People

Services

Industries

Firm

About

Knowledge

Careers

News

Events

Contact

Connect

Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

Terms of Use

Accessibility

Legal

Calgary

Toronto

Edmonton

Ottawa

Vancouver

New York

Montréal

Jared A. Mackey

Corporate Tax Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Partner

Anu Nijhawan

M&A, Corporate Financing and International Tax Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

When Canadian multinationals issue discounted bonds, notes and similar obligations in a foreign currency, the tax consequences of repaying the debt are governed by subsections 39(2) and paragraph 20(1)(f) of the Income Tax Act (Canada). <a href="/People/M/Mackey-Jared">Jared Mackey</a> and <a href="/People/N/Nijhawan-Anu">Anu Nijhawan</a> explore the application and interaction of these provisions, which can give rise to unexpected results.

Tax Considerations on the Repayment of Discounted Foreign Currency Obligations

Hennadiy Kutsenko

Tax Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Associate

Incentivizing employees is a critical component of most business strategies. Employers may implement arrangements for deferred cash bonuses, often subject to the satisfaction of certain criteria. From a tax perspective, the efficacy of any such arrangement requires that no tax be payable prior to the time an individual receives a cash payout. To ensure that result, it is critical to avoid the application of the "salary deferral arrangement" rules under the Income Tax Act (Canada).

Incentivizing Employees Avoiding a Salary Deferral Arrangement

Incentivizing Employees: Avoiding a Salary Deferral Arrangement

Wesley R. Novotny

Marshall R. Haughey

Wade Ritchie

Tax Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

The Canadian Department of Finance introduced draft legislation in the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.budget.canada.ca/2023/home-accueil-en.html" target="_blank">2023 Canadian Federal Budget</a> (Budget 2023) to create employee ownership trusts (EOTs) to facilitate the transfer of a business to the employees of the business. We provided an overview of the rules initially proposed in Budget 2023 in <a href="https://www.bennettjones.com/Blogs-Section/Employee-Ownership-Trusts-A-Useful-Tool-for-Employee-Business-Ownership">Employee Ownership Trusts—A Useful Tool for Employee Business Ownership?</a>, and recommended various revisions to the proposed rules to improve the tax incentives and ease some of the conditions required to qualify for EOT treatment. The Department of Finance released <a rel="noopener noreferrer" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2023/08/government-consults-canadians-on-budget-2023-measures-to-grow-the-clean-economy-close-tax-loopholes-and-deliver-tax-relief-for-canadians.html" target="_blank">revised EOT legislation on August 4, 2023</a>, addressing some of our concerns but not the big one—the revised EOT legislation still contained minimal tax incentives.

Employee Ownership Trusts Improved Tax Incentives Announced

Employee Ownership Trusts—Improved Tax Incentives Announced

Ted M. Shoub

Corporate, Commercial and Private Corporation Acquisition and Disposition Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

There is a growing international movement to increase employee ownership of businesses. Some jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom and the United States have developed tax rules and incentives to facilitate business ownership by trusts created for the benefit of a business's employees.

Employee Ownership Trusts A Useful Tool for Employee Business Ownership

Employee Ownership Trusts—A Useful Tool for Employee Business Ownership?

Simon Grant

Banking & Finance Lawyer, Fintech Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Partner 

Jessica B. Horwitz

International Trade Lawyer, Customs Lawyer, Regulatory Lawyer, Anti-Corruption and Economic Sanctions Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Andrew Bozzato

Corporate, M&A, Securities Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

FINTRAC imposed a record $176.9 million penalty on cryptocurrency exchange Cryptomus for thousands of AML/KYC violations. The case underscores regulators&rsquo; increasing focus on compliance, with additional sanctions from the BCSC for operating without registration. Exchanges serving Canadian clients must ensure strict adherence to AML, KYC and securities laws to avoid similar consequences.

176 9 million fine against cryptocurrency exchange from FINTRAC demonstrates costs of non compliance

C$176.9 Million Fine Against Cryptocurrency Exchange From FINTRAC Demonstrates Costs of Non-Compliance

David J. Wahl, FCIArb

Construction Arbitration & Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Christopher Petrucci

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Alex Payne

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

The Ontario Superior Court in Feldt Electric Ltd v Gorbern Mechanical Contractors held that non-compliance with an adjudicator&rsquo;s determination does not automatically invalidate a lien. The decision underscores the importance of jurisdiction and procedural fairness in construction disputes under Ontario&rsquo;s prompt payment and adjudication regime.

Liening on Fairness

Lorelei Graham

Food and Agribusiness Lawyer, IP Lawyer, Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Michelle Galati

Corporate Commercial and Securities Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Investment in agribusiness experienced a boom in the early 2020s, when investor enthusiasm for food security, supply chain resilience and agricultural innovation surged in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Venture capital deployed unprecedented levels of funding into agrifood technology, while private equity groups targeted food processing, logistics and packaging platforms. At its peak, Canadian venture funding across the economy reached record highs in 2021 and 2022, and agribusiness was a direct beneficiary of that exuberance.

AI and Tech Are Powering Agribusiness Deal Flow

Kwang Lim

Corporate and Securities Lawyer at Bennett Jones Vancouver

Vancouver Managing Partner

Angela Blake

M&A, Securities and Corporate Finance Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Laura James

Corporate Lawyer at Bennett Jones Vancouver

M&amp;A activity in Canada rebounded in Q3 2025, with total deal value rising sharply year-over-year. Our update explores shifting deal structures, the rise of earnouts, cross-border dynamics, and the sectors driving growth.

Canadas Q3 2025 MA Landscape

Canada's Q3 2025 M&A Landscape

Dominique Carli

Commercial Transactions Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Wittington Investments has launched a C$100 million fund to support Canadian food producers with equity or debt financing. Success depends on legal readiness, from IP protection to governance, ensuring businesses are prepared to attract and secure investment.

Legal Readiness for Food Producers Navigating Wittington Investments C100M Fund

Legal Readiness for Food Producers: Navigating Wittington Investments’ C$100M Fund

When Subsection 250(5) of the Income Tax Act Does Not Apply: Black v. The Queen

From the Same Authors