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Struck OutTax Court of Canada·

Taxpayer’s Appeal Struck Out Over Donation Program Participation

Case No. 2026 TCC 99 · Justice David E. Graham

📌 In brief

A taxpayer who participated in a donation a person lost their appeal because they could not prove genuine charitable intent. The court ruled that without this intent, the reassessment was valid.

⚖️ Legal holding

A taxpayer who participates in a donation a person without genuine charitable intent cannot successfully challenge reassessments based on that participation.

Topics

tax evasiondonation programs

📖 Technical summary

The claimant's appeal was struck out for lack of new arguments and due to the donative intent issue.

📜 Headnote Official document

The Tax Court struck out the taxpayer's appeal regarding reassessments for participation in a donation program, finding no genuine charitable intent and no new arguments to overcome previous decisions.

📚 Full judgment Official document

OUTCOME: Struck Out

Docket: 2021-3156(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 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013 taxation years are struck without leave to amend. Costs in the appeals are awarded to the Respondent. Signed this 18th day of June 2026. “[RESPONDENT]. [RESPONDENT]” [NAME] J. Citation: 2026 TCC 99 Date: 20260618 Docket: 2021-3156(IT)G BETWEEN: [APPELLANT], Appellant, and HIS MAJESTY THE KING, Respondent.

REASONS FOR [RESPONDENT]. [ 1 ] By order dated March 19, 2026, I gave eleven taxpayers 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 taxpayers 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 taxpayers 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, [APPELLANT] below. A. Donative Intent [ 5 ] Ms. [APPELLANT]’s submissions do not raise any new facts or arguments that could overcome the donative intent issue. She simply states that she thought the [NAME] was helping people in the third world. She offers no explanation of how she expects to show that she was not going to profit from her purported donations. [ 6 ] In summary, Ms. [NAME] has not satisfied me that her appeal raises any new facts or arguments that could overcome the donative intent issue. B. Other Arguments [ 7 ] Ms. [APPELLANT] raises a number of other arguments. None of them is new. I will address them briefly. Ability to Pay [ 8 ] 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. [ 9 ] 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. Due Diligence [ 10 ] Ms. [APPELLANT] submits she thought that [NAME] was a reputable charitable organization, that the CRA accepted the charity for registration and that she did not think she was doing anything wrong. In other words, she says she was duly diligent. [ 11 ] 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. Scammed [ 12 ] Like many of the [NAME] taxpayers 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. C. [NAME] [ 13 ] In my Order, I stated that it appeared that Ms. [APPELLANT] may also have been involved in a different charitable donation scheme called the [NAME]. I pointed out that her notice of appeal made no reference to that scheme. I advised her that, unless she told me otherwise, I would assume that that [NAME] was not in issue in her appeal. Ms. [APPELLANT]’s submissions did not refer to the [NAME]. As a result, I have assumed it is not something she wants to dispute. D. Conclusion [ 14 ] Based on all of the foregoing, Ms. [APPELLANT]’s appeal is struck without leave to amend. Costs are awarded to the Respondent. Signed this 18th day of June 2026. “[RESPONDENT]” [NAME] J. [NAME]: 2026 TCC 99 COURT FILE NO.: 2021-3156(IT)G STYLE OF CAUSE: [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: June 18, 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 failed to present new facts or arguments that overcome previously identified legal issues.
  • The taxpayer did not demonstrate genuine charitable intent in their participation of the donation program.
  • Stale arguments about donative intent were involved in the appeal.
  • The taxpayer's appeal included arguments that had been previously rejected by the court.

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 out for lack of new arguments and due to issues with donative intent.

Who was involved?

A taxpayer (the claimant) against the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

How did the court decide, and why?

The court ruled that the taxpayer's appeal should be struck out because they failed to present new facts or arguments regarding donative intent.

Which laws or rules were applied?

No specific tax laws were cited in this decision.

What was the argument that mattered most?

The lack of genuine charitable intent and failure to provide new evidence or arguments.

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 participating in a donation program must prove genuine charitable intent to challenge tax reassessments.

What evidence or documents mattered?

None specifically mentioned, but new facts and arguments were expected.

Can a decision like this be appealed?

Generally, decisions can be appealed, but the taxpayer would need strong grounds for appeal.

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

It is highly recommended to consult with a qualified tax lawyer for such cases.

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.