💡As a Canadian dropshipper, you are legally considered the “importer of record” for the products you sell. If your overseas supplier ships counterfeit goods or uses copyrighted product photos withoutā¦
💡Using a competitor’s registered trademark in your website’s hidden meta tags to boost your SEO traffic is a highly dangerous strategy in Canada. Doing so can lead to massive liabilityā¦
💡When a Canadian company pays director’s fees to an individual board member living outside of Canada, it must withhold income tax at graduated rates under Regulation 102 for services renderedā¦
š”In Canada, a corporation can deduct an accrued year-end bonus to reduce its corporate taxes, but the CRA strictly enforces the “180-Day Rule” under subsection 78(4) of the Income Taxā¦
💡If you operate a subscription box in Canada, you can generally resell legitimately purchased products, but you must avoid “passing off” your brand as being officially affiliated with those products.ā¦
🎲Protecting a board game expansion in Canada requires a layered approach: copyright for the rulebooks and artwork, and trademarks for the expansion title and character names. Filing a standard trademarkā¦
💡In Canada, an independent session musician automatically owns the copyright to their performer’s performance (though the first owner of the sound recording itself is its producer or “maker”). To legallyā¦
🌿Patenting eco-friendly packaging allows you to use CIPO’s ‘Advanced Examination for Green Technologies’, which drastically speeds up the patent process for free. The standard basic patent filing fee is $595.06ā¦
💡If you forgot to list an unsecured creditor in your Canadian bankruptcy, do not panic. Under the federal Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, you are generally released from the full debtā¦
💡Under the Ontario Execution Act, a Licensed Insolvency Trustee cannot seize a vehicle worth up to $8,578 or tools of the trade worth up to $17,362. These limits protect yourā¦
💡If a debtor defaults, secured lenders can seize and realize on their collateral under the provincial Personal Property Security Act (PPSA). Crucially, a debtor’s assignment into bankruptcy does not preventā¦
📅In the year you file for bankruptcy in Canada, your tax year is split into two. Your Licensed Insolvency Trustee files a Pre-Bankruptcy return for the period up to yourā¦
💡If a Licensed Insolvency Trustee (LIT) in Canada rejects your Proof of Claim, you have a strict 30-day window to appeal this decision under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. Youā¦
š”Under Canadian federal law, if your Consumer Proposal is annulled because you missed three months of payments, you have a strict 30-day window to revive it. You must typically payā¦
💡In Prince Edward Island, the Judgment and Execution Act has incredibly strict limits. There is absolutely zero exemption for home equity ($0). However, you are generally allowed to keep aā¦
💡If your Canadian employer files for bankruptcy without paying your wages, you can generally pierce the corporate veil to hold the directors personally liable for up to six months ofā¦
💡In Saskatchewan, filing for bankruptcy does not mean you lose everything. Under The Enforcement of Money Judgments Act (EMJA), you are generally allowed to protect up to $50,000 of equityā¦
💡Under the Canadian Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA), if a Licensed Insolvency Trustee (LIT) demands you return money paid to you by a bankrupt debtor, this is known as aā¦
š”If a Canadian contractor goes bankrupt before finishing your renovation, you become an ‘unsecured creditor’ for the value of your lost deposit and incomplete work. You must file a Proofā¦
⚠️In Canada, a creditor owed at least $1,000 CAD can file an Application for a Bankruptcy Order (formerly a petition) to force a non-paying debtor into bankruptcy. You must proveā¦
š”Under the Canadian Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA), a First Meeting of Creditors is mandatory if requested by creditors holding at least 25% of the proven debt value. At thisā¦
šÆ Specialization: Class Actions, Mergers and Acquisitions, Intellectual Property, Securities Regulation
š£ļø Languages: English, French
š Address: 1000 Rue De la GauchetiĆØre O, Montreal, Quebec
š¢ Est: 1823
šÆ Specialization: International Arbitration, Commercial Real Estate, Tax Law, Police Law
š£ļø Languages: English, French
š Address: 340 Albert Street, Ottawa, Ontario
š¢ Est: 1971
šÆ Specialization: Corporate Mergers, Intellectual Property, Commercial Real Estate, Employment Law
š£ļø Languages: English, French
š Address: 1 Main St W, Hamilton, Ontario
š¢ Est: 1995
šÆ Specialization: Leaky Condo Claims, Strata Governance, Construction Defects, Environmental Law
š£ļø Languages: English, French
š Address: 900 Howe St #550, Vancouver, British Columbia
š¢ Est: 1997
šÆ Specialization: Commercial Financing, Intellectual Property, Corporate Reorganizations, Farm Law, Real Estate Development
š£ļø Languages: English
š Address: 336 6th Ave N, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
š¢ Est: 1984
šÆ Specialization: Mining Law, Indigenous Law, Corporate Litigation, Labour and Employment, Technology Startups
š£ļø Languages: English, French, Mandarin, Cantonese
š Address: 550 Burrard St, Vancouver, British Columbia
