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Leave to appeal aspects of the Court of Appeal decision in Clayton v Clayton was granted on 19 June 2015. Now that the initial excitement has passed this writer’s mind has turned to what the Supreme Court might decide. With that in mind I have started to prepare a wee wish list as to the questions that I … Continue reading
Inland Revenue has issued a QWBA (QB 15/11) regarding whether a trustee exercising a discretion to distribute trustee income (that would be taxed at the trustee rate of 33% if retained by the trustee) to a beneficiary on a lower tax rate, a beneficiary with tax losses or a beneficiary to whom the income will … Continue reading
When a trustee is removed as a trustee of a trust; say pursuant to a power of appointment and removal of trustee; it is necessary to separately arrange for the transfer of any trust assets to the remaining and any new trustees. However, some trustees are not happy about being removed as trustees and may … Continue reading
A new “Trusts Reference Group” has been established by Minister of Justice Amy Adams to help update and improve the law governing private trusts. Ms Adams has stated that in a media release made on 29 May 2015 that “it’s important that trust law is fit for purpose and does not create unnecessary costs.” The Trusts Reference Group … Continue reading
Trusts are settled for many reasons. While there is no one primary reason for settling a trust, creditor protection is perhaps the most commonly cited reason; perhaps because the settlor is carrying on a risky venture; perhaps because the settlor wishes to ward off the nebulous risks beneficiaries may incur. Which is all fine. But … Continue reading
Some cases seem to have eternal existence. The original matter of Spence v Lynch is one of these. The are now at least 9 recorded decisions by my count named either White v Spence or Spence v Lynch. The first case was written up in this blog as Dominant trustee architect of loss. The name was apt then, … Continue reading
In New Zealand the Law Commission has recommended that there not be a register of trusts in New Zealand. See Review of the Law of Trusts: A Trusts Act for New Zealand at 18.28. The Law Commission view that this is too blunt an instrument to use to improve accountability to beneficiaries. While the privacy … Continue reading
I write a lot about trustee liability. The reason for that is simple – there is lots to write about. Being a trustee is a risky business, and sadly many trustees are not sufficiently aware of the risks of trusteeship. For trustees or advisers who want to be better informed I have written a book … Continue reading
The recent Australian case Anderson v FC of T highlights the risks of trusteeship and reinforces the fact that liability already incurred as a trustee cannot be voided through the trustee’s retirement. Although the facts of the case relate in part to specific provisions of the Australian GST Act, the message to be taken from the case reinforces the importance … Continue reading
SWL Trustee Company Limited (SWL) is a trustee that acts together with two other trustees as trustees of a family trust. As is commonly the case, two of the trustees (the instructing trustees) are also settlors of the trust. The trust owns a number of properties. All is fine, until it is not. The trust owns a number of properties. … Continue reading
Matters of Trust 