About Cyndee
Harmonized Sales Tax/Goods and Services Tax
Cyndee provides advice on a variety of commodity tax issues affecting the long term care home/retirement residences industry, construction industry, the computer software industry, the graphic design industry, the entertainment industry, the health care sector, the automotive industry and the financial services industry. Cyndee provides advice on a variety of commodity tax issues in the real estate contexts, such as claiming input tax credits on commercial and multi-use real estate, self-assessing GST, claiming new residential rental property rebates, and whether property is a chattel or a fixture for ORST purposes. Cyndee's practice involves transfers of large and small, commercial and residential, real estate. Cyndee has participated as a speaker in various Federate Press Conferences, including "Tax Planning for Real Estate Transactions" and 'Tax Efficient Finance Structures". Cyndee is the author of the Paper "GST Basics in a Real Estate Context" delivered as part of the Ontario Bar Association's "GST Bible for Real Estate Transactions: Practice, Precedents and Developments" program. Cyndee is also the author of the Paper "GST Basics Pertaining to Real Estate Transactions" delivered as part of her Ontario Bar Association "The Fundamentals of Commercial Real Estate Law 2001" program.
Cyndee also provides advice on excise tax, excise duty and Ontario gasoline and fuel taxes. Cyndee provided assistance to a major California-based fuelling network concerning commodity tax of fueling activities in Canada. Cyndee assisted with the negotiation of contracts between the network and major Canadian gasoline and fuel suppliers. Cyndee also provided advice concerning entitlement to rebates and refunds in the energy sector. Further, Cyndee provided advice concerning commodity tax and Canada's international obligations in the context of certain additives to gasoline and other fuels.
Cyndee has also provided advice to a major beer manufacturer in Canada concerning certain issues involving Ontario commodity taxes. Cyndee has also acted for a large wine manufacturer in Ontario with worldwide operations and provided advice on federal and provincial commodity taxes. She has also advised a recycler located in Ontario about federal excise duties and taxes on rebates relating to the recycling of stale or compromised beer, spirits and wine. In addition, Cyndee has provided advice on trade issues relating to the wine and spirits industry, including protection of intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions, labeling for export, geographical indications agreements and threatened WTO complaints against Canada.
Cyndee works with a number of associations on commodity tax issues. Cyndee has provided assistance to the Information Technology Association- Ontario and the Association of Registered Graphics Designers – Ontario relating to Ontario retail sales tax issues. Cyndee also has provided commodity tax advice to the Ontario Long Term Care Association and the Ontario Retirement Communities Association. To varying degrees, Cyndee has assisted associations with communicating positions to federal and provincial taxing authorities and/or departments of revenue/finance, developed and implemented association strategy relating to the advocacy of legislative and administrative amendments to tax legislation, regulations and policies. Cyndee has presented various commodity tax issues to the membership of the associations in order to assist with the overall compliance of the industry with the commodity tax legislation and manage audit risk.
Cyndee appears before regulatory bodies and tribunals such as the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, and makes representations to the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Export and Import Controls Bureau, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency the Department of Finance and the Ontario Ministry of Revenue.
Cyndee is the co-founder of Trade Lawyers Blog , Women Lawyers Blog , Canada Law Blog , The HST Blog, Canada-US Blog and Happy Lawyers Blog. She is also a Contributing Editor of the International Law Prof Blog , and can be found on Linked In.
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Main | Year of Call and Education | Professional Associations | Free Trade Agreements | World Trade Organization | Trade Remedies – Antidumping/Countervailing Duty | Customs Law | Government Procurement Bid Challenges/Government Contracts | China Experience/BRIC Experience | Harmonized Sales Tax/Goods and Services Tax | Media Mentions | Special Recognition | Academic Activities | Professional Affiliations | Notable Publication Descriptions