E65: Tax Strategy with Matthew Getzler

Let me tell you how it will beThere's one for you, nineteen for me'Cause I'm the taxmanYeah, I'm the taxmanAnd you're working for no one but me.-- Taxman, The BeatlesIn this second episode in our Wealthhard series, Brian speaks with Matthew Getzler, Partner and Co-Chair of the Private Client Services & Tax groups at Torkin Manes, about the practical tax opportunities still available to high-net-worth families and private business owners. Matt picks up where Jessica Feldman Chittley left off in You Need a Will (our last podcast episode), and walks through will-related tax tools: avoiding loss of the spousal rollover, probate planning and using wills as succession vehicles, plus U.S. estate-tax traps. He then moves to active tax planning: estate freezes and refreezes, prescribed-rate loan strategies, and the pragmatic use of Canadian corporations to manage U.S.-situs exposure and defer tax. Along the way he explains the mechanics, the admin rules that can kill a plan, cross-border pitfalls, and real client examples so listeners understand when a strategy makes sense, and when it doesn’t. Practical, technical and actionable, this episode is for families and advisers who want to keep more of what they build while avoiding common implementation mistakes.Timestamps:00:00:00 — Intro & Legal Disclaimer00:03:54 — Guest Intro / Matthew Getzler00:07:45 — Dying Intestate & Spousal Rollover00:11:41 — Spousal Trusts & Control00:14:01 — Probate & Probate-Planning00:18:56 — Joint Ownership & Adding Children00:21:41 — Succession for Business Owners00:27:13 — Estate Freeze: The Basics00:32:03 — When an Estate Freeze Makes Sense00:35:15 — Control, Voting Shares & Practical Mechanics00:38:32 — Wills & U.S. Estate-Tax Issues00:41:34 — U.S. Estate Tax Overview & Stakes00:44:16 — Trust-Based Solutions & Cross-Border Structuring00:49:56 — Using Canadian Corporations to Protect US-Situs Investments00:51:16 — Prescribed-Rate Loan Planning01:00:01 — Investment Limits & “Kiddie Tax” / TOSI Risks01:01:59 — Common Pitfalls & Implementation Risks01:06:17 — Closing / The “Unlimited” Question01:08:21 — Outro