It’s a common misbelief that accountants know tax. It’s more accurate to say that most accountants, even CPA’s, have only basic tax knowledge. Shocked? Ask any accountant and they will admit it’s a fact. This is where Stern Cohen comes in. Established and high growth companies need a tax specialist from time to time. That’s why many successful business owners outgrow their sole-practitioner accountant and come knocking on our door. Don’t miss out on tax planning opportunities. Make sure you work with our tax specialist team.
Tax Services
If you need help with tax services for your business, you've come to the right place.
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Tax Services
Our tax specialists get rave reviews.
Tax is one of the most complex and challenging aspects of accounting. Fortunately, Stern Cohen has earned a reputation for strong tax knowledge. Our tax specialist team takes a pre-preemptive approach with tax planning services, identifying opportunities to protect your earnings and safeguard your assets. Our clients receive a full service solution and a customized strategy for their corporate and personal needs.
When it comes to tax advice, we look to be in compliance while maximizing tax breaks. For individuals, business owners, and corporations our advice is practical and proven. We assist clients with income and commodity taxes, estate and succession planning, as well as numerous other income tax issues. Our strategies include trusts and structures tailored to our clients’ diverse and complex requirements.
What is Tax Planning?
Through careful consultation, tax planning services achieve the following:
- Gain an understanding of our client’s short and long term goals for their business, wealth, family and estate.
- Identify tax risks and uncover opportunities with a tax planning diagnostic review.
- Work with clients to deliver the best solution for their overall personal and corporate needs. This includes plans to protect and maximize earnings, and safeguard assets.
Tax Services We Offer
We provide advice and services for the following:
- Corporate tax and tax planning for businesses
- What type of corporate structure should I use?
- What is the best way to structure my US operations?
- What type of share classes should I have in the Articles of Incorporation?
- How do I introduce family members as shareholders?
- Tax planning for business owners and high net worth individuals – See our estate planning service page
- Optimizing the Capital Gains Exemption (including executing the capital gains strip transaction)
- Tax diagnostic reviews
- Identification of opportunities and issues
- Cross border issues
- Transfer pricing
- Mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, restructuring for tax efficiencies
- Strategic estate and succession planning for the transfer of your business to the next generation
- Corporate, complex personal, trusts and estates
- Tax consulting
- Commodity tax
- Harmonized Sales Tax (HST)
- International tax
- Tax advice and services for US, UK or international companies carrying on business in Canada
- Terminal personal tax return and the first year of the estate return (T3)
- Tax services for non-residents of Canada selling Canadian real estate. If you are selling Canadian property, but you are not a Canadian, we can help with your filing requirements which may include: Forms T2062, T2068, Section 116 Certificate
- Advice on the taxation of employee stock options, restricted stock units, deferred stock units, and similar plans – especially with respect to restricted stock, phantom shares and deferred stock units
Questions
Tax is complicated. One answer doesn’t fit all, but here we answer a few common questions about our tax services.
Do I need a tax specialist?
You’ll benefit from working with one of our tax specialists if you:
- are a successful business owner;
- or a high net worth individual;
- will be involved with an acquisition, disposition, or corporate reorganization;
- are an international business owner who wants to do business in Canada (for example open a Canadian subsidiary)
- require estate planning; or
- have complex tax issues.
I have a tax question. Can I call or email Stern Cohen?
Than you for thinking of us, but our tax specialists are very busy with our clients.
Tax is complex. There are rarely simple answers that apply to all. Honestly, we need to know a lot about your unique situation and your end goals in order to provide accurate and helpful advice.
As a result, we cannot answer a question or provide advice over the phone or email. We hope you understand. If you peruse our Insights section, you’ll find some general articles about common tax issues. Little known fact: If you need help, you can speak with an agent at the Canada Revenue Agency. Call 1-800-959-8281 to get tax information for individuals.
What type of tax clients does Stern Cohen take on?
We focus on serving business owners who have more complex tax needs. Why? Our tax specialist team is wasted on a simple tax return that you can have completed elsewhere for less.
Reach out to us if you are looking for the following:
- compliance tax for your business (established businesses with revenues of $400K and up)*
- a full service approach for your business (for example: tax and accounting, or tax, accounting and bookkeeping)
- complex personal tax matters requiring a tax specialist
- estate planning for business owners and high net worth individuals or families
Tax Services We Do Not Offer
Unfortunately, we are not taking on any new standalone personal income tax return clients. We apologize but we simply do not have capacity during tax season to service new clients.
We do not offer free consultations and we can’t give tax advice to non-clients.
*If you’re still in start up mode, you can find a small business accountant on this online search engine: Find an Accountant.
Client Reviews
Selecting a tax specialist is an important decision. We think our clients’ testimonials will provide you with some reassurance.
More reviews
Many thanks to my team at Stern Cohen for your first-class work in eliminating a tax problem for an estate on which I had personally acted as an estate trustee. I was delighted to see the outcome reached so efficiently, and the claim dropped so quickly. Stern Cohen’s services were excellent, and the invoice was more than fair!
M. Gaylanne Phelan
Phelan Estate Mediation Limited
I have an excellent and long standing relationship with Stern Cohen at both the corporate and personal levels. Stern Cohen has been responsive and professional in every encounter. I could not have been successful in achieving my personal and business goals without Stern Cohen guidance.
R. McB.
Individual Client
Joe Gervasi is great to deal with — he’s proactive, knowledgeable, organized, and really seeks to make my life easier from a tax point of view. Much appreciated.
G.D.
Individual Client
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