Intelligent tax planning is an essential element to successful business transactions and ongoing corporate operations.  Given the increasing complexity of tax laws, it is essential that you have knowledgeable legal counsel to direct you through the many onerous personal and corporate taxes challenges that your business encounters.

Preparation from a tax lawyer's perspective begins with the initial strategic planning and the assessment of your current business tax situation in contrast to alternative tax scenarios.  With this tax knowledge, we are capable of developing an appropriate strategic approach to your tax situation.  Working with your accountants on the completion of the requisite tax forms, while drafting supporting tax documentation, is essential to positioning your business to optimize tax minimization strategies while countering the prospects of adverse tax litigation.  Our goal is to structure your business and its operations to maximize tax efficiencies while minimizing risk.

Examples of tax law work include: section 85 tax rollovers, estate freezes, butterfly reorganizations, tax programs (i.e., scientific research and experimental development tax credit, Canadian controlled private corporation - small business deduction).

Planning for success means planning early and wisely.

Business succession planning is really about preparing your business for its future sale or transfer, enabling the business owner to exit with the highest return from your investment while having confidence in the business' continued operational success (thereby increasing the certainty of your pay-out, if so structured).

What is amazing about succession planning is how little time and preparation is often dedicated by the current ownership to its pursuit.  Instead, far too many owners simply believe that the value is there and they will be able to take it when they decide to retire or pursue an alternate venture.  That is rarely, if ever, the case.  Effective business succession planning requires considerable preparation that should begin many years in advance of the actual departure.  It transforms an operational business into a transitional business, which is tweaked and modified to obtain the most value from its disposition.

By waiting until the last minute to transition out of your business (which is a horrible plan given all the time and effort you've expended to make the operational business a success), you will in most cases be taking a massive cut in your realizable financial return.  It is astonishing how much upside business owners throw away because they fail to adequate plan long in advance.  Planning that is undertaken with the right team of experienced professionals (lawyers, accountants, investment advisors, business consultants), whose knowledgeable advice is implemented, pays serious financial dividends.