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Financial reporting and accounting advisory services
You trust your external auditor to deliver not only a high-quality, independent audit of your financial statements but to provide a range of support, including assessing material risks, evaluating internal controls and raising awareness around new and amended accounting standards.
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Accounting Standards for Private Enterprises
Get the clear financial picture you need with the accounting standards team at Grant Thornton LLP. Our experts have extensive experience with private enterprises of all sizes in all industries, an in-depth knowledge of today’s accounting standards, and are directly involved in the standard-setting process.
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International Financial Reporting Standards
Whether you are already using IFRS or considering a transition to this global framework, Grant Thornton LLP’s accounting standards team is here to help.
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Accounting Standards for Not-for-Profit Organizations
From small, community organizations to large, national charities, you can count on Grant Thornton LLP’s accounting standards team for in-depth knowledge and trusted advice.
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Public Sector Accounting Standards
Working for a public-sector organization comes with a unique set of requirements for accounting and financial reporting. Grant Thornton LLP’s accounting standards team has the practical, public-sector experience and in-depth knowledge you need.
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Tax planning and compliance
Whether you are a private or public organization, your goal is to manage the critical aspects of tax compliance, and achieve the most effective results. At Grant Thornton, we focus on delivering relevant advice, and providing an integrated planning approach to help you fulfill compliance obligations.
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Research and development and government incentives
Are you developing innovative processes or products, undertaking experimentation or solving technological problems? If so, you may qualify to claim SR&ED tax credits. This Canadian federal government initiative is designed to encourage and support innovation in Canada. Our R&D professionals are a highly-trained, diverse team of practitioners that are engineers, scientists and specialized accountants.
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Indirect tax
Keeping track of changes and developments in GST/HST, Quebec sales tax and other provincial sales taxes across Canada, can be a full-time job. The consequences for failing to adequately manage your organization’s sales tax obligations can be significant - from assessments, to forgone recoveries and cash flow implications, to customer or reputational risk.
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US corporate tax
The United States has a very complex and regulated tax environment, that may undergo significant changes. Cross-border tax issues could become even more challenging for Canadian businesses looking for growth and prosperity in the biggest economy in the world.
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Cross-border personal tax
In an increasingly flexible world, moving across the border may be more viable for Canadians and Americans; however, relocating may also have complex tax implications.
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International tax
While there is great opportunity for businesses looking to expand globally, organizations are under increasing tax scrutiny. Regardless of your company’s size and level of international involvement—whether you’re working abroad, investing, buying and selling, borrowing or manufacturing—doing business beyond Canada’s borders comes with its fair share of tax risks.
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Transfer pricing
Transfer pricing is a complex area of corporate taxation that is concerned with the intra-group pricing of goods, services, intangibles, and financial instruments. Transfer pricing has become a critical governance issue for companies, tax authorities and policy makers, and represents a principal risk area for multinationals.
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Succession & estate planning
Like many private business owners today, you’ve spent your career building and running your business successfully. Now you’re faced with deciding on a successor—a successor who may or may not want your direct involvement and share your vision.
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Tax Reporting & Advisory
The financial and tax reporting obligations of public markets and global tax authorities take significant resources and investment to manage. This requires calculating global tax provision estimates under US GAAP, IFRS, and other frameworks, and reconciling this reporting with tax compliance obligations.

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Transactions
Our transactions group takes a client-centric, integrated approach, focused on helping you make and implement the best financial strategies. We offer meaningful, actionable and holistic advice to allow you to create value, manage risks and seize opportunities. It’s what we do best: help great organizations like yours grow and thrive.
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Restructuring
We bring a wide range of services to both individuals and businesses – including shareholders, executives, directors, lenders, creditors and other advisors who are dealing with a corporation experiencing financial challenges.
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Forensics
Market-driven expertise in investigation, dispute resolution and digital forensics
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Cybersecurity
Viruses. Phishing. Malware infections. Malpractice by employees. Espionage. Data ransom and theft. Fraud. Cybercrime is now a leading risk to all businesses.
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Consulting
Running a business is challenging and you need advice you can rely on at anytime you need it. Our team dives deep into your issues, looking holistically at your organization to understand your people, processes, and systems needs at the root of your pain points. The intersection of these three things is critical to develop the solutions you need today.
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Creditor updates
Updates for creditors, limited partners, investors and shareholders.

