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CRA Is Auditing Critical Illness Insurance Tax Schemes

 |  Igor Kastelyanets
On December 4, 2025, the Canada Revenue Agency issued a formal warning about financial arrangements involving critical illness insurance that, in the CRA’s view, are designed to avoid tax. The CRA stated that it actively investigates these arrangements and will reassess participants to deny the tax benefits they claimed – with monetary penalties, fines, and potential imprisonment on the table for promoters and participants alike. If you are an incorporated profe…
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CRA Voluntary Disclosures Program (VDP): The “Come Clean” Program That Can Eliminate Penalties & Cut Interest (Post‑Oct 1, 2025)

 |  Igor Kastelyanets
The CRA’s Voluntary Disclosures Program (VDP) is the built‑in safety valve for taxpayers and businesses who need to fix past tax non‑compliance – before the CRA fixes it for them. If you failed to file returns, under‑reported income, missed foreign reporting, or messed up GST/HST, the VDP is the formal process to correct those errors. If the CRA grants relief, you may receive penalty relief, interest relief, and no referral for criminal prosecution – but you sti…
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Tax Lawyer Guide to CRA Audit Odds and Common Audit Triggers

 |  Igor Kastelyanets
For most individual taxpayers, the chance of being selected for a full CRA audit in a given year is generally under 1% based on publicly reported CRA audit activity compared with the volume of returns filed. That said, “audit” is often used to describe several different CRA processes. Understanding the difference – plus knowing common audit triggers – helps you file more confidently and respond calmly if the CRA contacts you. Why CRA audit odds are usually unde…
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CRA Notice of Objection Processing Time in Canada: Updated timelines, historical trend, and what to do if CRA takes too long

 |  Alex Klyguine
If you’ve filed a Notice of Objection to challenge a CRA assessment (income tax or GST/HST), the question is usually simple: How long will CRA take? CRA now publishes monthly updates showing average time to assign an appeals officer and resolve an objection, based on complexity level (low, medium, high).  This article explains current CRA timelines, how processing time has changed historically, and when it makes sense to speak with a tax lawyer if delays put you…
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Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Canada: The Practical Guide (Rates, Registration, ITCs, Deadlines, and CRA Audit Traps)

 |  Igor Kastelyanets
GST looks simple on paper: 5% federal tax on most goods and services. In real life, GST/HST issues are one of the fastest ways businesses end up with CRA reassessments, denied refunds, penalties, and interest. This guide covers: what GST is (and when it’s actually HST, not GST) the $30,000 “small supplier” trap taxable vs zero‑rated vs exempt (and why this matters for ITCs) how to charge, claim, file, and remit correctly the CRA’s most common aud…
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