Stephen R. Richardson, Associate Deputy Minister

Stephen R. Richardson became Associate Deputy Minister of the Department of Finance on October 1, 2007.

Biographical Notes

Prior to this appointment, Mr. Richardson was Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Tax Foundation, an independent tax research organization that provides the public and the Government of Canada with expert impartial tax research on current issues of taxation and government finance.

From 1975 to 2001, Mr. Richardson engaged in the practice of tax and corporate law with Torys LLP (from 1981 as a partner) where he focused on the taxation aspects of corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions, with significant emphasis on international transactions.

On leave from his law practice, from 1983 to 1985, he served as Director of Tax Policy -- Legislation, at the Department of Finance. From 1993 to 1994, he also took time out from his law practice to act as Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law and Professor of Policy at the Institute for Policy Analysis.

From 2001 to 2003, Mr. Richardson served as Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Tax Policy, at the Department of Finance.

He has written extensively on taxation and finance and has been a lecturer on related issues at the Harvard Law School, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and the Tax Programme at the University of Waterloo School of Accountancy.

Mr. Richardson received a B.A. (with High Distinction) in European History from Wayne State University in 1968, and in 1970 completed a master's degree in European History from the University of Michigan. In 1973, Mr. Richardson earned an LL.B (with Honours) from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law.