48th Annual Canadian Tax Conference.

• Position: Chapter News ... - Conference news

TEI Vice President for Canadian Affairs Shiraz Nazerali welcomed nearly 120 members and business guests to the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa for the 48th Annual Canadian Tax Conference, held May 4-7, 2014. At the outset, Mr. Nazerali, the chair of the conference planning committee, congratulated the other members of the committee, which included Bonnie Dawe of Finning International, Robert Smith of McKesson Canada, and Kim Berjian of ConocoPhillips Canada for the depth and breadth of the technical program and keynote speakers. He also thanked Kari Harrison of ConocoPhillips Canada for administrative assistance. "The significant level of government participation in this meeting," he added, "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, he remarked, "are a model of active, member-driven advocacy that the rest of the Institute strives to emulate." Mr. Nazerali urged members to take advantage of the opportunity to network with one another and with the many government representatives participating in the meeting.

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, opened the conference sessions by providing updates on significant administrative developments and emerging audit issues in their respective areas. In the closing sessions, Alexandra Maclean, Director of the Tax Legislation Division, reprised the income tax policy developments announced in the 2014 Canadian Budget, including consultations on multinational enterprise tax planning, and addressed other recent policy initiatives by the Department of Finance. Sean Keenan, Director of the Sales Tax Division and Carlos Achadinha, Senior Chief-General Operations & Border Issues, discussed the GST and HST Budget and other policy developments.

In a logistical first, Assistant Commissioner for Legislative Policy and Regulatory Affairs Brian McCauley joined the conference via Skype to present CRA's Vision 20/20 Plan, a strategic plan to enhance compliance and enforcement through...