Tax Law Edmonton

Taxes can affect almost any decision you make. A change in corporate structure can affect shareholders, financing, succession plans and a future sale. An estate plan can create tax consequences for a family business. A disagreement with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) can interrupt operations and put personal or corporate assets at risk. Barr LLP provides practical tax advice that considers the whole situation, not just a single return or transaction.

Our Edmonton tax lawyers advise private businesses, not-for-profit organizations, entrepreneurs, families, estates and trusts on Canadian tax matters. We help clients understand their options, identify material risks and implement solutions that work in practice. When a matter involves corporate, commercial, estate or litigation issues, we can work with other members of the Barr LLP team to provide coordinated advice.

FAQ Section

Yes, in many cases. A tax lawyer and an accountant play different roles. Your accountant typically prepares financial statements, files returns and handles recurring compliance. A tax lawyer provides legal advice on how a transaction or structure should work, drafts the legal documents needed to carry it out, and represents you if a dispute with the CRA arises. Barr LLP works alongside your existing accountant rather than replacing them, and we define our role together at the outset so you get consistent advice.

Before, whenever possible. The right time to obtain tax advice is usually before documents are signed or funds change hands. Once the parties have agreed on a structure, whether a share sale, an asset sale, or a reorganization, changing course can be difficult or expensive. Early involvement helps preserve flexibility and can prevent a commercially reasonable deal from producing an avoidable tax result.

Deadlines start running as soon as the CRA issues a request or a reassessment, so it is important to act promptly. We review the correspondence, explain your procedural options, including a notice of objection and, if necessary, an appeal to the Tax Court of Canada, and help you understand realistic outcomes and costs before you respond. If you have received any CRA communication about an audit, proposal letter, assessment or reassessment, it is worth having a lawyer review it early.

An estate freeze fixes the current owner’s interest in a business at its present value, allowing future growth to accrue to children, a family trust or other successors. It can be a useful tool for succession and estate planning, but it is not right for every business, and it should not be done as an isolated tax transaction. Control, income needs, voting rights and family circumstances all need to be addressed at the same time. We can help you determine whether a freeze, or another structure, fits your situation.

It depends on whether your corporation and its shares meet a specific set of statutory requirements at the relevant time, including tests related to the corporation’s assets and how long the shares have been held. These rules require planning well before a sale, since qualification can be lost if the structure is not monitored. We can review your structure with your accountant and flag issues before they limit your options.

No. Barr LLP does not employ accountants or bookkeepers and does not provide routine tax-return preparation or filing. Our role is Canadian tax-law advice: structuring transactions, preparing legal documents, and representing clients in disputes. Your accountant continues to handle financial statements, tax compliance and recurring filings. If you do not currently have an accountant, we are glad to recommend one suited to your matter.

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