Cody Kessler

Areas of Practice

Cody’s practice focuses on corporate and personal tax planning. Cody routinely assists clients with corporate reorganizations, business succession planning, tax structuring on the acquisition and sale of businesses, and trust and estate planning. He also has experience advising on the tax implications of securities offerings, sales taxes and the Goods & Services Tax.

Cody received his Juris Doctor from Thompson Rivers University (TRU), Faculty of Law in 2020. During his studies Cody won numerous academic awards, including the Alvin and Lydia Grunert Scholarship for achieving the highest GPA across all levels of the TRU Faculty of Law during his second year, the TRU Law Scholarship (highest combined grade in Business Associations and Ethical Lawyering) and course prizes for achievement in Civil Procedure, Ethical Lawyering, International Law and Transnational Lawyering. Cody also held positions as a Research Assistant for two professors, assisted low-income clients at the TRU Community Legal Clinic, provided litigation support for indigenous communities in South America, and was an editor for TRU’s law journal.

Cody is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation’s Vancouver Young Practitioners Group Steering Committee.

Publications

  • Contributor, Chapter 9: Post-Mortem Remedial Income Tax Planning in the British Columbia Estate Planning and Wealth Preservation Manual, Update Annually for the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia.
  • “Underused Housing Tax Regulations: Exclusion for Prescribed Areas” (February 2023) 13:1 Canadian Tax Focus, 6-7.
  • “Is the Omissions Penalty Based on Gross Income or Net Income?” (February 2021) 11:1 Canadian Tax Focus, 8-9.
  • “Taxpayer Non-Compliance with Input Tax Credit Rules: Data and Policy Options for Canada” (2020) 68:3 Canadian Tax Journal 751-800.
  • Cody Kessler & Laura Peach, “New Measures Discourage Short-Term Rentals” (February 2024) 14:1 Canadian Tax Focus 10.

Professional Memberships and Associations

  • Member, Law Society of British Columbia
  • Member, Canadian Tax Foundation
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association (B.C. Branch)