47th Annual Canadian Tax Conference.

TEI Vice President for Canadian Affairs Kim N. Berjian welcomed more than 100 members and business guests to the Lord Elgin Hotel in Ottawa for the 47th Annual Canadian Tax Conference, held May 5-8, 2013. In opening remarks, Ms. Berjian noted that the conference venue was changed to the "Ottawa side of the river" this year in closer proximity to government officials' offices. She explained that the goal was to enhance government participation and increase the opportunities for interaction with members. Pointing to the number of technical sessions with government representatives and the increased member attendance, she deemed the conference planning committee's experiment "a huge success." Ms. Berjian urged members to take advantage of the opportunity to network with one another and with the government representatives participating in the meeting.

Attending her first Canadian Tax Conference, TEI President Carita R. Twinem also welcomed the members in her opening remarks and thanked them for their active participation and contributions to TEI's education and advocacy efforts during the past year. "The significant level of government participation in this meeting," she said, "is a testament to the high regard the Canadian government has for the tax policy and administrative contributions by the Institute." The Canadian Income and Commodity Tax Committees, she added, "are a model of active, member-driven advocacy that the rest of the Institute strives to emulate."

Outstanding technical sessions throughout the three-day conference were flanked by opening sessions on GST and income tax administrative matters conducted by panelists from Canada Revenue Agency and closing sessions on GST and income tax policy matters discussed by Department of Finance representatives. Mickey Sarazin, the Director General for the Income Tax Rulings Directorate, Danielle Lafleche, Director General of Excise & GST/HST Rulings, and Lisa Anawati, Director General GST/HST Audit and Examination, opened the conference sessions by providing updates on significant administrative developments and emerging audit issues in their respective areas. In the closing sessions, Brian Ernewein General Director Tax Policy Branch and Alexandra Maclean, Acting Director of the Tax Legislative Division, and Carlos Achadinha, Senior Chief-General Operations & Border Issues, reprised the income and GST policy developments announced in the 2013 Canadian Budget and addressed other recent policy...