
Tax Controversy/Tax Litigation
- Overview
- Who To Contact
- Representative Matters
- Recent Developments
Tax legislation is becoming increasingly complex and tax audits are becoming more aggressive. It is important to entrust your tax dispute to someone with a track record of successfully resolving tax disputes. That is why when clients have tax disputes, they look to our responsive, innovative and experienced Tax Controversy/Tax Litigation Group to represent them. We represent a broad range of clients, including large companies, financial and public institutions, small businesses and individuals.
The Tax Controversy/Tax Litigation Group at Aird & Berlis has a wealth of experience in handling disputes relating to income tax, GST/HST, customs, and provincial income and indirect taxes. Our members include highly-regarded tax practitioners, former clerks of the Tax Court of Canada and the Federal Court, former Department of Justice tax litigators and CPAs working collaboratively to assist clients through audits, administrative objections and, where necessary, court appeals.
When litigation cannot be avoided, our litigation specialists bring their vast advocacy experience and passion to the representation of clients before the Tax Court, Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Canada, Canadian International Trade Tribunal and provincial courts.
Our numerous courtroom successes and track record in resolving clients’ tax disputes without the need to resort to the courts are a testament to our wide-ranging tax planning experience and significant technical expertise. Our ability to resolve tax disputes early is enhanced by the fact that each and every member of our Tax Controversy/Tax Litigation Group is a full-time tax lawyer with an extensive practice in dealing with the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canada Border Services Agency and the provincial tax authorities.
We understand the impact of tax disputes on you and your business and are committed to providing innovative, strategic and cost-efficient solutions to successfully resolving your matters.
We advise and represent clients in all types of tax disputes including:
- Corporate tax
- Personal tax
- International tax
- GST/HST
- Provincial taxes
- Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance matters
- Requirements issued by the Canada Revenue Agency
- Excise taxes
- Access to Information requests
- Collection matters
- Voluntary disclosures
- Design and implementation of corporate polices to protect privilege
- Transfer pricing and competent authority
Representative Matters
Representative matters our lawyers have acted on include:
- Successfully represented the Appellant in Medallion Corporation v. The Queen before the Tax Court of Canada (2018 TCC 157), arguing that Medallion Corporation was engaged in a joint venture with certain leasehold building owners and had not supplied property management services to those leasehold building owners
- Successfully represented the Appellant in Triple M Metal LP v. The Queen in an appeal before the Tax Court of Canada (2016 TCC 293) relating to an Ontario GST/HST reassessment
- Successfully represented the Appellant in Presidential MSH Corporation v. The Queen before the Tax Court of Canada (2015 TCC 61) in arguing that the RDTOH balance should not be reduced for dividend refunds claimed but not received, given the meaning of “dividend refund” in paragraph 129(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act
- Successfully represented the Appellant in Velcro Canada Inc. v. The Queen before the Tax Court of Canada (2012 TCC 57) on the meaning of “beneficial owner” under the Canada-Netherlands Income Tax Convention. In the subsequent costs decision (2012 TCC 273), successfully acquired above-tariff costs, leading to a decision which has been cited with approval on numerous occasions due to clarity and succinctness of representation on appeal
- Successfully represented the Appellant in Bozzer v. Canada before the Federal Court of Appeal (2011 FCA 186) in relation to the proper determination of the ten-year period that allows the Minister to waive or cancel any portion of interest or penalties owing under the Income Tax Act
- Successfully represented the Appellant in Heritage Education Funds Inc. v. The Queen before the Tax Court of Canada (2010 TCC 161) in determining that certain enrolment fees were not required to be included in computing income
- Successfully represented the Appellant in Mediclean Incorporated v. M.N.R. before the Tax Court of Canada (2009 TCC 340), overturning a CRA assessment for EI and CPP when the Court found workers to be independent contractors and not employees
- Successfully represented the Appellant in Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd. v. The Queen before the Tax Court of Canada ([2009] G.S.T.C. 38), on reference back to the Tax Court of Canada ([2010] G.S.T.C. 173), and finally as Respondent at the Federal Court of Appeal (2012 FCA 160) in determining that payments received were not consideration for a taxable supply, but rather were a reduction or partial refund of a fee payable for an exempt supply
