Corporate Digest @ Gowlings: March 15, 2010

On July 2, 2026, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) published its updated Guidance on the Common Reporting Standard (Updated CRS Guidance).

The Federal Court has approved an $8.7 million class action settlement in Sweet v. His Majesty the King (2026 FC 590), resolving claims from the 2020 credential-stuffing cyberattacks on Government of Canada online accounts accessed via GCKey, including CRA My Account.

When a specified motor vehicle is acquired through a private sale (for instance, from an individual who is not registered for GST/HST purposes), the transaction is generally not subject to GST/HST.

The GST/HST New Housing Rebate lets a purchaser recover part of the GST/HST paid on a newly built or substantially renovated home used as a primary residence.

The Canada Revenue Agency has announced a new priority system for advance income tax ruling requests, targeting investments of at least $1 billion in Canada. This initiative aims to accelerate the tax certainty process for major investors by reducing processing times and providing binding guidance on how specific Income Tax Act provisions apply to proposed transactions.

The Canada Revenue Agency has announced a new policy to prioritize advance income tax ruling requests for investments of $1 billion or more in Canada. This initiative aims to provide greater tax certainty and reduce risks for major investors, potentially accelerating large-scale project development and strengthening Canada's economic competitiveness. However, questions remain about implementation timelines and potential impacts on smaller ruling requests.

Canada's new Productivity Mega Deduction promises to slash the marginal effective tax rate on business investment to just 6.4%, positioning the country as the most competitive G7 nation for capital deployment. This permanent tax incentive extends immediate expensing to roughly 65% of capital assets, fundamentally reshaping the economics of investing in Canadian operations across manufacturing, energy, technology, and resource sectors.

When the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) concludes that a GST/HST registrant’s books and records do not provide a complete or reliable picture of its taxable sales, it may reconstruct those sales using an alternative or indirect audit method.

If you have signed, or are about to sign, an agreement to buy a newly built home in Ontario, the HST you recover could be anything from nothing to $130,000. The difference usually comes down to a signing date, a price threshold, or whose name is on the purchase agreement, and not to whether you are buying your first home.

Canada's new Productivity Mega Deduction permanently provides immediate expensing for a wide range of depreciable property and Canadian development expenses, dramatically expanding the scope beyond the previously announced Productivity Super Deduction. The measure aims to reduce Canada's marginal effective tax rate on new business investment to 6.4%, positioning it as the lowest among major economies and less than half the U.S. rate.

The term "Hansa" has re-emerged in modern geopolitical discourse, most notably through the 2026 Germany-Norway defence cooperation framework. This article examines how the principles of the medieval Hanseatic League—flexible coordination, shared standards, and mutual benefit without centralization—are being adapted to address contemporary challenges in defence, security, and cross-border collaboration.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on September 15, 2026, that the federal government will open Canada’s four largest airports to private investment through long-term concession arrangements. Speaking at the inaugural investment summit, Prime Minister Carney outlined a vision to unlock new capital and operational expertise while retaining public ownership of the underlying land and assets.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has invited Canada to become the first associate member of the EU, with Prime Minister Mark Carney accepting the proposal to pursue an "Alliance for the Future." The partnership would build on existing bilateral agreements with Germany, Spain, and Italy, potentially enabling free flow of goods, services, and workers across strategic sectors including energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, defence, and advanced manufacturing.

Starting October 5, 2026, Québec will introduce a new statutory warranty of good working order for consumer goods such as appliances and electronics, with minimum warranty periods ranging from 3 to 6 years. The legislation imposes disclosure obligations on manufacturers and merchants while prohibiting any attempts to exclude or limit this warranty. Businesses operating in Québec must adapt their practices to comply with these consumer protection requirements or face potential compliance issues.

Canada has initiated anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations into truck and bus tires from China, with preliminary determinations expected by November 30, 2026. Producers, exporters, and importers—including companies from Korea, Japan, and Singapore with Chinese operations—face critical September and October deadlines to submit comprehensive responses or risk significantly higher duty rates.

The National Cyber Security Centre emphasizes five critical areas requiring director-level attention: risk management, strategy, people, incident planning and response, and assurance oversight. Organizations must establish robust governance frameworks to address evolving cyber threats and ensure comprehensive resilience across their operations.

The Canada Revenue Agency has announced a new policy to prioritize advance income tax ruling requests for investments of $1 billion or more in Canada. This initiative aims to provide greater tax certainty and reduce risks for major investors, potentially accelerating large-scale project development and strengthening Canada's economic competitiveness. However, questions remain about implementation timelines and potential impacts on smaller ruling requests.

Canada's new Productivity Mega Deduction promises to slash the marginal effective tax rate on business investment to just 6.4%, positioning the country as the most competitive G7 nation for capital deployment. This permanent tax incentive extends immediate expensing to roughly 65% of capital assets, fundamentally reshaping the economics of investing in Canadian operations across manufacturing, energy, technology, and resource sectors.

On September 21, 2026, the federal government introduced Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act. It is the latest and most comprehensive instalment in a series of federal reforms that began in 2025 with the Building Canada Act and the creation of the Major Projects Office.

Health Canada's recent enforcement action against unauthorized injectable peptides signals a regulatory shift that wellness companies cannot afford to ignore. While peptides dominate influencer marketing and online wellness spaces, their legal status in Canada depends on factors far more complex than social media trends suggest. Understanding how route of administration, therapeutic claims, and market authorization intersect is now critical for compliance.