Sania Ilahi

As a partner in EY’s Indirect Tax practice, Sania advises clients in various sectors with a particular focus on the financial services sector in the areas of Federal Goods and Services Tax (“GST”)/Harmonized Sales Tax (“HST”) and Provincial Sales Tax (“PST”).

Sania has over 20 years’ experience providing commodity tax advisory services to clients with a particular focus on the financial services industry, including large and mid-size banks, insurance companies and investment dealers.

She is a two time recipient of the Normand Guerin award presented by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) for outstanding contributions to the advancement of Commodity Tax studies. (Presented at CICA Symposium in 2005 for her paper on Asset Financing and in 2012 for her paper on Imported Services).

She is the past Chair and Member of CPA Canada’s Commodity Tax Committee.

She is the editor of Ernst & Young’s Complete Guide to GST/HST series of books and frequent contributor to Commodity Tax News, a newsletter dealing with GST, provincial sales tax and customs and trade issues, which is co-published by the CPA and Ernst & Young.

She is part of expert panel requested by the Chief of the Sales Tax Division of the Department of Finance to provide recommendations/comments on the HST legislation as it applies to financial institutions.

She is a member of the GST/OST Harmonization Strategic Advisory Group of the Investment Funds Institute of Canada, providing advice in connection with technical issues affecting the investment industry and the impact of sales tax harmonization.

She is a frequent speaker and author on sales tax issues affecting financial institutions at various forums, including the Canadian Tax Foundation, CPA Symposium, Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association Tax Officers meeting.

She has completed 6 month secondment at the International Tax Centre (Netherlands) of a global accounting firm focusing on VAT issues affecting clients in Europe and throughout the world.

She has authored and presented paper at CICA Symposium September 2008 (ITC Allocation Methods – Fair and Reasonable) (Short listed for the 2009 Normand Guerin award) and a Pensions workshop (2013).

She has authored article GST and Income Trusts for the CA magazine (Sept 2007); “Place of Supply Rules” for the CA magazine (July 2010.