restricted partnership (CBRP) to shield the property from U.S. estate tax on death.