Raymond Adlington: President of the Canadian Bar Association

Updated April 16, 2024. If you’re a trustee of a trust that might no longer serve its purpose or is sitting idle, now’s the time to…

Updated February 9, 2024. On December 15, 2023, Bill C-56, the Affordable Housing and Groceries Act, became law, giving developers of…

Can a business providing both exempt supplies and taxable supplies of goods and services claim Input Tax Credits (ITCs) under the Excise Tax Act…

Owning your own business offers many opportunities. But it also carries inherent risks, including exposure to personal liability. These three…

Most initially believed the Underused Housing Tax Act would impose reporting and tax obligations only on non-Canadian and non-permanent…

A Will is a key ingredient of any estate plan - and one of the most important documents a person ever signs. It allows a person to control how…

Updated April 1, 2024. Beginning December 31, 2022, both Canadian and non-Canadian trustees, partners of a partnership, private corporations,…

Lawyers and accountants advise clients on options for organizing their personal and business affairs in a tax-efficient way. Clients enter into…

Many employers use equity compensation plans like employee stock option plans to attract, motivate, and retain talent. One reason stock options…

Close to five million Canadians who didn’t usually work from home, did so in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as public health…

Estate planning is a customized process; the goal is to create a plan that’s best for a person’s unique situation. And while all estate…

An ever increasing number of people originally from China now reside in Canada. It is more important than ever to recognize and understand the…

The current state of closed Canadian borders and stringent travel restrictions in efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to be the…

All trusts that continue to be in effect past December 31, 2020, will be subject to new reporting requirements and harsh non-compliance…

For business owners, estate planning is directed at protecting the business’s legacy as well as the financial security of both family members…

Estate planning is directed at protecting your assets and your loved ones from creditors and unnecessary income tax or probate fees, and your…

NOTE: The new tax rules for employee stock option plans take effect on July 1, 2021. Learn more at Limited Options: New Employee Stock Option…

We updated this publication on February 17, 2023. As of June 13, 2019, private companies incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations…

On January 25, 2019, the Supreme Court of Canada considered, for the first time, “Henson trusts” and the nature of a disabled…

As of January 2019, incorporating a limited company in N.S. will be more economical. On September 7, 2018, the N.S. government announced it’s…

This publication has been updated as at July 8, 2022. Changes to the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) over the past several years have…

Equity compensation plans are a valuable and versatile tool for many corporations, from early-stage startups to established blue-chips.…

Whether a provincial court will grant police a “production order” under the Criminal Code of Canada requiring a non-Canadian company to…

Parents often threaten their children that if their behaviour did not improve they will get a lump of coal in their Christmas stockings. On…

Blockchain technology has already been a transformative force in a number of sectors. Its most prominent use to date has been as the…

October 2, 2017 marked the end of the consultation period relating to the taxation of private corporation proposals the Department of Finance…

On October 19, 2017, the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) announced it had adopted amendments to its Company Manual. Originally proposed in Spring…

Canada’s most important trading relationship is – in all likelihood – about to change: the current U.S. administration has put the future…

Recently, the Federal Court of Appeal confirmed that a tax debtor’s bankruptcy does not extinguish the federal Crown’s priority to proceeds…

In the not-so-distant past, Canadian enforcement of its anti-corruption and anti-bribery legal regime has been relatively laid-back. But the…

On July 18, 2017, Canada’s Minister of Finance released proposed changes to the Income Tax Act (Canada) that, if implemented, will mark one of…

A corporation does not always sail in calm or safe waters. Cash shortages, unattainable or unmet goals, Board disagreements over the best course…

On June 23, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada decided that in a contest between the choice of forum clause in Facebook’s online terms of use…

In three years (lightning speed in the law), medically assisted dying went from being illegal to being legal. A great deal has changed, a great…

On April 13, 2017, Canada’s federal government introduced legislation that, if passed into law, will legalize recreational cannabis in Canada.…

Recreational cannabis isn’t legal yet - but much of the associated stigma is already gone, usage is up and employers are feeling the workplace…

Connections between Canadians and the U.S. have never been as numerous or transparent as they are now: many Canadians own U.S. property, have…

Effective January 1, 2017, the kinds of trusts that can claim the Principal Residence Exemption (PRE) will be limited. Now, the PRE allows…

On December 9, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada clarified when a court can rectify a transaction that has had unintended tax consequences for…

Canada’s most important trading relationship might undergo some change with the results of the 2016 U.S. election. Facilitating cross-border…

On September 9, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada decided in Musqueam Indian Band v. Musqueam Indian Band (Board of Review) that an Indian band…

The standards expected of market participants are steadily increasing in response to demand to address white collar crime – including…

As of June 25, 2016, provincially regulated workers and employers in Nova Scotia, Quebec, BC and Saskatchewan can participate in Pooled…

On June 3, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada, in two related decisions, strengthened the legal protection of solicitor-client privilege in…

On June 30, 2016, amendments to National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions and related changes to Companion Policy 45-106 Prospectus…

You’re on a tight timeline to issue a press release. You finish your draft and ‘cut & paste’ your standard “forward-looking…

On April 14, 2016, Canada’s federal Justice Minister proposed legislation setting out the conditions that a person wishing to undergo…

Federal Budget 2016 proposed to significantly reduce the benefit of and access to the Small Business Deduction. The Small Business Deduction…

Subsection 55(2) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) is an anti-avoidance provision intended to prevent capital gains stripping by deeming an…

Incorporation offers legal advantages to sole proprietors of small businesses, including certain tax advantages. However, when a corporation…

Access to sufficient capital to fund operations, research and development, and other costs is a key challenge for start-ups and for some small…

Note: On June 9, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the National Alliance’s application for leave to appeal the New Brunswick Court…

NOTE: On April 14, 2016, the federal government proposed legislation setting out the conditions that a person wishing to undergo…

Updated August 25, 2022. Many believe that only public companies or large, established companies with many shareholders need to be concerned…

The Canadian federal government has been concerned for some time about “treaty shopping” by non-residents – the practice of non-residents…

This publication has been updated as at February 17, 2021. Trusts offer a very useful estate planning solution for a wide variety of special…

In a unanimous decision rendered by Justice Rothstein, the Supreme Court of Canada today dismissed the appeal of Copthorne Holdings Limited,…

Effective April 1, 2011, the fishing licensing policy for the Atlantic Canada and Quebec inshore fishery will change to allow inshore fishing…