- Charities, philanthropy and gifts
- Cross-border estate planning
- Education, training and preparation of next generation
- Emergency measures
- Emigration and immigration
- Estate planning
- Estate taxes and duties
- Family assets; art, portfolio, realty
- Family business
- Family disputes and solutions
- Family Governance and Family Charters
- Family Office
- Foundations and Trusts
- Last will and testament
- Living will
- Marriage contracts, nuptial agreements and matrimonial law
- Personal income tax
- Protection of assets
- Residency
- Structures to hold, control or manage family wealth
- Succession planning and transfer to next generation
- Tax Planning
Investing in U.S. Real Estate from A Canadian Perspective
If you are investing in U.S. real estate, you can avoid common pitfalls and take full advantage of opportunities by using appropriate structures to preserve your assets and do so on a tax-effective basis. Investing in U.S. Real Estate and holding them I recently advised my client, David, about an opportunity he was offered to invest in a U.S. real estate project. We started by identifying the structuring objectives: minimize U.S. taxation on income and exit gains avoid exposure to U.S. estate or gift tax avoid U.S. tax reporting obligations ensure Canadian tax credit for U.S. taxes paid...
Declaration of foreign assets and income in Belgium
Already since tax year 1997, Belgian tax resident individuals have to declare the existence of foreign assets/accounts they hold with banks abroad. This declaration of foreign assets is to be made in the annual income tax declaration. This means that taxpayers have to “tick the box” to confirm that they hold a bank account abroad and that they have to mention the country where the bank account is held. The tax administration can (subsequently) ask the taxpayer to provide her with all tax relevant information in relation to the declared bank account(s), allowing her to determine the amount...
The History of the Family Office
It is often assumed that the acclaimed American family, the Rockefellers, pioneered the family office in the late 19th century. However, history suggests otherwise. While today’s family offices are a modern phenomenon, they have always existed in various shapes and forms since ancient times. The discussion around family offices has intensified over the last decade as an increasing number of affluent families take a structured approach to their wealth management. Yet, we are not likely to ever find a uniform definition that encompasses everyone’s notions of what these offices should do or...
Statutory Succession and Last Will – What is What?
Statutory Succession and Last Will Many property owners as well as owners of other assets ask themselves whether it is advisable to make provisions for their own death, or whether it is better to simply leave succession to the (German) law. Nevertheless, the ability to take such a decision in an informed manner requires knowledge of the rulings contained in the law. Only those who know the statutory mechanisms can achieve an optimum balance between the actual as well as the legal alternatives of the available structuring modalities. The structuring options are often complex and are not...
