Corporate Surplus Analyzer
Compare the long-term cost of holding corporate surplus in taxable passive investments against deploying it into insurance-based strategies. See how passive income taxes and the SBD clawback affect your corporate wealth accumulation.
Corporate Surplus
After-tax corporate dollars available for investment or insurance premiums each year.
Gross annual return on passive corporate investments (before tax).
Tax Drag on Passive Investments
This represents 22.4% of gross portfolio value lost to taxes over 20 years. The SBD clawback is an additional cost on your active business income triggered when passive income exceeds $50,000.
Want a detailed comparison for your corporation?
Schedule a ConsultationAfter 20 Years: Passive vs Insurance Strategy
Passive Investment
Total Contributed
$2,000,000
Gross Portfolio Value
$3,741,201
Tax Drag (Passive + SBD)
-$836,724
Net After-Tax Value
$3,392,961
Annual Passive Income
$203,578
Above $50K threshold: triggers SBD clawback
Insurance Strategy
Illustrative only. Based on simplified assumptions, not an actual product illustration.
Total Premiums Paid
$2,000,000
Assumes full surplus redirected to premiums
Cash Surrender Value *
$1,104,662
Simplified model: 4.5% growth, 50% CSV allocation
Tax on Growth
$0
Est. Death Benefit (to CDA) *
$5,000,000
Estimated at 2.5x total premiums. Actual benefit varies significantly by age, health, and product type.
Passive Income Generated
$0
No passive income: no SBD clawback
Accumulation Over Time
Passive investment net value vs insurance death benefit (tax-free to CDA). The gap between gross and net passive value represents cumulative tax drag. Insurance values shown are simplified estimates for comparison purposes only.
The SBD Clawback Problem
When a corporation earns more than $50,000 in adjusted aggregate investment income (AAII), the small business deduction is reduced by $5 for every $1 of excess income. At $150,000 of AAII, the entire $500,000 SBD limit is eliminated.
This means the first $500,000 of active business income that was taxed at 11% (in Alberta) is now taxed at 23%. The additional tax cost can reach approximately $60,000 per year on active income alone, on top of the tax on the passive income itself.
Your projected annual passive income of $203,578 at year 20 exceeds the $50,000 threshold and would trigger the clawback.
Insurance cash value growth is not classified as AAII. Deploying surplus into permanent life insurance avoids this clawback entirely while still building corporate wealth.
* Insurance values are illustrative estimates only.
The insurance strategy column uses simplified assumptions that do not reflect any specific insurance product, carrier, or underwriting outcome. Cash surrender values assume a flat 4.5% annual growth rate with 50% of premiums allocated to cash value (ramping over 10 years). The death benefit is estimated at 2.5x total premiums paid. In practice, these figures vary significantly based on the insured's age, health classification, product type (whole life, universal life, T100), carrier, and policy structure. A younger, healthy individual may see substantially higher leverage, while an older individual may see less.
The passive investment side uses Alberta 2025 corporate tax rates. Actual results depend on the specific investment portfolio, your corporation's complete tax situation, dividend timing, and many other factors.
Tax rates used: Alberta 2025 rates. Passive income tax rate of 50.7% with RDTOH refund of 30.7%. SBD rate of 11.0%, general rate of 23.0%.
This calculator is provided for educational and illustrative purposes only. It does not constitute financial, tax, or investment advice. This strategy is not suitable for everyone. Consult with qualified professionals before making decisions. Five Ridge Financial Ltd. is based in Alberta, Canada.
Insured Retirement Plan
Use insurance cash values to create tax-advantaged retirement income.
Learn MoreImmediate Financing Arrangement
Keep capital in the business while building insurance coverage.
Learn More