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Struck OutTax Court of Canada·

Tax Appeal Dismissed: No Donative Intent Found

Case No. 2026 TCC 97 · Justice David E. Graham

📌 In brief

A taxpayer's appeal was dismissed by the Tax Court a person because they could not prove they intended their donations to be charitable, despite arguing that they are generally good-willed and have made other donations. The court found this irrelevant to the specific donation program in question.

⚖️ Legal holding

A taxpayer's appeal is struck if it involves stale arguments about donative intent in a tax donation program.

Topics

tax evasioncharitable donations

📖 Technical summary

The Court struck the appeal without leave to amend due to lack of donative intent and irrelevant arguments.

📜 Headnote Official document

The Court struck the taxpayer's appeal without leave to amend, finding that the arguments raised did not address the donative intent issue and were irrelevant. The taxpayer had participated in a donation program but failed to establish new facts or arguments.

📚 Full judgment Official document

OUTCOME: Struck Out

Docket: 2022-759(IT)G BETWEEN: [APPELLANT] Appellant, and HIS MAJESTY THE KING, Respondent . Motion determined by Written Submissions Before: The [NAME] [NAME] E. [NAME] : For the Appellant: [redacted] Counsel for the Respondent: [redacted] The appeals of the reassessments of the Appellant’s 2006 and 2007 taxation years are struck without leave to amend. Costs in the appeals are awarded to the Respondent. Signed this 22nd day of May 2026. “[RESPONDENT]. [RESPONDENT]” [NAME] J. Citation: 2026 TCC 97 Date: 20260522 Docket: 2022-759(IT)G BETWEEN: [NAME] [APPELLANT], Appellant, and HIS MAJESTY THE KING, Respondent.

REASONS FOR [RESPONDENT]. [ 1 ] By order dated March 19, 2026, I gave eleven [NAME] who had participated in the [NAME[NAME] (“[NAME]”) the chance to explain why their appeals should not be struck without leave to amend for abusing the Court’s process. [ 2 ] One of those [NAME] withdrew his appeal. One conceded the [NAME] portion of his appeal. One did not respond by the deadline and, as a result, I have struck his appeal without leave to amend. [ 3 ] The remaining eight [NAME] all filed written submissions. None of them satisfied me that they would be raising new facts or new arguments that could somehow overcome what I described in my Order as the donative intent problem. Similarly, none of them satisfied me that their appeal involves some other issue over which the Court has jurisdiction. They simply made the same stale arguments that have failed in this Court time and again – arguments that it would be an abuse of this Court’s process to allow to proceed. [ 4 ] I will address the specific arguments raised by the Appellant, [NAME] [APPELLANT] below. A. Donative Intent [ 5 ] Ms. [APPELLANT] argues that she is a good person who cares about others in her community and has previously made donations to charities. [NAME] who have appeared before the Court have made the same argument. It does not work. [ 6 ] Donative intent is determined on a donation-by-donation basis. Ms. [APPELLANT]’s general character or previous charitable gifts are irrelevant to the question of whether she had donative intent in respect of her involvement in [NAME] just as her lack of donative intent in [NAME] would have been irrelevant to any legitimate gift that she made. [ 7 ] [NAME] frequently tell the Court that they have previously made charitable donations. What these [NAME] fail to mention is that the charities that received those donations gave them receipts for the amount of cash they donated, not an amount three to eight times greater than that. They came away from those donations poorer, not richer. [ 8 ] In summary, Ms. [APPELLANT] has not satisfied me that her appeal raises any new facts or arguments that could overcome the donative intent issue. B. Other Arguments [ 9 ] Ms. [APPELLANT] raises a number of other arguments. None of them is new. I will address them briefly. Scammed [ 10 ] Like many of the [NAME] who have appeared before the Court, Ms. [APPELLANT] asserts that she was scammed by the operators of [NAME]. While that is likely true, it does not change the fact that Ms. [APPELLANT] had no donative intent. Due Diligence [ 11 ] Ms. [APPELLANT] submits she has no formal education in financial or tax matters and that she simply assumed that the CRA properly vetted charitable programs like [NAME]. In other words, she says she was duly diligent. [ 12 ] Ms. [APPELLANT] has not asserted that the reassessments were issued beyond the normal reassessment period or that she was assessed gross negligence penalties.

