The ghost on the cap table

Selling Your Canadian Business · Oct 31, 2026 · 25m · transcript

When acquiring a business, buyers typically review the target company's financial records, but inspecting the seller's personal tax history is equally critical to prevent severe transaction delays. Although sellers may argue that personal taxes are irrelevant to a corporate sale, unpaid personal tax liabilities can trigger aggressive collection actions by the Canada Revenue Agency. Such enforcement measures can hijack sale proceeds, create debilitating ownership liens, or completely derail an impending deal before it closes. To mitigate these hidden risks, buyers must verify the vendor's tax…