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Governance, risk and compliance
Effective, risk management—including governance and regulatory compliance—can lead to tangible, long-term business improvements. And be a source of significant competitive advantage.
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Internal audit
Organizations thrive when they are constantly innovating, improving or creating new services and products and envisioning new markets and growth opportunities.
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Certification – SOX
The corporate governance landscape is challenging at the best of times for public companies and their subsidiaries in Canada, the United States and around the world.
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Third party assurance
Naturally, clients and stakeholders want reassurance that there are appropriate controls and safeguards over the data and processes being used to service their business. It’s critical.
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ASPE Sec. 3041 Agriculture Understanding and applying the new ASPE Section 3041 AgricultureThe Canadian Accounting Standards Board (AcSB) has released new guidance on recognizing, measuring and disclosing biological assets and the harvested products of bio assets.
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Tax alert Agricultural Clean Technology ProgramThe Agricultural Clean Technology Program will provide financial assistance to farmers and agri-businesses to help them reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
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Tax alert ACT Program – Research and Innovation Stream explainedThe ACT Research and Innovation Stream provides financial support to organizations engaged in pre-market innovation.
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Tax alert ACT Program – Adoption Stream explainedThe ACT Adoption Stream provides non-repayable funding to help farmers and agri-business with the purchase and installation of clean technologies.
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Builders And Developers
Every real estate project starts with a vision. We help builders and developers solidify that vision, transform it into reality, and create value.
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Rental Property Owners And Occupiers
In today’s economic climate, it’s more important than ever to have a strong advisory partner on your side.
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Real Estate Service Providers
Your company plays a key role in the success of landlords, investors and owners, but who is doing the same for you?

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Mining
There’s no business quite like mining. It’s volatile, risky and complex – but the potential pay-off is huge. You’re not afraid of a challenge: the key is finding the right balance between risk and reward. Whether you’re a junior prospector, a senior producer, or somewhere in between, we’ll work with you to explore, discover and extract value at every stage of the mining process.
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Oil & gas
The oil and gas industry is facing many complex challenges, beyond the price of oil. These include environmental issues, access to markets, growing competition from alternative energy sources and international markets, and a rapidly changing regulatory landscape, to name but a few.
If your clients rely on your company to store or manage applications or data you may now, or in the future, be required to provide those clients with assurance over the effectiveness of your internal controls relating to data security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy (also known as the Trust Services Principles).
This assurance is usually provided to clients through the issuance of what is referred to as a SOC 2 or SOC 3 audit report.

Important changes came into effect on December 15, 2018 that require all SOC 2 and SOC 3 audit reports issued after that date to conform to updated 2017 Trust Services Criteria.
What’s the impact?
These changes will impact companies that are already conducting SOC 2 and SOC 3 audits for the benefit of their clients, as well as those that are poised to begin such audits. This is largely because the 2017 Trust Services Criteria feature much tighter control objectives surrounding cybersecurity, while simultaneously increasing flexibility around security and privacy objectives.
What will the changes entail?
While new Trust Service Criteria will include countless new amendments, some of the more notable changes include:
- Better alignment with the 17 principles of the COSO 2013 internal control framework, with the intention of having the new Trust Service Criteria as a form of companion guidance to the COSO framework with a broader, entity-wide focus;
- Additional criteria to ensure that various cybersecurity and fraud risks are considered, as well as risks specific to vendors and business partners;
- Additional criteria relating to availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy assessment categories;
- Specific assessment criteria to assist management and their auditors in evaluating whether the controls are suitably designed and operating effectively; and
- New disclosure requirements for management (including citing the specific service commitments and system requirements to meet client needs, as well as increased transparency when reporting system incidents to user entities).
How can Grant Thornton help?
Given that these significant changes mean an increase in the number of controls that could be within the scope of the SOC 2 and SOC 3 audit, there may currently be gaps in your existing system of control. We can help you uncover them, and determine which new controls need to be deployed, by conducting a readiness assessment and creating a strategic roadmap to move forward. We can also assist you by updating management’s description of the internal control system and ensuring the appropriate disclosures are made to ensure they are consistently and effectively communicated to all of your clients.
In today’s business environment, everyone wants to work with companies that are committed to reducing risk to data privacy, confidentiality, and the other trust principles.
By taking steps to meet the requirements of the updated 2017 Trust Services Criteria, you’ll not only increase the strength of your systems of control but also those of the clients which rely upon and trust you.
Grant Thornton Business Risk Services specializes in helping businesses navigate all areas of SOC 2 and SOC 3 audits. So, whether you’re conducting one for the first time, or are looking to meet today’s new requirements, we can support you—every step of the way.
To learn more about , or to acquire more information about the changes to SOC 2 and SOC 3 audits, contact us.