Accordingly, her due diligence or lack thereof in deciding to participate in [NAME] is irrelevant. [ 13 ] She says that she takes “great offence at the suggestion that [she] knowingly participated in a tax scam, or that [she] ought to have known it was a tax scam” . No one is saying that Ms. [APPELLANT] knowingly or recklessly did anything. In fact, those things are irrelevant. [ 14 ] If the auditor thought Ms. [APPELLANT] claimed the donations knowingly or recklessly, they would have assessed a gross negligence penalty equal to 50% of the tax she avoided. That did not happen. Ability to Pay [ 15 ] Ms. [APPELLANT] says that she does not have the ability to pay the amount she has been reassessed. She wants the chance to explain her financial circumstances to a trial judge. [ 16 ] The question the Court has to decide is whether Ms. [APPELLANT] had donative intent. Her financial circumstances are irrelevant to that question. [ADDRESS] does not have the power to waive or reduce a person’s taxes because they cannot afford to pay. [ADDRESS] [ 17 ] Ms. [APPELLANT] asserts that it would be unfair to deprive her of her day in Court but she does not explain why other than that she wants the chance to make the above arguments. She does not address the concerns I set out in my Order concerning consistency, judicial economy or finality. [ 18 ] As I stated in my Order, the fact that Ms. [APPELLANT] has not personally had a chance to make the same arguments about the same facts is far outweighed by the potential risks to the integrity of the judicial system of allowing her appeal to continue. C. Conclusion [ 19 ] Based on all of the foregoing, Ms. [APPELLANT]’s appeal is struck without leave to amend. Costs are awarded to the Respondent. Signed this 22nd day of May 2026. “[RESPONDENT]” [NAME] J. CITATION: 2026 TCC 97 COURT FILE NO.: 2022-759(IT)G STYLE OF CAUSE: [NAME] [APPELLANT] v. HIS MAJESTY THE KING DATE OF HEARING: Motion determined by Written Submissions

REASONS FOR

JUDGMENT BY: The [NAME] [NAME] E. [NAME] OF

JUDGMENT: May 22, 2026 PARTICIPANTS: For the Appellant: [redacted] Counsel for the Respondent: [redacted] COUNSEL OF RECORD: For the Appellant: [redacted] n/a Firm: n/a For the Respondent: [redacted]

📊 How courts decide similar cases

Among 12 similar decisions in this collection:

A snapshot of this collection — not a prediction of your case's outcome.

⚖️ What tends to weigh in cases like this

❌ Tends to be rejected

  • The appellant fails to present new facts or arguments that overcome previously identified legal issues.
  • The appeal involves stale arguments about donative intent in a tax donation program.
  • The taxpayer does not demonstrate genuine charitable intent or raise new facts and arguments.
  • The appellant's submission is unclear regarding the specific inventory adjustments, years applicable, and rationale behind them.

Patterns observed in similar cases in this collection — every case is unique.

❓ Frequently asked questions

What did this decision decide?

The taxpayer's appeal was struck without leave to amend.

Who was involved?

A taxpayer and the Crown (representing the government).

How did the court decide, and why?

The court decided that the taxpayer's arguments were irrelevant and failed to address the donative intent issue.

Which laws or rules were applied?

No specific laws were cited in this decision.

What was the argument that mattered most?

The lack of new facts or arguments addressing the donative intent issue.

Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?

Against the taxpayer.

What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?

Someone in a similar situation should ensure their appeal addresses the specific issues and provides new facts or arguments.

What evidence or documents mattered?

No specific evidence was highlighted as crucial.

Can a decision like this be appealed?

Yes, but it would depend on the specifics of the case and any procedural requirements.

Is it worth getting a lawyer for a case like this?

It is advisable to seek legal advice from a qualified professional.

Official source: Tax Court of Canada headnote and full judgment reproduced from the court's public records. View on the official source ↗Summary, holding, technical summary and questions: produced by Artificial Intelligence based on the official headnote and judgment. These are VadeLab’s own material and are not the work of the Court.This decision was issued by the Tax Court of Canada. It is a reproduction of an official work published by the Government of Canada, and the reproduction has not been produced in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of, the Government of Canada. It is not an official version.