- Cameco (CCO) received notice that the Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed the Canada Revenue Agency’s application for leave
- The dismissal means that the dispute for the 2003, 2005 and 2006 tax years is fully and finally resolved in Cameco’s favour
- CEO Tim Gitzel said he’s pleased that the Supreme Court of Canada has rejected CRA’s appeal request
- Cameco expects to receive a refund of $5.5 million plus interest
- Cameco is down 2.50 per cent to C$20.71 per share
Cameco (CCO) received notice that the Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed the Canada Revenue Agency’s application for leave to appeal the June 26, 2020 decision of the Federal Court of Appeal.
The dismissal means that the dispute for the 2003, 2005 and 2006 tax years is fully and finally resolved in Cameco’s favour.
Cameco president and CEO Tim Gitzel said he’s pleased that the Supreme Court of Canada has rejected CRA’s appeal request.
“It’s another win for Cameco in this long-running tax dispute. We have consistently followed the rules and complied with both the letter and intent of the law. This was confirmed unequivocally through the court process, and we are happy to have these three tax years concluded in our favour.”
In September 2018, the Tax Court of Canada ruled that Cameco’s marketing and trading structure involving foreign subsidiaries, as well as the related transfer pricing methodology used for certain intercompany uranium sales and purchasing agreements, were in full compliance with Canadian law for the tax years in question.
CRA appealed this decision to the Federal Court of Appeal, which in June 2020 again ruled definitively in Cameco’s favour and upheld the Tax Court’s finding. CRA sought leave to appeal the Court of Appeal’s decision to the Supreme Court. Today the Supreme Court denied that request.
Cameco expects to receive a refund of $5.5 million plus interest for amounts paid on previous reassessments issued by CRA for 2003, 2005 and 2006, as well as the $10.25 million in legal fees and up to $17.9 million in disbursements for costs awarded to us by the Tax Court and the Court of Appeal in previous rulings. The timing of receipt of these payments is uncertain.
“It has been incredibly disheartening for us, as a Canadian company, to have an agency of our federal government continue to pursue a flawed argument for 13 years, even after receiving two court decisions completely in our favour during that time,” Gitzel said.
“In the meantime, we have had to navigate through a period of challenging global markets and the unprecedented economic upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic with the uncertainty caused by this tax dispute significantly impeding our ability to maneuver. To say it has been unfair to our employees and the many other stakeholders who count on our company would be an understatement.”
The court rulings pertain to the 2003, 2005 and 2006 tax years. Given the strength of the decisions handed down, Cameco is confident the courts would reject any attempt by CRA to utilize the same or similar positions and arguments for the other tax years currently in dispute (2007 through 2014).
CRA continues to hold approximately $785 million in cash and letters of credit that Cameco has been required to pay or otherwise secure for the 2007 through 2014 reassessments issued, tying up a significant portion of the company’s financial capacity.
Cameco believes CRA should return the full amount of this cash and security, given the overwhelming clarity of the court decisions received to date.
Cameco is down 2.50 per cent to C$20.71 per share.
