Boyle J. found that the taxpayers did not have a due diligence defence for unremitted source deductions and GST collections because, regardless of their earnest efforts to restore their corporation's fortunes and their forthright dealings with CRA, the fact remained that they deliberately chose to float their business with the unremitted amounts. Boyle J. stated (at para. 23):
Given the specific wording of [ss. 227.1(3) of the ITA and 323(3) of the ETA] and the Federal Court of Appeal's comments in Buckingham, it appears somewhat difficult to imagine circumstances in which an informed and active owner-manager and director of a corporation will not be liable for unremitted employee source deductions and unremitted GST amounts.
Boyle J. acknowledged that an attempt to restore a company's fortunes may be enough to establish due diligence in exceptional circumstances, but the present case did not entail such circumstances (para. 21).