Taxation: Overview

The Osler Tax Group is consistently recognized as a leading provider of tax law services in Canada. From our offices in Toronto, Montréal, Calgary, Ottawa and New York, our tax lawyers operate as an integrated unit and in partnership with our clients to develop sophisticated solutions to our clients’ most complex and important taxation issues. With close to 60 tax professionals, we are able to offer our clients expert advice on a broad range of taxation matters of importance to their business interests. In addition, we are pleased to share with our clients and others the benefit of our extensive experience through our Osler Updates, seminars, webinars and other client tailored programs.

We offer leading expertise and have extensive experience in each of the following areas of corporate tax practice:

• M&A, Corporate Reorganizations and Restructurings – We work seamlessly as part of a multidisciplinary team that includes corporate, securities, real estate and restructuring lawyers to advise on the taxation aspects of business acquisitions, divestitures, reorganizations and restructurings. We have provided taxation advice on many of the most significant transactions undertaken by Canadian corporations, income trusts and other entities within and outside Canada and by foreign corporations and other entities within Canada. We also have extensive experience advising on the taxation aspects of a variety of “mid-market” corporate transactions.
• General Tax Advisory Services – We provide advice on a broad range of taxation matters of importance to Canadian and foreign corporations, income trusts and other entities, including international tax planning, transfer pricing, corporate finance and capital markets, financial products, private equity, mutual and other investment funds, pension funds, executive compensation, banking and insurance taxation, commodity, sales and use taxation, customs matters, energy and resource taxation, and technology and e-commerce taxation. We also have extensive experience dealing with officials of the Department of Finance and the Canada Revenue Agency in seeking legislative amendments and advance tax rulings on behalf of our clients.
• Tax Litigation/Dispute Resolution – Our tax litigation lawyers have represented clients in several of the most significant tax litigation matters before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Tax Court of Canada and other courts. The extensive experience of our tax litigators before the courts also provides important perspective and invaluable support for the benefit of clients seeking advice from our M&A and general tax advisory practices. We also have considerable experience in managing and resolving audit and appeal disputes with the Canada Revenue Agency.
• Canada/U.S. Cross-Border Tax Planning – From our offices in New York, the Osler Tax Group provides U.S. tax expertise to assist our Canadian clients with operations in the U.S. and our U.S.-based clients with operations in Canada.  Our U.S. tax lawyers in New York work collaboratively with our clients and the tax lawyers in our Canadian offices to provide efficient, expert tax advice in respect of our clients’ Canada/U.S. cross-border operations.

Recognition

The Osler Tax Group received first-tier ranking for taxation from each of the International Tax Review’s World Tax 2011, the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2011 and Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2011.