A Canadian Estate Planning Checklist is a comprehensive organisational tool that helps individuals identify, document, and address all essential components of a well-structured estate plan under Canadian federal and provincial law. Unlike the United States, Canada has no federal estate or inheritance tax. However, under the Income Tax Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. 1, 5th Supp.), s. 70(5), there is a deemed disposition of all capital property at fair market value immediately before death, which can trigger substantial capital gains tax liability for the estate. This makes tax-efficient estate planning critical for Canadian residents.

An estate plan in Canada typically encompasses a Last Will and Testament (governed by provincial Wills Acts such as Ontario’s Succession Law Reform Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.26, BC’s Wills, Estates and Succession Act, S.B.C. 2009, c. 13, and Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act, S.A. 2010, c. W-12.2), a Continuing (Enduring) Power of Attorney for Property, a Power of Attorney for Personal Care (or equivalent Advance Directive / Personal Directive), beneficiary designations on registered accounts and insurance policies, and potentially one or more trusts. Each province has its own requirements for these documents, and the province of domicile at death determines which laws apply.

The checklist also addresses Canadian-specific planning considerations including the spousal rollover under ITA s. 70(6), the lifetime capital gains exemption for qualifying small business corporation shares under s. 110.6, the 21-year deemed disposition rule for inter vivos trusts under s. 104(4), the dual Will strategy for probate fee minimisation, and the interplay between federal income tax and provincial family law claims by surviving spouses and dependants.

Every Canadian adult with assets, dependants, or specific wishes for the distribution of their estate should complete an estate planning checklist. This planning tool is needed whenever you experience a significant life event: marriage, the birth of a child, divorce, the acquisition or sale of a major asset, the start or sale of a business, retirement, a change in health status, or relocation to a different province. The checklist is especially important for individuals with estates that include multiple property types, as different rules apply to different assets at death.

Canadian residents who own real property in more than one province should use the checklist to plan for ancillary probate requirements and consider whether separate provincial Wills or a single Will with multi-jurisdictional clauses is appropriate. Business owners need the checklist to address succession planning, including estate freezes, the lifetime capital gains exemption under ITA s. 110.6, and shareholder agreements with buy-sell provisions. Blended families should use the checklist to navigate the competing interests of a new spouse and children from a prior relationship.

The checklist is also essential for individuals approaching retirement who need to review beneficiary designations on RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, and pension plans to ensure they align with the overall estate plan. Common-law partners in particular should use the checklist because their entitlements on intestacy vary dramatically by province. In Ontario, common-law partners have no automatic right to inherit under the intestacy provisions of the SLRA and must bring a dependant’s relief claim under Part V within six months of the grant of probate.

A comprehensive Canadian estate planning checklist must address several key areas. First, personal and family information including full legal names, dates of birth, marital status (distinguishing between married spouses and common-law partners, as their legal rights differ under most provincial succession laws), and details of minor children who require testamentary guardian appointments. The province of domicile is critical because it determines which Wills Act, Trustee Act, and probate fee schedule applies.

Second, a complete inventory of assets valued in Canadian dollars, including real property (with ownership structure noted: sole, joint tenancy with right of survivorship, or tenancy in common), registered accounts (RRSPs, TFSAs, RRIFs, DPSPs, LIRAs) with current beneficiary designations, non-registered investment accounts, life insurance policies with beneficiary designations, employer pension plans (defined benefit and defined contribution), business interests, and personal property. Understanding which assets pass through the Will (subject to probate) and which pass outside the Will (by beneficiary designation, joint ownership, or trust) is essential for both probate fee minimisation and tax planning.

Third, a review of existing estate planning documents: Will, Powers of Attorney (for property and personal care), advance directives, trusts, and shareholder or partnership agreements. Fourth, a tax planning section addressing the deemed disposition at death under ITA s. 70(5), available elections (spousal rollover under s. 70(6), rights-or-things return under s. 70(2)), charitable donation credits under s. 118.1, and the lifetime capital gains exemption under s. 110.6. Fifth, a probate fee analysis with strategies for minimisation appropriate to the estate’s size and the province’s fee structure.