Loblaw Financial wins Supreme Court case over tax treatment of Barbados subsidiary

Dec 3, 2021 | 8:00 AM

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada has sided with Loblaw Financial Holdings in a dispute over the tax treatment of a subsidiary the company ran in Barbados.

In a 7-0 ruling today, the top court says Canadian provisions at issue in the case did not apply to the company, Glenhuron Bank Ltd., meaning tax on its income was not payable in Canada.

The minister had issued reassessments to Loblaw Financial that required it to pay tax on Glenhuron’s income for several years on the grounds it fell under the provisions.

The federal Tax Court agreed with the minister in 2018 that Glenhuron’s income did not qualify for an exclusion afforded to foreign banks.