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Income tax — professional fees deduction allowed

My client was a lawyer who worked as an appeals officer at a provincial tribunal. He deducted his Law Society annual fees from income every year for some 20 years. In 2014 he received a letter from the CRA demanding a letter from his employer stating that his Law Society membership was "necessary" for his job. He was concerned about being reassessed for many past years of the same deduction, as he did not think he would be able to obtain the requested letter.

I met with the client and (within my 1 hour minimum consultation) drafted a letter for him to send back to the CRA auditor, explaining in no uncertain terms that the Income Tax Act and CRA policy permitted this deduction and did not require a letter from his employer, as there was a "reasonable degree of relationship" between the Law Society membership and my client's job. The letter insisted that the matter be referred to a supervisor or Technical Advisor if the auditor did not agree.

The auditor quickly backed down and allowed the deduction.

Problem vanished!

(2014)