Taxation

Practice

Losses, expenses arising from transactions that are not 'sufficiently commercial' may be ineligible to reduce your income tax

Canadian tax lawyer and accountant David J Rotfleisch explains why the Tax Court dismissed the FX trade case of a successful businessman in Chad v The King
Business

Councillors want information on disturbing rise in St. Catharines homeowners unable to pay soaring tax bills

Revelations of rising numbers of property owners in St. Catharines unable to pay their property tax bills have prompted one city councillor to take action
Practice

How the CRA uses 'nudge letters' with online sellers to increase uptake of Canada's VDP

Canada Revenue Agency uses nudge letters to prompt taxpayers to review their tax affairs, ensure compliance, and access the Voluntary Disclosures Program
Practice

Case Analysis: Why a business must demonstrate actual business activities before applying for business tax deductions

David J Rotfleisch examines the case of a chartered professional accountant who claimed business expenses for a company he cofounded in Prince Edward Island
Business

Alberta: Jasper's chamber of commerce critical of municipal budget

Businesses in Jasper say they’re paying for the 2024 wildfires caused by climate change, but the province has kicked in $2.5M for lost property tax revenue
Practice

Tax Court Of Canada is not ‘slap-dash,' nor tolerates sloppy examination for discovery

David J Rotfleisch explains why the Tax Court of Canada, in Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. v The King, 2025, dismissed the CRA's motion for a new nominee
Thought Leaders

Oh, what a tangled web: The taxation of foreign affiliates

Allan Lanthier examines a dispute before the Tax Court of Canada involving Brookfield Corporation and controlled foreign affiliates in Bermuda and Barbados
Municipal

New Brunswick: New municipal fiscal framework announced by N.B. government

Expanded funding from the province is welcome news to New Brunswick municipalities, but a property assessment freeze has withered its delivery
Practice

Loss-trading transactions to avoid paying tax disallowed by Tax Court Of Canada (GAAR rule)

In Total Energy Services v. HMK, the FCA upheld a Tax Court ruling that complex transactions satisfied three conditions of the general anti-avoidance rule
Business

Number of St. Catharines properties in tax arrears soars under current council

Recent property tax increases not due to inflationary pressures impacting most residents across Ontario but largely due instead to excessive labour costs
Business

Property taxes in Whitehorse, explained

The Yukon calculates property taxes differently than in other parts of Canada, primarily due to a lack of data, which impairs market value assessments
Practice

Case Commentary: Ayre v the King – Convoluted charitable gifts made through questionable financing transactions

Canadian tax lawyer and accountant David J Rotfleisch examines donative intent under Section 118.1 of the Income Tax Act in a pharmaceutical donation case