Lisa Thompson

Lisa Thompson is one of British Columbia's leading tax dispute lawyers, with a practice focused entirely on representing taxpayers against the Canada Revenue Agency at the audit, objection, and Tax Court stages. After completing her LLB and Master of Taxation at the University of British Columbia, she articled at a major national law firm before founding Thompson Tax Law to concentrate on dispute resolution. Over 12 years of practice, Lisa has represented hundreds of taxpayers in CRA correspondence audits, field audits, net worth assessments, and criminal tax investigations. Her courtroom experience at the Tax Court of Canada spans cases involving the General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR), the Shareholder Benefit Rule, TFSA advantage and over-contribution penalties, and the foreign income verification penalties under Section 162(7). She secured a notable precedent in a TFSA advantage case that clarified the limits of CRA's authority to assess tax on returns earned inside a TFSA on options trading. Lisa also advises on the Voluntary Disclosure Program, helping taxpayers correct unreported foreign accounts and offshore income before CRA initiates contact. She is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation, the BC Tax Conference organizing committee, and frequently presents to CPAs on how to refer their clients to dispute counsel at the right stage of an audit. Lisa writes for Tax Simplified to help Canadians understand what CRA can and cannot do, and when it is worth fighting back.