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With over a century of experience between them, our tax lawyers have seen and done it all. They routinely advise domestic and multi-national businesses and their owners and shareholders, families, and trusts, as well as charities, governments and public policy bodies. They are known for their creative, innovative and productive solutions, delivered on a timely and cost effective basis. They are frequently sought out as speakers by professional and industry associations. They are the advisors of choice to other professionals, for both their personal tax issues and conflict referrals.
The tax group has three general practice areas – private client, business tax, and dispute resolution – as well as specialty areas of practice.
Personal planning is no longer as simple as preparing a will. It is common for families to own real estate in multiple jurisdictions (whether another province of Canada or another country), to own businesses and financial assets in multiple jurisdictions, and to have family members studying, marrying, residing and/or raising their own families in other jurisdictions. Fortunately, we are seeing an increased interest in philanthropy, where our clients who have prospered have decided to reinvest a portion of their wealth into activities for the benefit of their community. Sadly, we are now more often facing issues of degenerative diseases, long term care, life with disabilities and disputes over family and estate assets. All these require careful planning to ensure that the assets and interests of the family are protected.
Our team of tax lawyers is ready to provide guidance and advice based on their years of experience.
Our private client practice includes wills, trusts (and related powers of attorney), estate litigation and mediation, estate administration, planned giving and philanthropy (including creation of public and private foundations), and charity and not-for-profit organizations. Our team works with other professional advisors to ensure a seamless solution for private clients for their estate, family and business planning needs.
Buying, selling and financing a business requires careful planning. From due diligence to tax effective financing and structuring, our team of tax (and corporate) lawyers can generate extra value from your business transactions. Our creativity is well known to other professional advisors.
Whether the goal is creating or buying a new business, asset protection, risk management, income splitting, maximizing the lifetime capital gains exemption, or implementing a business succession plan, our tax lawyers can design and implement appropriate strategies to meet your goals. We strive to integrate our business planning with your personal planning.
We consider commodity and other tax issues, as well as income tax issues in implementing our plans.
Death and taxes have been called the two certainties in life. Recently, audits by the tax authorities have become more common. They are frustrating, aggravating, time intensive and often wrong. We can help.
The earlier in the process our tax lawyers get involved, the faster and more effective the solution will be. We work with your accountants in audits and proposals, we prepare Notices of Objection and, if a satisfactory resolution cannot be obtained, we represent your interests in the Tax Court of Canada (and beyond).
Our tax lawyers work closely with our tax litigation team to provide cost effective and timely results. We have a history of success in resolving disputes with the CRA and provincial tax authorities.
But tax issues arise in other areas as well. Our tax lawyers work with their corporate and litigation colleagues to devise solutions to shareholder and commercial disputes, and with other professionals to resolve family and estate litigation.