An overview of the owner-manager tax landscape and the history leading to the current system, setting up the framework the rest of the course builds on.

• How the course is structured and how to use the supplemental material
• The history and policy behind the current owner-manager tax system
• An orientation to the topics covered across the remaining nine modules

Why tax rates matter and how the integration concept is meant to make the corporate and personal tax systems work together.

• Personal marginal rates and corporate rates, and how they interact
• The integration concept explained with a working worksheet and examples
• Where integration succeeds, and where it breaks down in practice

The small business deduction rules, the concept of deferral versus real savings, and where the limitations bite.

• How the small business deduction works and what it's meant to achieve
• Deferral versus savings: understanding what the SBD is actually providing
• The limitations on the SBD and how they affect planning
• Technical Corner reviews the underlying legislation; Behind the Form walks the related CRA form

The concept of refundable tax and how it ties back to integration and overall tax cost.

• How the refundable tax system works and why it exists
• SIB, ERDTOH, and NERDTOH: what each account tracks and how they're applied
• Common issues that arise with refundable tax accounts, and planning considerations

The PSB rules, their history, and the punitive tax outcomes that follow when a corporation is classified as a personal services business.

• The history and rationale behind the PSB rules
• The punitive tax consequences that result from PSB classification
• The incorporated employee test, management fee arrangements, and the exceptions that can apply

The tax attributes that track a corporation's tax position over time, and why keeping them straight matters for every later planning decision.

• What tax attributes are and why they're central to owner-manager planning
• How attributes accumulate and get used across the corporation's lifecycle
• Where practitioners lose track of attributes, and how to avoid it

The four questions behind every remuneration decision, and how AMT, the capital gains exemption, and dividend type all factor into the answer.

• The four core questions to work through for any remuneration strategy
• AMT considerations and the capital gains exemption in the remuneration decision
• Salary versus dividend: eligible, ineligible, and capital dividends compared
• A planning summary that pulls the considerations together

The largest module in the course, covering what makes an income splitting plan actually work under the current rules.

• The benefits of income splitting and why it remains a core planning tool
• What separates a successful income splitting plan from one that fails on review
• How TOSI and related rules constrain the available strategies

Why the right structure matters, and the issues that come up as ownership and holding structures evolve.

• Why structure is foundational to owner-manager tax planning
• Common structures used in practice and the issues each one raises
• Planning points to consider before recommending a structure change

Shareholder debit balances, the traps that catch practitioners most often, and the course conclusion pulling the full program together.

• The main shareholder loan rules and repayment requirements
• Imputed interest and how it applies to outstanding debit balances
• The most common problems practitioners encounter, and how to plan around them
• Course conclusion: a summary of what the program has covered