- Successfully represented the Appellant in Collins & Aikman Products Co. v. The Queen before the Tax Court of Canada (2009 TCC 299), and as Respondent at the Federal Court of Appeal (2010 FCA 251), which determined that surplus stripping is not inherently a “misuse or abuse” of the Income Tax Act for the purpose of the general anti-avoidance rule
- Successfully represented a group of investors before the Tax Court of Canada (2008 TCC 274) and the Federal Court of Appeal (2009 FCA 113) in R. v. Landrus, which considered the applicability of the general anti-avoidance rule to a transaction which resulted in the claiming of terminal losses
- Successfully represented the Appellant in City Water International Inc. v. Canada before the Tax Court of Canada (2005 CarswellNat 3122) and Federal Court of Appeal (2006 FCA 350) in respect of whether installers and maintenance repair workers were independent contractors or employees
- Successfully represented the Applicant in Karia v. Canada (Minister of National Revenue) before the Federal Court (2005 FC 639) in seeking to set aside the decision of the Canada Revenue Agency respecting whether the Applicant had any knowledge of an audit or investigation that might prevent access to the Voluntary Disclosures Program
- Successfully represented the Appellant in Lenester Sales Ltd. v. The Queen before the Tax Court of Canada (2003 TCC 531), and as Respondent at the Federal Court of Appeal (2004 FCA 217) related to the associated corporation rules and the availability of the small business deduction
- Successfully represented the Applicant in Capital Vision Inc. v. Minister of National Revenue before the Federal Court ([2003] 2 C.T.C. 42) in seeking to quash certain “requirements to for information” on the basis that they were invalid and unlawful
- Representing numerous clients in respect of the Canada Revenue Agency’s “Related Party Audit Program” initiative to audit every group of individuals, corporations or other associated entities with net worth in excess of $50 Million, including issues around foreign compliance and penalty assessments relating to same
- Representing a confidential client regarding assessments dealing with cross-border and Tax Treaty issues
- Representing multinationals in respect of Canada-U.S. transfer pricing methodology and competent authority agreements
- Advocating for various individuals in relation to income tax and GST/HST assessments regarding home sales
- Representing numerous clients in respect of assessments altering valuation of fixed value preferred shares
- Representing trusts with respect to provincial residency based on mind, management and control
- Representing numerous clients with respect to commerciality in relation to private aircraft
- Representing clients under audit in respect of reasonableness of management fees
- Successfully overturned/settled GST assessments against non-resident GST registrants because of issues relating to audit methodologies, and assessments of GST/HST input tax credit allocation methodology for financial institutions
- Advocating for various clients in relation to director’s liability for GST and payroll taxes, as well as tracing assessments involving non-arm’s-length transfers of property
- Extensive experiences in making voluntary disclosures with the CRA and Ministry of Finance relating to income tax, foreign reporting, GST/HST and land transfer tax
Contacts
Group Members
Representative Matters
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Aird & Berlis Successful in Pivotal Tax Court Appeal
CFI Funding Trust successfully obtained input tax credits related to HST payable on prepaid rents under a lease securitization structure. -
Federal Court of Appeal Upholds Orthodontist's Entitlement to ITCs
On April 12, 2023, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Dr. Kevin Davis, upholding the Tax Court’s decision that Dr. Davis is entitled to claim input tax credits in respect of orthodontic ap... -
Tax Court Allows Unclaimed Rebates for Tax Paid in Error to Subcontractors
On March 17, 2022, The Tax Court of Canada allowed the GST/HST appeal of Mediclean Incorporated, a professional cleaning service company that engages cleaners as subcontractors to provide these servic... -
Mediclean Successful in Tax Court of Canada
Mediclean Inc. was recently successful in winning an appeal in the Tax Court of Canada. Mediclean Inc. had appealed decisions dated March 21, 2016 under the Canada Pension Plan and the Employment Insu... -
Triple M Successful in Tax Court of Canada
Triple M Metal LP was recently successful in winning an appeal in the Tax Court of Canada. Triple M appealed a Notice of Confirmation dated September 15, 2014 relating to an Ontario Goods and Services...
