Every private corporation has a way to pay money to its shareholders with zero personal tax: the capital dividend account. This tool estimates your balance from the corporation's realized gains and losses since 2001 (older history enters as a verified amount), shows the credit a corporate-owned life insurance policy adds at death (the death benefit less the policy's adjusted cost basis), and prices what the balance is worth against the taxable dividends the same money would otherwise exit as.
This tool is for illustration purposes only and does not constitute financial or tax advice. It is a planning estimate, not a filing figure: the statutory capital dividend account is cumulative over the corporation's entire history and includes components this tool does not model, and electing beyond the true balance attracts a 60 percent penalty tax on the excess (or, by a separate election generally requiring the affected shareholders' agreement, tax on the excess as an ordinary taxable dividend). Have your accountant compute, and CRA verify, the balance before any election. The insurance figures are directional, not a policy projection; suitability of any insurance product must be assessed individually by a licensed insurance and investment advisor. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions.