On September 26, 2013, the Canadian Tax Foundation Young Practitioners Group (Toronto) convened a panel discussion titled "GAAR at 25: Lessons Learned & Current Challenges" on the General Anti-Avoidance Rule ("GAAR") in section 245 of the Income Tax Act ("ITA").

The panelists included Justice Karen Sharlow (Federal Court of Appeal), Justice Patrick Boyle (Tax Court of Canada), Phil Jolie (formerly of the Canada Revenue Agency), Ed Kroft (Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP), Patricia Lee (Department of Justice) and Shawn D. Porter (Deloitte LLP and formerly at Department of Finance).

The general view of the panelists was that the potential application of GAAR in a specific case is very fact-dependent, and that the jurisprudence on the legal analysis continues to evolve. In the future, the focus will remain on how to interpret the "misuse and abuse" test within section 245.

Impact of GAAR

The panel discussed whether the GAAR has had an impact in deterring taxpayers from engaging in aggressive tax planning. Phil Jolie was of the view that it has not, whereas Ed Kroft and Shawn D. Porter noted that the GAAR has had somewhat of a "chilling" effect in tax planning, particularly with public companies concerned about reputational risk.

Smell Test

There was a general consensus among the panelists that there is an element of a "smell test" in the GAAR. When evaluating whether GAAR should apply, the Justice Sharlow and Justice Boyle admitted there is an element of using one's "nose", getting in touch with one's "spidey sense", or simply determining if something "weird" was happening before undertaking the legal analysis as to whether the GAAR may apply.

The other panelists noted that this may raise difficulties for tax practitioners who are asked to provide GAAR opinions to clients. The panelists advised that prudent counsel should address the evolving nature of GAAR jurisprudence in any opinion to a client on an issue where the GAAR could be engaged.

Current Litigation

Patricia Lee noted that the Department of Justice is currently litigating 44 cases where GAAR is a "live" issue. The cases include the following types of transactions:

  • Value shifting and capital loss creations;
  • Reverse attributes with trusts;
  • Base averaging of shares sold to a spouse;
  • Surplus stripping and, in particular, cross-border surplus stripping;
  • Manipulation of adjusted cost base of property;
  • Acquisition of tax credits and change in control; and
  • Leverage donation cases.

The panelists concluded that, even after 25 years, there remains a degree of uncertainty in respect of the engagement and application of the GAAR.

For more information, visit our Canadian Tax Litigation blog at www.canadiantaxlitigation.com

About Dentons

Dentons is a global firm driven to provide you with the competitive edge in an increasingly complex and interconnected marketplace. We were formed by the March 2013 combination of international law firm Salans LLP, Canadian law firm Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP (FMC) and international law firm SNR Denton.

Dentons is built on the solid foundations of three highly regarded law firms. Each built its outstanding reputation and valued clientele by responding to the local, regional and national needs of a broad spectrum of clients of all sizes – individuals; entrepreneurs; small businesses and start-ups; local, regional and national governments and government agencies; and mid-sized and larger private and public corporations, including international and global entities.

Now clients benefit from more than 2,500 lawyers and professionals in 79 locations in 52 countries across Africa, Asia Pacific, Canada, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Russia and the CIS, the UK and the US who are committed to challenging the status quo to offer creative, actionable business and legal solutions.

Learn more at www.dentons.com

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances. Specific Questions relating to this article should be addressed directly to the author.