The Lesperance Letter

The Lesperance Letter contains opinion pieces by our founder and principal David Lesperance on the issues of wealth preservation, international tax planning and more…

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China makes Crypto-Related Transactions Illegal

Chinese crypto holders are in free fall this week after the announcement by China’s central bank that all cryptocurrency-related transactions are illegal and must be banned. The bank has announced that Bitcoin, Tether and all other cryptocurrencies are not fiat...

How to Plan for Crisis in South Africa

In the first of our series of country-specific blogs, we look at how to plan for crisis in South Africa. In my 30 years as an international tax & immigration lawyer, I am very aware of the steady outflow of South Africans over that time. Indeed, I have advised...

New Blog Series: How to Plan for Crisis

How to plan for crisis - a cautionary tale... I just finished watching a very provocative British tv series titled “Years and Years” which drove home the need for all to think about important global as well as national issues and plan ahead accordingly. And those with...

Myth 5: Do my whole family need to expatriate to legally shelter wealth?

"Do my whole family need to expatriate?" Another fictitious hurdle that clients feel they have to vaunt over is the issue of their families' expatriation. There is a concern that in order to preserve current and future wealth all members of a family will need to...

Zero Prosecutions from CRA Audits: What Really Went Through Your Mind?

Taxation rarely makes the headlines for the right reasons - but that trend seems to have changed with the recent news that there have been zero prosecutions from CRA Audits in Canada. But let’s be honest here! How did you REALLY feel when you read or heard the...

John McAfee’s Tax Problems: A tragic story which could have been easily avoided. Don’t make the same mistake!

The antivirus software entrepreneur John McAfee was found dead in his cell in Spain last week from an apparent suicide. His death came hours after the country approved his extradition to the United States. John McAfee's tax problems had finally caught up with him. He...

Myth Four: Second citizenship is ‘unpatriotic’ or ‘dodgy’

There is a pervasive idea shared by many in the US that obtaining second citizenship is unpatriotic. Indeed it's a view perpetuated by numerous media outlets. It can prove to be a real stumbling block for some of my clients. Even when a second citizenship makes solid...

Do I need a Backup Plan?.. Now is not the time to relax

Do I need a Backup Plan? This is the question I often hear from potential clients. In response I often use the wildfire analogy. Why do I use a wildfire? Over the past decade every summer the news reports are full of dramaticimages of uncontrolled bush and forest...

Webinar: How Wealth Taxes would Affect Americans and Why They Don’t Work

In this special edition of NTU's Fiscal Friday series, tax expert David Lesperance joins NTU Executive Vice President Brandon Arnold for a discussion of wealth taxes: what the proposals are, how they have failed internationally, and why the United States would be wise...