Tax
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January 20, 2026
Shareholder loans and subsection 15(2): What business owners need to know
Have you ever “borrowed” money from your own company or paid a personal expense out of the corporate account? It might seem harmless, but the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has a special rule to catch this activity: subsection 15(2) of the Income Tax Act (Canada). This rule can turn those shareholder loans or benefits into taxable income.
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January 19, 2026
Avoiding U.S. immigration pitfalls
Requesting immigration status at the border or filing for an immigration benefit with the U.S. government has many pitfalls and challenges, many of which can be avoided with careful planning and strategic decision-making. Some of the best ways to avoid immigration pitfalls include the following:
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January 19, 2026
B.C. Appeal Court upholds tax on foreign real estate buyers
B.C.’s top court has ruled the province’s so-called “foreign buyer’s tax” for certain real estate sales is payable on the whole transaction when any transferee is a foreign entity or taxable trustee.
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January 16, 2026
SCC’s packed winter session features momentous appeal on Charter s. 33 override provision
The Supreme Court of Canada began hearings in its very busy winter session this week, which features a potentially watershed constitutional appeal and the surprise announcement that Justice Sheilah Martin, the court’s senior western judge, will retire next spring.
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January 16, 2026
Ford, Unifor warn China EV deal risks jobs as canola sector cheers
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and trade union Unifor are warning that Ottawa’s decision to open the Canadian market to Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) threatens domestic jobs, even as canola producers welcome tariff relief restoring access to the Chinese market.
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January 16, 2026
Strategies for challenging CRA HST assessments based on incorrect builder classification
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) frequently audits real estate transactions for Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) compliance under the Excise Tax Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. E-15) (ETA), often classifying individuals as “builders” in cases involving property sales or renovations. This classification can lead to substantial assessments, penalties, and interest if deemed incorrect.
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January 14, 2026
Ottawa raises vehicle write-off cap, tax deductible mileage allowances for 2026
Businesses will be able to write off more of the cost of higher-priced passenger vehicles starting in 2026, after the federal government raised the depreciation cap on cars used for work by $1,000 to $39,000, according to a release issued Jan. 14.
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January 13, 2026
Supreme Court of Canada Justice Sheilah Martin to retire in May after eight years at top court
Supreme Court of Canada Justice Sheilah Martin, a former University of Calgary law dean and one of the apex court’s criminal and constitutional law experts, will retire May 30, 2026, after working at the high court for more than eight years.
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January 13, 2026
From audit to examination: How CRA powers are changing
The next time the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) audits your business, the process may feel less like a routine information request and more like a courtroom cross-examination. Under proposed amendments to the Income Tax Act, auditors would gain the power to compel sworn testimony — a fundamental shift in how audits are conducted and how taxpayers should prepare.
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January 13, 2026
FEDERAL INCOME TAX - Capital gains and losses - Tax avoidance - General anti avoidance rule
Appeal by DEML Investments Limited against the decision of the Tax Court of Canada dismissing its appeal. The Minister of National Revenue applied the general anti-avoidance rule in s. 245 of the Income Tax Act to deny a capital loss claimed by DEML on a sale of an interest in a partnership in 2010.