From OpCo to Legacy: the hidden estate planning crisis for business owners (and how to fix it)Book a Discovery Meeting (early CTA): https://safepacific.com/discoveryIf you’re an incorporated business owner with money building inside your HoldCo, we’ll help you quantify the “tax time bomb” and map out options (CDA, insurance liquidity, estate freeze coordination, and more).In this talk from the Advocis Estate Planning Summit 2025, Robert Trasolini breaks down the hidden estate planning risk most business owners don’t see coming: double taxation on death (deemed disposition + extraction tax). You’ll learn how common corporate structures create massive deferred tax liabilities, how the passive income rules can quietly increase ongoing corporate tax, and where corporate-owned life insurance can add liquidity and CDA credits to improve after-tax outcomes for your family.Timestamps00:00 – Intro: Safe Pacific + focus on corporate insurance & wealth00:15 – “From OpCo to Legacy”: the estate planning crisis for owners00:44 – Typical structure: OpCo → HoldCo → (maybe) family trust00:55 – Why owners keep profits in the corporation (tax deferral)01:39 – The “tax deferral time bomb”: when the bill comes due (death)02:01 – The 3 core business-owner questions: Grow / Extract / Leave03:02 – Passive income rules (2017+) and why they matter03:24 – Small business rate vs general rate: the tax deferral advantage03:42 – Why corporate investing gets hit hard (no TFSA/RRSP in a corp)04:11 – Passive income grind: how $50k+ can reduce the SBD limit04:49 – Real-world example: $3M HoldCo → $150k passive income → big tax drag05:44 – “My money feels trapped”: challenges extracting corporate wealth06:26 – What happens on death: deemed disposition + second layer of tax06:58 – Example: $10M HoldCo → why total tax can exceed 70%08:41 – Solutions overview (high-level): strategies + where insurance fits09:39 – Why life insurance: liquidity + smoother transitions + CDA credits13:36 – CDA basics: what it is, how it’s calculated, why ACB matters15:08 – Why corporate life insurance works: tax-sheltered growth + access16:15 – The “doubling penny” slide: why tax deferral changes outcomes17:10 – Case Study #1: Warren (55) engineering firm + passive income problem19:18 – Solution: corporately-owned participating whole life + portfolio shift20:44 – Results: lower corporate tax + higher after-tax growth + future CDA21:03 – Case Study #2: John & Maggie (71) real estate HoldCo + $5M tax bill22:01 – Estate freeze + plan for known tax liability22:49 – Joint-last-to-die + one-time deposit funding approach (example)24:06 – IRR comparison: insurance vs a taxable GIC equivalent25:15 – Business owner checklist: tax bill, liquidity, CDA opportunities26:13 – Key line: “Don’t let CRA be your biggest heir.”26:31 – Live Q&A: pipeline planning, insurability, PAR vs UL, younger ownersKey takeaways:Many owners unknowingly build a large deferred tax liability inside the corp.Passive income can reduce access to the small business deduction, increasing corporate tax.On death, owners can face two layers of tax: the deemed disposition of shares and the tax on extracting corporate assets.Corporate-owned life insurance can provide liquidity at death and create CDA credits to help move assets to beneficiaries more tax-efficiently.Work with Safe PacificBook a Discovery Meeting: https://safepacific.com/discoveryWe’ll help you:estimate your tax exposure (now + on death),identify planning levers (CDA, insurance, corporate investing structure),coordinate with your accountant/lawyer on implementation where needed.DisclaimerThis video is for educational purposes only and is not tax or legal advice. Always consult your accountant and legal counsel for your specific situation.