Dates and location
Pricing
Hours
Dates and location
Pricing
Hours
Description
Participants will gain practical, up‑to‑date knowledge of Canadian income tax considerations when purchasing, selling, or transferring a privately held Canadian business, with emphasis on commercial factors, due diligence, valuation, and the roles of purchasers and vendors in share versus asset transactions. The course also reviews key rules, anti‑avoidance measures, planning opportunities, and recent legislative and case‑law developments, reinforced through scenario‑based case studies.
Topics include:
- Commercial considerations: motivations to sell, valuation, due diligence, financing, and the role of tax professionals.
- Comparative tax implications of share versus asset transactions, including acquisition of control and asset basis bump.
- Capital gains treatment, capital gains deduction, rollovers, and anti‑avoidance rules (e.g., sections 55 and 84.1).
- Transactions involving non‑residents and public corporations; allocation of purchase price and treatment of specific assets.
- Intra‑family and intergenerational transfers; related/affiliated and not‑at‑arm’s‑length considerations.
- Other issues: restrictive covenants, interest expense and EIFEL, vendor take‑back financing, earnouts, employee share options, retiring allowances/IPPs, employee ownership trusts (EOTs), TOSI, and GST/PST.
- Scenario‑based case studies comparing structures and illustrating major concepts.
NOTE: This course description has been revised and reflects updates for 2026. If you have any questions, please contact pdevents@cpaontario.ca.
Schedule
- November 12, 2026, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
- November 13, 2026, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Key Takeaways
By the end of this course, participants should be able to:
- Identify income‑tax‑related considerations for purchasers and vendors of Canadian private businesses while upholding ethical standards and professional independence.
- Explain key tax concepts before, during, and after a transaction, including due diligence, structuring, and compliance obligations.
- Evaluate the tax impacts of alternative structures (e.g., share vs. asset transactions) to participate effectively in negotiations for both buyers and sellers.
- Apply recent legislative and interpretive developments to planning, advisory, and compliance work.
- Recognize common risks, pitfalls, and opportunities for tax savings in acquisitions, sales, and succession planning.
Who Will Benefit
- Practitioners, industry professionals, and owners or key executives of privately held Canadian businesses seeking advanced technical and practical tax knowledge related to purchase, sale, or succession.
- Tax professionals who want to deepen their understanding of transactional income tax issues and engage in practical discussions with an experienced practitioner.
Prerequisite(s)
Participants should possess familiarity with the existing tax rules in the Income Tax Act.
Disclaimer
The views expressed in the course are non-authoritative and have not been formally endorsed by CPA Ontario and do not reflect the views of CPA Ontario. The information included in the course if for general information purposes only.
CPA Ontario, the presenters and the authors do not accept any responsibility or liability that might occur directly or indirectly as a consequence of the use or application of or reliance on this material.
How to Access the Course
This course is delivered as a live webinar. To receive verifiable CPD hours, you must attend the session live. We recommend joining at least 5 minutes before the scheduled start time. For the best interactive experience, please use a computer equipped with a camera and microphone.
A reminder email with the Zoom link and course details will be sent two business days before the session. If you do not receive it, please check your spam or junk folder.
The same information, including any available materials, will also be posted in advance on our Blackboard LMS.
Registration, cancellation, withdrawal and all other CPA Ontario PD policies can be found here.
Speaker(s)
Tom Pister, B. Comm., CPA, CA, LL.B. is a CPA and tax lawyer specializing in all facets of income taxation and estate planning in the private corporation and owner/manager contexts with particular expertise in the area of corporate reorganizations. He also represents clients on a variety of tax issues involving the CRA (including voluntary disclosures, tax audits, objections etc.). He has taught tax courses through CPA Ontario and the Ontario Bar Admission Course.