When a Loved One Dies: First Important Step

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When a Loved One Dies First Important Step
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• Losing a loved one is a horrible experience and
  grief can be compounded by the uncertainty of
  what needs to be done to ensure the loved ones
  estate gets dealt with appropriately,
  particularly in the first few months after the
  death. Below is a list of items that should be
  done in this timeframe.
• This list can be provided to clients to help them
  and their loved ones through those first awful
  months by eliminating or reducing the
  uncertainty. Also included are two checklists-
  one outlining the items below in point form and
  one outlining the information needed to begin a
  probate application.

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• Likely the first item you need to do is to obtain
  a death certificate. Any joint assets or assets
  with specified beneficiary designations attached
  will require a death certificate in order to
  remove the deceaseds name from title. You will
  need to obtain the certificate in the
  jurisdiction where the death took place. In
  Alberta, you can go to www.servicealberta.gov.ab.c
  a and complete the Application for Ordering Death
  and Legal Change of Name Documents. This then
  needs to be dropped off to a registry agent with
  a government issued form of id. Outside of
  Alberta, you need to complete the Registry
  Connect Application for Certificate/Documents and
  then see a Notary Public to complete the
  Statutory Declaration of Proof of Identity part
  of that Application. Your completed application
  is to be mailed to Registry Connect at Suite 202,
  1003 Ellwood Road, SW Edmonton, AB T6X 0B3.

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• Many of the programs run by the government need
  to be notified within a certain time frame of the
  date of death. While the estate is entitled to
  Old Age Security (OAS) and Canada Pension Plan
  (CPP) payments for the month of death, Service
  Canada needs each to be cancelled within 30 days
  to avoid a clawback1.
• You can cancel OAS and CPP by contacting Service
  Canada with the full name, date of birth, date of
  death, social insurance number, previous address
  and name and address of the person responsible
  for handling the deceaseds affairs (if known) at
  any Service Canada office or it can be done by
  mail.
• If the death occurred in Canada you do not need
  to prove the date of death, but if the death
  occurred outside of Canada you will need proof of
  death such as official death certificate issued
  under the authority of government where the death
  occurred, death certificate issued by a court,
  funeral home or medical practitioner, or a
  statement by a doctor last in attendance with
  appropriate identifying letterhead.

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When a person dies, employment insurance (EI)
benefits payable to that person up to and
including the date of death may be paid to the
estate. However, these benefits must also be
cancelled by completing a Request for Payment of
Benefit on Behalf of a Deceased Person found at
http//www.servicecanada.gc.ca/cgi-bin/search/efor
ms/index.cgi?appprflfrmins2882lneng.
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Any EI benefits paid after the death must be
repaid. It should also be noted that an estate
can apply for EI benefits on behalf of a deceased
person, particularly if that deceased person had
not been able to work in the weeks leading to his
or her death. For most other CRA notifications,
such as GST, Canada Child Tax Benefit, etc. you
can complete an Information Sheet RC4111 and send
it to your tax services office or tax centre.
RC4111 is found at http//www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/
tg/rc4111/README.html. CRA will also require a
certified copy of the death certificate. If the
deceased was resident in Vancouver the documents
should be sent to 9755 King George Boulevard,
Surrey BC V3T 5E1 and if the deceased was
resident in Calgary, the documents should be sent
to 220 4th Avenue SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0L1. For
all other cities, the addresses can be found at
http//www.cra.arc.gc.ca/cntct/tso-bsf-eng.html
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Personal Bank Accounts
Most banks will require a certified copy of the
death certificate to remove a deceased persons
name from a joint account or to transfer accounts
to an account registered in the estates name.
Some banks will simply freeze the accounts until
a grant of probate is obtained. Most banks are
also fairly accommodating in suspending mortgage
payments or line of credit payments that are due
for a few months following death. National Bank
offers asset repatriation free of charge if a
client wishes to consolidate all the deceaseds
assets into a single account. Further, for
National Bank Private Banking 1859 clients, the
designated private banker can arrange the
paperwork to effect the transfers.
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Land Titles
If land is held as joint tenants with another
person, then all the Land Titles Office needs is
a notarized copy of the death certificate to
remove the deceaseds name from title. This is
not a step that needs to be done right away, but
can be tackled when people are more prepared to
deal with estate matters. If land is held by the
deceased personally, land titles needs a
notarized copy of the death certificate in order
to transfer title into the name of the estate,
and then a certified copy of the grant of probate
to transfer the asset into the name of the
beneficiaries.
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Insurance Companies
It is important to know who is named as
beneficiary on the life insurance policies held
by a person at his or her death. Every company is
a little bit different, so the beneficiary should
contact the insurance companys local agent or
check the companys website. You can also notify
the company in writing, requesting the forms and
instructions on how to proceed. A certified copy
of the death certificate will likely be needed.
This is the same for annuities.
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Tax Returns
Fortunately people have some breathing room with
regard to tax returns. If a death occurred
between January 1st and October 31st, the
personal representative has until April 30th of
the following year to file the final tax return.
If the death occurred between November 1st and
December 31st, the final tax return is due six
months after the date of death. This final tax
return will show any capital gains owed on the
deemed disposition of all assets that occurs at
death.
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code(Post code)- T2N2A9
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