Recent Developments
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Firm News
Aird & Berlis Recognized in 2023 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory has recognized 51 partners at the firm as leading lawyers across 33 different practice areas. Aird & Berlis was also recognized at the firm level across 15 differe... -
Firm News
Practice Area Spotlight: Tax Controversy/Tax Litigation Team
Tax legislation is becoming increasingly complex and tax audits are becoming more aggressive. It is important to entrust your tax dispute to a team with strong technical expertise and superior negotia... -
Firm News
Aird & Berlis Welcomes Nine New Partners
Aird & Berlis is pleased to announce that Meaghan Barrett, Jacob Brown, Holly Cunliffe, Alex Kagan, Amy Marcen-Gaudaur, Dasha Peregoudova, Stefan Radovanovich, Russell Sanders and Leah Silber have bec... -
Firm News
12th Annual IBA Finance & Capital Markets Conference
Aird & Berlis International Tax Group Leader Jack Bernstein is honoured to be chairing the IBA Finance and Capital Markets Conference for the 12th consecutive year. -
Firm News
88 Aird & Berlis Lawyers Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2023
Aird & Berlis is proud to announce that 88 members of the firm were selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada. The firm is recognized across 43 practice ... -
Article
Highlights of the 2022 Federal Budget
On April 7, 2022, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland delivered Canada’s budget for 2022. Budget 2022 continues the trend established in Budget 2021 by adding significant spending initiatives, closing ... -
Firm News
11th Annual IBA London Finance and Capital Markets Virtual Tax Conference
Jack Bernstein is pleased to be chairing the IBA Finance and Capital Markets Tax Conference for the 11th consecutive year. The six-day event, which kicks off on January 17 and runs until March 4, 2022... -
Firm News
Aird & Berlis Welcomes New Partner Christopher Slade
Aird & Berlis is pleased to announce that Christopher Slade has joined the firm as a partner and member of our Tax Group and Tax Controversy/Tax Litigation Group. -
Firm News
Aird & Berlis Recognized in Chambers Canada 2022
Aird & Berlis is pleased to announce that the following members of the firm have been recognized as top practitioners in the 2022 edition of Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business. -
Firm News
84 Aird & Berlis Lawyers Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2022
Aird & Berlis is proud to announce that 84 members of the firm were selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada. The firm is recognized across 43 practice ... -
Firm News
Aird & Berlis Welcomes Five New Partners
Aird & Berlis is pleased to announce that Aaron Bains, Danny Kharazmi, Josh Kumar, David Neligan, and Kenneth Pimentel have become partners of the firm. -
Firm News
10th IBA London Finance and Capital Markets Virtual Tax Conference
Jack Bernstein is chairing the IBA Finance and Capital Markets Tax Conference for the 10th consecutive year and Clifford Rand is part of a panel on “Contested settlements and reliance on rulings and A... -
Firm News
Aird & Berlis Lawyers Named in Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation 2020
Aird & Berlis partners Neil Bass, Steven Graff, Trent Horne and Steve Tenai are among the leading lawyers named in the Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation 2020. -
Firm News
Aird & Berlis Welcomes Partner Clifford Rand
We are pleased to announce that Clifford Rand has joined Aird & Berlis as a partner and member of the firm’s Tax Group and Tax Controversy/Tax Litigation Group. -
Firm News
65 Aird & Berlis Lawyers Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2021
The firm is featured across 39 practice areas and received 12 new listings. -
Article
Extension of Tax Reassessment Periods and Appeal Deadlines
On July 27, 2020, as part of Canada’s continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bill C‑20 received Royal Assent and came into effect, enacting the Time Limits and Other Periods Act (COVID‑19) (the ...