Loiselle – Court of Quebec finds that filing a revocation of a waiver confirmed that the waiver had been validly given

The taxpayer, after being asked by the ARQ to substantiate her capital gain computation for a share sale, met with the ARQ auditor (Mr. Drapeau) over three months before the expiry of the normal reassessment period and signed, at his suggestion, and on the spot and without the benefit of professional advice, a waiver, which was worded to extend to all sources of income rather than only the share sale. Shortly thereafter, she told her accountant what she had done and, on his advice, she sent a revocation of the waiver to the ARQ. Under the Quebec equivalent of ITA s. 152(4.1), six months had to run for the revocation to have effect, and the ARQ reassessed within this six month period to increase the capital gain from what she had reported.

In finding that the taxpayer could not resile from her waiver given that her signature to the waiver was “free and enlightened,” Lévesque, J.C.Q. stated:

Mr. Drapeau had explained clearly and simply to Mrs. Loiselle that her signature to the waiver enabled her to assemble the documents necessary for substantiating her computation of the capital gain and avoiding a rushed assessment, which would not be in her interests.

In fact, Mrs. Loiselle received from Mr. Drapeau all the particulars necessary in order that she could give a free and enlightened consent by signing the waiver. …

[T]he revocation only served to confirm her acceptance of the waiver.

Neal Armstrong. Summaries of Loiselle v. Agence du revenu du Québec, 2019 QCCQ 4647 under s. 152(4)(a)(ii) and s. 152(4.1).