Excise Act, 2001 (S.C. 2002, c. 22)

Marginal note:Liability of directors

• 295 (1) If a corporation fails to pay any duty or interest as and when required under this Act, the directors of the corporation at the time it was required to pay the duty or interest are jointly and severally or solidarily liable, together with the corporation, to pay the duty or interest and any interest that is payable on the duty or interest under this Act.

• Marginal note:Limitations

  (2) A director of a corporation is not liable unless

  • (a) a certificate for the amount of the corporation’s liability has been registered in the Federal Court under section 288 and execution for that amount has been returned unsatisfied in whole or in part;

  • (b) the corporation has commenced liquidation or dissolution proceedings or has been dissolved and a claim for the amount of the corporation’s liability has been proved within six months after the earlier of the date of commencement of the proceedings and the date of dissolution; or

  • (c) the corporation has made an assignment or a bankruptcy order has been made against it under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and a claim for the amount of the corporation’s liability has been proved within six months after the date of the assignment or bankruptcy order.

• Marginal note:Diligence

  (3) A director of a corporation is not liable for a failure under subsection (1) if the director exercised the degree of care, diligence and skill to prevent the failure that a reasonably prudent person would have exercised in comparable circumstances.

• Marginal note:Assessment

  (4) The Minister may assess any person for any amount of duty or interest payable by the person under this section and, if the Minister sends a notice of assessment, sections 188 to 205 apply with any modifications that the circumstances require.

• Marginal note:Time limit

  (5) An assessment of any amount payable by a person who is a director of a corporation shall not be made more than two years after the person ceased to be a director of the corporation.

• Marginal note:Amount recoverable

  (6) If execution referred to in paragraph (2)(a) has issued, the amount recoverable from a director is the amount remaining unsatisfied after execution.

• Marginal note:Preference

  (7) If a director of a corporation pays an amount in respect of the corporation’s liability that is proved in liquidation, dissolution or bankruptcy proceedings, the director is entitled to any preference to which Her Majesty would have been entitled had the amount not been so paid, and if a certificate that relates to the amount has been registered, the director is entitled to an assignment of the certificate to the extent of the director’s payment, which assignment the Minister is empowered to make.

• Marginal note:Contribution

  (8) A director who satisfies a claim under this section is entitled to contribution from the other directors who were liable for the claim.