šÆ Specialization: Traffic Tickets, Trademark Registration, Business Contracts, Real Estate Transactions, Small Claims Court
š£ļø Languages: English
š Address: 511 Welham Rd #1, Barrie, Ontario
š¢ Est: 1996
šÆ Specialization: Patent Prosecution, Trademark Registration, IP Strategy, Industrial Designs
š£ļø Languages: English, French, German
š Address: 1939 Blvd. De Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal, Quebec
šÆ Specialization: Tax Litigation, Voluntary Disclosure, CRA Audits, Net Worth Assessments
š£ļø Languages: English, French
š Address: 1575 Bd de l'Avenir, Laval, Quebec
š¢ Est: 2009
āØ Free Consultation
šÆ Specialization: Patents, Trademarks, Artificial Intelligence, IP Licensing, Industrial Design
š£ļø Languages: English
š Address: 130 Queens Quay E, Toronto, Ontario
š¢ Est: 2013
āļø Services: Federal Prosecution, Drug Prosecution Team, Regulatory Compliance
š 50 Eagle St W, Newmarket, Ontario
āļø Services: Federal Court Registry, Tax Court Registry
š 701 W Georgia St, Vancouver, British Columbia
š Appt. Recommended
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š 30 McGill St, Montreal, Quebec
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š 1091 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, Manitoba
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š 301 Wellington St, Ottawa, Ontario
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š 10060 Jasper Ave, Edmonton, Alberta
Welcome to the Canada Money, Taxes & IP guide centre. Here you will find comprehensive resources covering everything from federal tax compliance to protecting your intellectual property, based on current national regulations.
Managing finances, corporate taxes, and intellectual property (IP) across Canada requires navigating a complex web of federal and provincial laws. Whether you are an entrepreneur launching a startup, an established business protecting a new invention, or an individual facing a complex tax audit, safeguarding your assets is vital for long-term success.
Intellectual property rights, such as trademarks, patents, and copyrights, are strictly governed at the federal level to ensure your creations are protected coast to coast. Meanwhile, tax obligations and corporate finance laws demand strict compliance with federal statutes to avoid severe financial penalties and protect your bottom line.
In Canada, federal tax disputes and appeals are exclusively handled by the Tax Court of Canada, which provides an independent forum for individuals and businesses to challenge assessments made by the government. For matters involving intellectual property disputes, such as patent infringement or trademark battles, cases are typically litigated in the Federal Court of Canada.
Daily interactions regarding these areas involve critical federal agencies. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) administers tax laws for the Government of Canada and most provinces, while the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is responsible for the registration and regulation of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and industrial designs nationwide.
Tax codes, bankruptcy laws, and IP regulations are incredibly intricate and subject to strict statutory deadlines. We strongly advise against attempting to represent yourself in a tax audit, drafting complex patent applications, or litigating financial disputes without professional guidance, as critical errors can lead to devastating financial losses.
A qualified Canadian tax or intellectual property lawyer can provide strategic advice, negotiate with federal agencies, and aggressively protect your creations and assets in court. You can find a list of relevant local lawyers and government agencies at the top of this page to assist you with your specific financial and legal needs.
A trademark protects branding elements like business names, logos, and slogans that distinguish your goods or services in the marketplace. A copyright protects original literary, artistic, musical, or dramatic works from being copied or reproduced without permission.
If you disagree with a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) assessment, you must first formally file a Notice of Objection within 90 days of the assessment date. If the CRA upholds their decision, you can then appeal directly to the Tax Court of Canada.
In Canada, a standard patent provides exclusive rights to an invention for 20 years from the date the patent application was originally filed, provided all necessary maintenance fees are paid on time.
Yes, if you ignore repeated demands for payment, the CRA has broad statutory powers to garnish your wages, seize your bank accounts, or place a lien on your property without needing a traditional civil court order.
No, copyright exists automatically the moment you create an original work and fix it in a tangible format. However, registering your work with CIPO provides a formal certificate of registration, which serves as powerful evidence in court if someone infringes on your rights.
A CCPC is a specific type of private corporation resident in Canada that is not controlled by non-residents or public corporations. CCPCs benefit from various tax advantages, most notably the Small Business Deduction on active business income.
