I am in the middle of a very difficult Canada Revenue Agency audit of a taxpayer’s claim for the principal residence exemption. It now appears the property in question, built by my client some 25 years ago may not qualify for the full exemption due to the fact that the…
Category: Costs
Total 38 Posts
In the work I do, I am asked to provide expert testimony to support litigation. In some cases, I am often quite surprised to what extent parties will continue to litigate matters that appear to be “no-wins” or for small dollar amounts. Depending on the circumstances, parties have taken the…
There are numerous technical traps a lawsuit can fall into which will need to be corrected before the matter moves forward. Generally speaking, the current norms of practice are for the parties to sort out any technical deficiencies between themselves so court time can be devoted to arguing the substantive…
In my practice, I have been engaged on valuation matters which, on occasion despite the efforts of all those involved, go to trial to have a trial judge settle for the parties. Most trials are expensive and the actual outcome is not always certain, no matter how strong one side…
Our Ontario government is short sighted. We/They have not planned well for the changing and aging of our society. There simply is no place for those of us who need care and are not fortunate enough to either have the funds to pay for it themselves or have the necessary…
Recently the Government of Ontario followed the heels of the British Columbia Government by introducing a “non-resident speculation tax” (“NRST”). The NRST will apply to the purchase or acquisition of an interest in residential property located in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (the “GGH”) by individuals who are not Canadian citizens…
I am not a big fan of statistics but these figures are worth noting. Today there are more seniors over age 65 than children under age 14. Not only are we living longer but adults over 100 years of age are the fastest growing age group. Today’s life expectancy is…
In a recent court decision, Pochopsky Estate, the court found the Deceased’s four children (the “Beneficiaries”) jointly and severally liable for the estate trustee’s costs related to an application compelling him to pass his accounts. The Beneficiaries had obtained an order compelling the estate trustee to account. The court ultimately…
As a Canadian taxpayer either alive or their estate, you (or your personal representative) has rights in your dealing with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) as follows: To receive entitlements and to pay no more and no less than what is required by law. To service in both official languages….
A complimentary copy of the Saturday Star was delivered to my door so I had the pleasure of holding a newspaper in my hand while enjoying my morning coffee (note: we have gone ‘paperless’ and I am not a happy convert). The headlines grabbed my attention: ‘Nursing homes feed seniors…