Tax & Estate Planning for Business Owners

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Tax & Estate Planning for Business Owners

As a business owner, you've spent years building your company, creating wealth, and providing for your family.

The challenge isn't simply growing your assets—it's ensuring they are structured efficiently, protected from unnecessary taxation, and transferred according to your wishes.

At The ReFrame Group, we help incorporated business owners develop tax and estate planning strategies designed to preserve more of what they've built and create certainty for the future.

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Your corporation, personal assets, family goals, and future tax obligations are interconnected. Treating them separately can leave planning opportunities—and significant wealth—on the table.

ReFrame brings the moving pieces together, working alongside your accountant and legal advisors to create one coordinated strategy.

What happens without a plan?

01.
Estate tax exposure

A significant tax bill may be triggered when corporate shares and other assets pass to the next generation.

02.
Corporate wealth trapped

Accessing retained earnings without a coordinated strategy can create avoidable personal and corporate tax.

03.
Deemed disposition

At death, assets may be treated as though they were sold—creating tax precisely when your family needs liquidity.

04.
Estate liquidity

A valuable business or property portfolio does not necessarily create the cash required to settle taxes and expenses.

05.
Business continuity

The loss of an owner can leave employees, family members, and shareholders without a clear path forward.

06.
Family conflict

Unequal inheritances and unclear intentions can turn a successful enterprise into a source of lasting division.

" The greatest risk isn't paying tax. It's paying more tax than necessary because planning was delayed.

Strategies for Business Owners

Corporate Structures

  • Holding companies
  • Corporate surplus management
  • Asset protection

Family Trusts

  • Income splitting opportunities
  • Estate planning flexibility
  • Intergenerational planning

Corporately owned Insurance

  • Tax-efficient wealth accumulation
  • Estate liquidity
  • Enhanced wealth transfer

Estate Equalization

  • Fair treatment of active and non-active children
  • Business succession planning

Buy-Sell Planning

  • Shareholder protection
  • Business continuity
  • Ownership transition

Retirement Income Planning

  • Corporate drawdown strategies
  • Dividend and salary planning
  • Retirement cash flow design

Case Studies

The following examples are illustrative and have been simplified for educational purposes.

How we work

Step 1

You tell us a bit about yourself

Step 2

Book a online consultation with an advisor.

Step 3

One-on-one review of your current situation.

Step 4

Implementation of your personalized plan.

FAQ

How can participating life insurance help me build wealth inside my corporation?

A corporately owned permanent insurance policy isn’t just about protection — it’s a powerful planning asset:

  • Tax-deferred growth inside your corporation
  • Creates capital dividend account (CDA) credits for tax-free distributions
  • Adds stability to your investment mix with low volatility
  • Transforms retained earnings into a legacy — without losing value to taxes

Ideal for business owners looking to extract capital tax-efficiently and create an intergenerational asset.

What is critical illness insurance with a return-of-premium strategy?

You insure your equipment, vehicles, and office — but what about you?

Split-dollar critical illness coverage offers:

  • Corporate-paid premiums with return-of-premium to the shareholder
  • Liquidity if illness strikes, or cash back if you stay healthy
  • Tax-efficient protection with minimal personal cost

Protect your business continuity — and recover your investment if you don’t claim.

How can corporate asset management reduce my taxes?

Most business owners are overpaying tax on investment income. We help you:

  • Structure corporate & holdco portfolios to minimize passive income tax
  • Use capital gains and eligible dividends to your advantage
  • Integrate investment planning with TOSI, GRIP, RDTOH, CDA, and AMT rules
  • Align asset mix with your personal cash flow needs and succession plan

Our asset management philosophy prioritizes tax efficiency and strategic clarity, not just performance.

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