Publications

May 23, 2025

Provincial Budget 2025: New Refundable Tax Credit for Research, Innovation and Commercialization (CRIC)

As part of the Quebec budget for 2025, the provincial government has announced a host of new tax measures and changes to existing tax measures. This series of bulletins will provide an overview of three of these measures which introduce significant tax changes and will have a considerable impact on (…)

April 26, 2024

New rules will make it easier to transfer family businesses

The 2023 Federal Budget (the “Budget”), tabled on March 28, 2023, proposes amendments to certain provisions of the Income Tax Act (ITA) that would make “genuine” intergenerational business transfers no longer subject to the anti-avoidance rules of section 84.1 and allow the transferor to benefit (…)

February 21, 2024

New corporate transparency requirements in Canada, Québec and the U.S. – What Canadian and Québec companies need to know

Over the last several years, member countries of the OECD, including Canada and the U.S., have committed to various international undertakings dealing with corporate governance. In keeping with these commitments, since 2019, the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) has required business (…)

February 15, 2024

Federal budget: Measures to support the development of renewable energies and technologies

With climate change continuing to be a topic of concern across the international community, Canada has recently taken another step to support the development of renewable energies and technologies. In the 2023 budget tabled on March 28, 2023, the Canadian federal government unveiled new tax (…)

June 16, 2020

Resumption of Mergers and Acquisitions: What May Change After the Crisis

The COVID-19 crisis has significantly slowed economic activity in all respects. The area of corporate mergers and acquisitions is no exception, and the level of activity, which was high before the crisis, has dropped significantly because of it.   It is difficult to predict when and at what pace (…)

June 13, 2019

The government wants to know the shareholders’ true identity

Following the adoption of Bill C-86, which amends certain provisions of the Canada Business Corporations Act ("CBCA"), corporations will now need to compile a list of "individuals with significant control" in the corporation in a new register, to be maintained by the corporation. The purpose of (…)

October 27, 2017

Doing Business In Quebec

Download our complete guide to develop your business in Quebec Doing Business In Quebec

March 23, 2017

Artificial Intelligence and the 2017 Canadian Budget: is your business ready?

The March 22, 2017 Budget of the Government of Canada, through its “Innovation and Skills Plan” (http://www.budget.gc.ca/2017/docs/plan/budget-2017-en.pdf) mentions that Canadian academic and research leadership in artificial intelligence will be translated into a more innovative economy and (…)

December 16, 2016

Changes to the Taxation of Switch Funds

Effective January 1, 2017, new rules will govern the taxation of mutual fund corporations structured as “switch funds”. Investors switching between funds will no longer be able to do so without incurring taxable capital gains. This article summarizes the impact of such changes. Description of (…)

February 24, 2016

Loss of the capital gain exemption related to the disposition of qualified small business corporation shares: beware of the options for acquiring shares

A recent decision of the Tax Court of Canada in the case of Line Durocher c. Sa Majesté La Reine1 illustrates the dangers of granting a simple option for acquiring shares in the specific context of the implementation of a shareholder agreement in respect of the Canadian-controlled private (…)

October 29, 2015

The Helms-Burton Act and its implications for Canadian investors: where do we stand at the dawn of warmer relations between the U.S. and Cuba?

CANADIAN INVESTMENTS IN CUBA The Helms-Burton Act and its risks for Canadian investors in Cuba Recommandations for investors Prospects in the face of the thaw in U.S. and Cuba relations Following the announcement of the restoration of diplomatic relations between the United States and (…)

September 24, 2015

Exporting to the United States: C-TPAT Portal 2.0

A few weeks ago now, "CBP" ("U.S. Customs and Border Protection") launched the new "C-TPAT" ("Custom-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism") Portal 2.0. For Canadian exporters who are members of C-TPAT, this requires that they bring themselves up to date without further delay so that they are in (…)

September 14, 2015

Business Transfer to Employees/Managers

Because of the demographic context, the rate of business transfers has been rising steadily in Quebec over the past few years. Whether unexpectedly or as part of a succession plan, certain key employees can show the potential and ambition to take over from the current owner. In this issue of Lavery (…)