Natalie Worsfold

Natalie Worsfold

Partner

Natalie’s excellence in tax litigation protects against CRA overreach.  

Since 2008, Natalie has dedicated her practice exclusively to resolving tax disputes, providing trusted expertise to private company CEOs and high-net-worth individuals.  

Natalie consistently devises innovative litigation strategies, and she has achieved highly favourable outcomes for numerous clients.  

Natalie has:

  • Overturned a CRA assessment for a $20 million investment portfolio from business income to lower-tax capital transactions;
  • Protected the personal interests of corporate directors by shielding them from more than $13 million in HST charges following a corporate merger;
  • Successfully challenged CRA reassessments that were denying SR&ED credits and ensured the recognition of similar SR&ED credits for the long term, a vital component of the business's long-term strategy and feasibility;
  • Dismantled the CRA's valuation of a property and protected the taxpayer from a $1.7 million tax liability;
  • Overturned the CRA's classification and valuation of mining equipment and supplies, leading to savings of over $3 million;
  • Demolished CRA's allegations of $10M+ of unreported income and taxable shareholder benefits;
  • Overturned the CRA's reassessment and attempt to use the anti-avoidance rules to nullify a legitimate tax planning strategy connected to a low-tax jurisdiction.

Natalie regularly presents on tax matters and contributes articles, sharing her expertise in tax avoidance, shareholder benefits, and various tax issues. She also offers her insights on different methods to create advantages in tax disputes. And she has developed courses to teach tax litigators about early case assessment, strategy in litigation, and decision science. 

Natalie also offers mentorship and coaching to litigation lawyers and rising stars outside of Counter’s team, fostering growth and litigation excellence within the broader legal community. 

Latest Insights

Insights

Notice of Objection Window | What Carries Forward

Notice of Objection Window | What Carries Forward

A CRA Notice of Reassessment has been issued. The deadline to file a Notice of Objection is now active. Management is deciding how to respond. At this stage, management can still shape the response....

CRA Dispute Record Formation | Decisions Made Before Clarity

CRA Dispute Record Formation | Decisions Made Before Clarity

After a reassessment, management begins making decisions before the full facts and positions are clear. They set an initial view of exposure. They identify the assumptions that support it. They...

CRA Reassessment | What Happens Next

CRA Reassessment | What Happens Next

A CRA Notice of Reassessment sets out the Agency’s position and the amount now assessed. The immediate question is what happens next. Most teams treat what follows as a visible problem: the amount...

Leveraged Growth and the CRA Reassessment Cycle

Leveraged Growth and the CRA Reassessment Cycle

Executive Summary Companies that grow through leveraged acquisitions, refinancing strategies, or complex financing structures eventually encounter the same sequence: CRA audit, reassessment, and...

The Reassessment Decision Window in a CRA Dispute

The Reassessment Decision Window in a CRA Dispute

In large-corporation CRA disputes, management must make consequential decisions immediately after reassessment while information remains incomplete and positions unsettled. This does not reflect a...

Management’s First Explanation in a CRA Dispute

Management’s First Explanation in a CRA Dispute

A CRA dispute begins when CRA issues its reassessment. Management’s first test begins when it explains it to directors, shareholders, lenders, investors, or partners. The structure varies. The...