estate planning
Upon your death, your testamentary trust will come into formation and the assets identified in your will must be transferred to the trust. Your nominated trustees must apply to the Master of the High Court for letters of authority which
Once you have converted your retirement funds into a life annuity, living annuity or a combination of the two, keep in mind that you will not be able to make lump sum withdrawals and it is, therefore, important to plan
If the primary residence is owned by the first-dying spouse, the surviving spouse may find herself without accommodation if the deceased bequeaths the property to a third party. Joint financial planning is very difficult where a couple is married without
Having a foreign executor appointed in a foreign will means that your local estate can be finalised without delays caused by obtaining recognition in a foreign jurisdiction. Further, a foreign will dealing with offshore assets will address specific requirements of
A significant advantage of a life annuity is that the policyholder is guaranteed an income for the rest of her life and will therefore never run out of money, regardless of what happens to investment markets or how long she
Living trusts can be used effectively to house growth assets outside of one’s personal estate to reduce tax and estate duty liabilities, a process that is often referred to as estate pegging. For instance, if an estate planner wants to
Once you make contact with the executor, be prepared for a preliminary meeting with her as she will be required to prepare a rudimentary list of your spouse’s assets and liabilities for submission to the Master, which must be accompanied
To determine the dutiable value of your estate, keep in mind that certain assets, such as bequests to your surviving spouse, bequests to PBOs, and the proceeds of life policies payable to your spouse, and business assurance polices, are excluded.
If you have a large portion of your accumulated wealth invested in your business, then it is important to consider what will happen to your business interests in the event of your death. It is likely that you intend for
Contributions to approved retirement funds are tax deductible up to a limit of 27.5% of taxable income, capped at an annual limit of R350 000, but this does not mean that you can’t contribute more without still reaping tax benefits.
