Taxation

Canada levies many different kinds of taxes, including income tax, "goods and services tax", excise tax, customs duties, and corporate capital tax. Similarly, British Columbia levies a variety of taxes including income tax, sales tax, corporate capital tax, and property transfer tax on real estate transactions.

Our Tax Group provides experienced legal counsel to clients on all matters arising from these federal and provincial taxation laws. Our over-riding goal is to ensure that a client's existing or contemplated financial affairs are structured in a practical and cost-effective manner that achieves a client's business or personal objectives with minimal exposure to tax.

The services our group provides include:

• Implementation of efficient tax plans to accommodate all diverse issues relevant to commercial activities, including matters of business ownership, operations, acquisitions, whether pursued through corporate, partnership, business trust, or proprietorship vehicles.
• Advice on all issues concerning personally held wealth, including estate planning, matrimonial property division, employment benefit or termination packages, and deferred tax plans (such as RRSPs, RRIFs, RESPs, and RCAs).
• Creation of effective international (or, "cross-border") tax planning strategies, for both Canadian residents investing abroad and non-residents investing in Canada.
• Guidance to tax-exempt entities, such as charities, pension plans, and non-profit organizations on matters relating to their fund-raising or investment initiatives.
• Representation under tax audit or investigation, and pursuing related Court appeals, whether in British Columbia's superior Courts, the Tax Court, the Federal Court, or the Supreme Court of Canada.

For more information about the services we offer please contact Bill Ruskin, Chair of our Taxation Group, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 604.643.3101.