You built the corporation. Now make it work as hard as you do.
Most incorporated professionals have a corporate structure that was set up for tax deferral and never revisited. The surplus sits idle. The registered accounts are maxed. And every dollar pulled out personally gets taxed at the highest marginal rate. There are structures designed specifically for this problem.
The Financial Snapshot includes a corporate planning section. Takes about 10 minutes. No login required.
If any of this sounds familiar
These are the patterns we see in almost every incorporated professional who walks through the door. The corporation was set up correctly. The ongoing strategy was not.
Your corporate surplus is sitting idle
A high-interest savings account or a holding company that nobody has revisited in years. The money is safe, but it is not doing anything. Inflation is eating it. Passive income tax is taking 50% of the growth.
Every dollar you pull out gets taxed at the top rate
You incorporated to save on taxes, but now you need the money personally and the integration rules mean you pay roughly the same rate as if you had never incorporated. The deferral advantage only works if you have a strategy for getting the money out efficiently.
Your accountant set it up but nobody built a plan around it
The corporation exists. The holding company might exist. But there is no coordinated strategy connecting your corporate structure to your retirement income, your insurance, your estate plan, or your tax position. The pieces are there. The architecture is not.
You have maxed every registered account and still have surplus
RRSP is full. TFSA is full. You are paying yourself a reasonable salary and the rest sits in the corporation. There are structures designed specifically for this situation, but most advisors do not work with them because they require specialized knowledge.
Four structures your accountant probably has not shown you
These are not obscure or aggressive strategies. They are well-established, CRA-compliant tools that most incorporated professionals have never been introduced to because most advisors do not work in this space. We do.
How this works in practice
We start with a Financial Snapshot. You answer questions about your income, corporate structure, existing coverage, registered accounts, and retirement goals. It takes about 10 minutes and does not require any documents upfront.
From that snapshot, we build a picture of where you stand and where the gaps are. If corporate strategies like an IPP, IRP, RCA, or IFA are relevant to your situation, we model the numbers and show you exactly what they would look like: how much you could shelter, what the tax impact would be, and what the trade-offs are.
If the numbers work, we coordinate with your accountant and legal counsel to implement. If they do not, we tell you that too. There is no pressure to move forward on anything that does not make sense for your specific situation.
01
Financial Snapshot
10 minutes. No documents needed. We map your corporate structure, income, and gaps.
02
Strategy Modelling
We run the numbers on IPP, IRP, RCA, and IFA scenarios specific to your situation.
03
Implementation
If the numbers work, we coordinate with your accountant and legal counsel to execute.
Run the numbers yourself
Before we talk, see where you stand. These calculators give you a starting point based on your actual income and corporate structure.
This is built for a specific type of business owner
You are incorporated and pay yourself a T4 salary above $150,000
Your RRSP and TFSA are maxed and you still have corporate surplus
Your accountant set up the structure but nobody built a financial plan around it
You want to retire on your terms and you know the current trajectory is not going to get you there
You are looking for a planning firm, not a product pitch
This might not be the right fit if
You are a sole proprietor or unincorporated contractor. These strategies require a corporation.
Your T4 salary is below $100,000. The contribution room advantages of an IPP do not become meaningful until higher income levels.
You are looking for a quick product sale. We build plans, not transactions.
You are not willing to involve your accountant. Corporate strategies require coordination between your financial professional, accountant, and sometimes legal counsel.
What this looks like in practice
These are composite scenarios based on common patterns we see with incorporated professionals. Details are anonymized. No two situations are identical, but the structural gaps tend to repeat.
Incorporated physician, age 48
Situation
Professional corporation with T4 salary above $200,000. RRSP maxed. TFSA maxed. Corporate surplus accumulating in a holding company invested in GICs and a balanced mutual fund. No corporate insurance strategy. Accountant managing tax filings but no integrated financial plan.
The Gap
The corporate surplus was growing at roughly 3% after tax, with passive income taxed at over 50%. Every dollar pulled out personally was taxed at the top marginal rate. The RRSP contribution room had been maxed for years, leaving no additional registered shelter. At the current trajectory, roughly 40% of the surplus would go to tax before it reached the owner personally.
What We Addressed
We modelled an Individual Pension Plan that would shelter an additional $40,000 to $60,000 per year above the RRSP limit, all as a corporate tax deduction. Explored an Insured Retirement Plan to build tax-sheltered cash value inside a permanent policy. Coordinated with the accountant to restructure the holding company investment mix to reduce passive income tax drag.
Incorporated consultant, age 55, planning exit in 8 years
Situation
Corporation with no employees. T4 salary plus dividends totalling above $300,000. RRSP and TFSA maxed. No pension plan. No corporate insurance. Planned to sell the business or wind it down at 63 and live off savings.
The Gap
With no pension structure, the entire retirement income would come from personal savings and corporate surplus. The surplus was invested but generating passive income taxed at the highest rate. There was no strategy for getting the money out of the corporation tax-efficiently over time. A lump withdrawal at retirement would trigger a massive tax bill.
What We Addressed
We structured an IPP with a past service buyback that created a large one-time deduction. Modelled an RCA for the income above the pension ceiling. Built a 10-year drawdown plan that would extract corporate surplus through a combination of eligible dividends, capital dividends (funded by the CDA credit from corporate-owned insurance), and pension income, minimizing the overall tax rate on each dollar withdrawn.
Two-partner professional corporation, both age 42
Situation
Shared professional corporation. Both partners drawing T4 salary above $150,000. One partner had an RRSP; the other had been taking dividends only and had no registered savings. No buy-sell agreement. No key person insurance. Corporate surplus sitting in a high-interest savings account.
The Gap
If one partner died or became disabled, there was no mechanism to buy out their share. The surviving partner would be in a dispute with the deceased partner's estate. The partner without registered savings had no tax-sheltered retirement vehicle. The corporate surplus was earning less than inflation after passive income tax.
What We Addressed
We structured a funded buy-sell agreement with corporate-owned life insurance on both partners. Set up an IPP for the partner without RRSP room, creating immediate tax-deductible contributions. Moved a portion of the corporate surplus into a permanent insurance policy (IRP structure) to build tax-sheltered cash value and reduce passive income tax exposure. Coordinated with their corporate lawyer to update the shareholder agreement.
These scenarios are anonymized composites for illustrative purposes only. They do not represent specific clients or guarantee specific outcomes. Every financial situation is unique. The strategies described may not be appropriate for all individuals. Past planning approaches are not indicative of future results. Consult with a licensed professional, accountant, and legal counsel before making financial decisions.
Find out how much you are leaving on the table.
The Financial Snapshot maps your corporate structure, income, registered accounts, and retirement goals. It takes about 10 minutes and shows you exactly where the opportunities are.
This information is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Corporate strategies involve complex tax and pension legislation. Not every strategy is appropriate for every situation. Consult with qualified professionals before making decisions.