Earnings within Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) and other tax-deferred plans are, in principle, supposed to grow “tax-free”. However, some taxes can still apply. One such tax is the advantage tax which applies at the rate of 100% of any advantage…
Taxes on residential realty in and around Greater Vancouver have been steadily proliferating over the past few years: first the provincial Foreign Buyer Tax (2016), then the municipal Vacancy Tax (2017) and, most recently, the provincial Speculation Tax (2018). All…
Last week the BC government tabled Bill 45, which seeks to implement the province’s new Speculation and Vacancy Tax. A careful review of the Bill suggests that it is overreaching and lacking in taxpayer fairness. Critical aspects of the…
The recent Federal Court decision in Canada (National Revenue) v. Hydro-Québec, 2018 FC 622 made a strong statement against an interpretation of the CRA’s powers that would allow virtually unlimited invasions of taxpayer privacy. The decision considered the scope of…
In these heady days of cryptocurrency investment, the market can seem like a gold rush: offering promise, but at the expense of predictability. The taxation of cryptocurrencies is no different. In this article, a collaboration between the Fintech Team…
On November 20, 2018, the Office of the Auditor General of Canada released its 2018 Fall Reports, including a report on the compliance activities of the Canada Revenue Agency. The Auditor General’s audit focused on whether the CRA consistently…
On November 21, 2018, the Government of Canada released its 2018 Fall Economic Statement. The Statement is highlighted by the Government’s intention to allow accelerated tax write-offs for certain types of depreciable property. The full cost of machinery and…
Yesterday Vancouver’s municipal council approved amendments to Vacancy Tax By-law No. 11674, which governs the city’s unique 1% tax on certain residential properties. The amendments mainly serve to narrow the exemptions available to homeowners after months of conducting audits.…
The Government of British Columbia recently made a regulation that will require, effective September 17, 2018, certain corporations and trusts that acquire property to disclose additional information on their Property Transfer Tax returns. The new return will require disclosure of…
In a recent Federal Court case, the court sentenced a taxpayer for contempt of court for refusing to comply with a court order requiring the production of records to the CRA. The court imposed a fine of $6,000 and again…
