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Is the interest-free loan to a trust dead?

08 March 2017

For estate planning purposes a few years ago I moved some of my assets into a family trust and financed... the disposal to the trust with an interest free loan in my name. I understand that recent tax amendments will now impose unfavourable tax consequences on me in relation to this interest free loan. Is this true?

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194
Article
The alter ego principal and inter vivos Trusts – BEWARE!

27 October 2015,  Adél Schoeman

The effective management and administration of a Trust requires much more than merely signing the Trust Deed and the subsequent... issuing of the Letter of Authority by the Master of the High Court. The purpose of an inter vivos Trust is, after all, to manage at all times the assets in the Trust to the advantage of the beneficiaries of the Trust. Therefore the alter ego principle, which occurs more often than we think, can have a big influence on the rulings of the courts when it comes to the question of whether a Founder and/or Trustee is indeed one and the same as his or her Trust.

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539
Article
Can donations tax be payable on a sale of property?

13 October 2015

I recently established a trust. I want to sell one of my properties to the trust by way of an... interest-free loan with the trust owing me the purchase price of the property. However, I was advised that such an interest-free loan may give rise to donations tax. Is this so? Is there any way to avoid this?

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231
Article
Should I be nervous when dealing with a trust?

06 August 2015

I was recently made an offer to sell my business. I was not really planning on selling but the offer... sounded interesting. However, when I received the proposed offer I noticed the purchaser was a trust. I don’t know much about trusts and it made me nervous that a trust was involved as I’ve heard stories about having to be careful when dealing with a trust. Is this true, or am I being overly cautious?

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148
Article
The abuse of trusts in case of divorce: know your rights!

15 June 2015

Trusts are more and more being actively used for estate planning purposes, but the percentage of divorces are also increasing... annually. Protect yourself by being wary of the abuse of discretionary trusts in divorces and by analysing your position and acting as quickly as possible - before it is too late....

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208
Article
Removal of a trustee who is unwilling to resign

02 June 2014

A trust is a structure into which cash or assets (“trust property”) are transferred by the founder of the trust... and which trust property is administered by the trustees on behalf of one or more beneficiaries in accordance with the trust deed. As administrators of the trust property, it is extremely important that the trustees work together and act in the best interest of the trust beneficiaries and execute their duties as required by the Trust Property Control Act (”Act”) and the Master of the High Court (“the Master”). The question which arises is what options are available if a trustee does not execute his mandate in the best interest of the trust beneficiaries but is unwilling to resign as a trustee?

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187
Article

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