Publications

Class Action Certified

Taxpayers who donated to the Banyan Tree Foundation Gift Program between 2003 and 2007 have had their class action certified; in Ontario, for a class…

British Tax Protest is Risky Business

British singer Billy Bragg has threatened to stop paying his taxes unless the British government places limits on the amount of bonuses that top executives can…

CRA to Relax VDP Rules

On July 15, 2010, the Globe and Mail published an article regarding a possible relaxing of CRA’s Voluntary Disclosure Program (VDP) guidelines. Currently, in order to…

CRA Releases Stats

On January 11, 2010, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) released statistics regarding their activities to catch taxpayers who haven’t filed income tax returns or those who…

Employee v Independent Contractor

One common issue facing businesses of all sizes is how they should organize their human resources – should they be employees or independent contractors. From…

Canadian Brokerage Firm Linked to Offshore Accounts

According to a report in the December 14, 2009 The Globe and Mail, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is investigating the involvement of staff from RBC…

HST Transitional Rules

On December 9, 2009, the Ontario Legislature passed its controversial bill implementing the HST in Ontario. Starting July 1, 2010, a 13% HST will be applied…

2009 a Record Year for Voluntary Disclosures

According to the Minister of National Revenue Jean-Pierre Blackburn, 2009 has been a banner year for the Voluntary Disclosure Program (VDP). As of December 3, 2009,…

Family Business Expenses Denied

On November 30, 2009, the Tax Court of Canada released its judgment in Massicotte. The case involved the taxpayer and her brother who jointly owned rental…

Offshore Tax Amnesty Program Gains Popularity

According to a top U.S. Tax Official, approximately 14,700 Americans participated in the special tax amnesty program run by the IRS as part of the…

Common-Law Partners and the Child Tax Benefit

On November 13, 2009, Justice Boyle of the Tax Court of Canada dismissed the appeal of Ms. Kimberley Anne Brunette. Ms. Brunette had filed an appeal…

Auditor General Finds Problems in Amending Tax Legislation

On November 3, 2009, the Auditor General of Canada released her Fall 2009 report. In this report, the Auditor General found that the Department of Finance…