Dean Blachford’s 2020 Tax Dispute Resolution Update webinar on November 10, 2020 was attended by 197 accountants. Of the 118 accountants who completed the post-webinar survey, 117 said that they learned something “new that was important to their work”. To view the recording of Dean’s presentation, click HERE. To view the PDF of the PowerPoint [...]
The Ottawa Board of Trade has featured Dean Blachford, tax dispute resolution and litigation lawyer with HazloLaw – Business Lawyers, on page 32 of its spring edition of CAPITAL Magazine. The article was written pre-COVID-19, but Dean’s advice is as relevant and sage now as it was then. To view the article, click here and [...]
Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer Alexander Krush, Articling Student What are Gross Negligence Penalties? When the CRA conducts an audit and believes that the taxpayer intentionally under-reported their taxes, they will assess the taxpayer a gross negligence penalty. The financial impact of these penalties can be staggering. For income tax, the gross negligence penalty equals [...]
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, business owners are having to make incredibly difficult decisions about how they allocate their precious financial resources. In order that business owners can make informed decisions that are in the best long-term interest of themselves and their families, it is critical that they fully understand the extent of [...]
The Voluntary Disclosure Program (“VDP”) allows taxpayers to disclose incomplete or inaccurate information regarding their previous income tax filings in exchange for relief from criminal prosecution, penalties and interest. While the taxpayer is still left paying the tax, they can save significant amounts of penalties and interest, while relieving themselves of the stress of being [...]
On February 6, 2020, Dean Blachford, Tax Disputes Resolution and Litigation Lawyer of HazloLaw-Business Lawyers, hosted and moderated the annual CPA Ottawa's 2020 Tax Update panel. The CPA Ottawa’s Annual Tax Update has become a trusted source of information and trending issues in the field. HazloLaw–Business Lawyers was proud to support CPA Ottawa with its [...]
By Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer and Robert Barnes, Law Student Thousands of Canadians invest in Offshore Investment Fund Property (OIFP) every year. There are many legitimate reasons why Canadian individuals and corporations may want to invest offshore. Higher ROI, added security, and diversification are just some of the most common reasons. There is nothing […]
Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer and Valentine Gurfinkel, Articling Student Being audited by the CRA can be a confusing and overwhelming process for a taxpayer. What are your rights? Are there any limits as to what CRA can ask you for? In this article we will look at where CRA’s audit powers come from and where […]
Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer Valentine Gurfinkel, Student-at-Law Shareholder loans—loans given by a corporation to its shareholders—are a common business practice. It is often a perk shareholders receive for investing in the company. It is also a common way for business owners to extract money from their corporation. However, under the Income Tax Act (ITA) […]
Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer Karen Cheung, Law Student A shareholder who receives a benefit from his or her corporation is required to report the value of the benefit as income. If that benefit is not reported, the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) can reassess the shareholder for the value of that benefit under section 15(1) […]
Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer Valentine Gurfinkel, Student-at-law For tax purposes, goods and services bought and sold in Canada fall into three categories: Taxable supply, Exempt supply and Zero-rated supply. The type of supply a business sells profoundly affects its tax liabilities and benefits. Too many businesses run into trouble with the Canada Revenue Agency […]
Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer Karen Cheung, Law Student Canada’s tax laws allow the CRA to hold directors personally liable for their corporation’s source deductions, non-resident withholdings and GST/HST debts. This is known as “directors’ liability”. But directors may be able to shield themselves from this personal liability using the “due diligence defence”. This article […]
Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer Karen Cheung, Law Student According to the law, corporations are distinct “people” and generally the CRA can’t pursue one person for the tax debts of another person. Canada’s tax laws, however, allow the CRA to hold directors personally liable for their corporation’s failure to remit source deductions, non-resident withholdings and […]
Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer Karen Cheung, Law Student If you own a restaurant, the CRA has its eyes on you. Auditors frequently investigate restaurants for potential unreported income and HST/GST. Often, the outcome is bad for restaurant owners. According to the results of an access to information request conducted by HazloLaw – Business Lawyers, […]
Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer Brittany Rossler, Law Student The Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) recovered $291.7 million as a result of audit activities related to real estate in Ontario from April 2015 to June 2017.[1] Individuals must now report the sale (or deemed sale) of their principal residence on their annual tax return.[2] With the CRA’s […]
Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer Isabelle St-Hillaire, Law Student Clients facing financial difficulties may be tempted to transfer property to a related party in an attempt to shelter their assets from creditors. Professionals working in the field of bankruptcy and insolvency know, however, that in the context of tax debts section 160 of the Income […]
Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer Valentine Gurfinkel, Law Student This article explains how tax evasion is prosecuted under the ITA and why criminal defence lawyers should consider partnering with a tax lawyer to help them successfully defend their clients against tax evasion charges. WHAT IS TAX EVASION Broadly speaking, “tax evasion” is the wilful non-compliance […]
Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer Brittany Rossler, Law Student INTRODUCTION Your clients rely on you to advise them on how to structure their work relationships in order to meet their goals and comply with the law. A worker’s status as an employee or independent contractor has significant implications, including whether or not their hirer has […]
Update on the proposed changes to taxation of private corporations As many of you have heard in the news, on July 18, 2017, the Government of Canada released a consultation paper with proposed changes to the taxation of private corporations. The proposed changes, if implemented, would have limited or eliminated some of the common tax […]
Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer Valentine Gurfinkel, Law Student The Voluntary Disclosure Program (“VDP“) allows taxpayers to avoid penalties, interest, and criminal tax evasion charges by disclosing formally unreported income and paying tax on it. As the Federal Government invests greater resources in tax enforcement, the VDP is becoming a vital tool for accountants in […]
Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer As a Chartered Professional Accountant, you work with tax legislation every day and there is no one who understands your clients’ financial reporting obligations better than you. So, when CRA reassesses one of your clients, it’s only natural that you want to prepare the objection. There are a number of […]
Dean Blachford, Tax Litigation Lawyer Valentine Gurfinkel, Law Student With the Federal Government of Canada taking an increasingly aggressive stance against tax evasion and offshore investment, professionals advising foreign nationals doing business in Canada and Canadians doing business abroad need to make sure their clients comply with Canadian tax laws. Failure to properly report and […]
Canadian taxpayers are required to self-assess and report their income each year. Often taxpayers reported their income incorrectly because errors are made. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will reassess a taxpayer’s income if the agency discovers that a taxpayer has reported his or her income in an incorrect manner. Reassessments of a taxpayer’s income can […]
If I make a complaint against the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), will I be subjected to more audits and penalties? This is a common concern that Canadian taxpayers share when they have an issue with the CRA. However, you can be assured that this concern has been addressed. In 2007, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights […]
Claims for the SR&ED tax credit are denied for various reasons. Fortunately, this is not the end of the road. With the right guidance and preparation, there are steps you can follow to give your case the best chance and save you taxes. This article will discuss what you can do when your SR&ED claims […]
The Canadian Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Incentive Program (SR&ED) encourages research and development by offering support to businesses that conduct scientific research or experimental development in Canada. The SR&ED tax incentive program allows businesses to deduct SR&ED expenditures from their income and also provides SR&ED Investment Tax Credit (ITC) to reduce Part 1 […]