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PST — eliminating assessment for tax collected by franchisor

My client was a small franchisee whose finances were run by its franchisor. It was assessed for failing to remit Ontario Retail Sales Tax collected from customers. The Ministry of Finance Retail Sales Tax Branch takes such assessments very seriously, since PST collected is trust funds held in trust for the government. Usually it is very difficult to fight an assessment where the tax has been collected.

I was retained after collection action had started and my client's bank account had been cleaned out by a garnishment notice to the bank. My client had not even been aware that the assessment had been issued, since the assessment and collection notices had gone to the franchisor.

I filed a Notice of Objection, and demonstrated to Ministry officials that my client did not in fact control the funds when the tax was collected. The franchisor was in charge of all revenues and finances and simply paid my client a monthly fee.

Based on my detailed submissions, Collections agreed to hold off on further action until the objection had been dealt with. The Appeals Officer who examined the file eventually agreed with me that my client did not control the funds, and cancelled the assessment.

Problem vanished!

(1999)