Buying or selling an existing Liberty Tax office in Ontario runs on the same seasonal rhythm as the rest of the tax-preparation sector — value concentrates around filing season, and the client base, its records, and preparer credentials matter more than the physical office itself. Some Liberty Tax operations also run seasonal storefronts or mall kiosks alongside a year-round office, which is worth accounting for separately in a resale.
Liberty Tax resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
The offer sets price and terms, conditioned on franchisor consent and confirming which client relationships, records, and any seasonal kiosk arrangements actually transfer.
1–2 weeks†The franchisor reviews the buyer and deal terms, and may exercise a right of first refusal to take over the office itself instead of approving your purchase.
3–6 weeks, typically†Arthur Wishart Act disclosure may still be required even where the deal is framed as a private resale — Ontario courts read the resale exemption narrowly, so this gets confirmed early rather than assumed.
assessed early, in parallel†Getting to closing
Landlord's consent on the year-round office — and any seasonal kiosk space — alongside confirming how client tax records are transferred and secured.
2–6 weeks†The incoming owner completes required training, and preparer credentials are confirmed, before the franchisor signs off on the transfer.
1–3 weeks, often overlapping†Funds, keys, and the new franchise agreement change hands, ideally timed outside peak filing season.
1 day, once conditions are met†libertytax.ca links to libertytaxfranchise.ca, a dedicated 'Own a Franchise' site for the Canadian market.
Ontario offices among the Canadian franchise network.
This is the first real decision in a Liberty Tax resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The office's assets — the client base and its records, leasehold improvements, equipment, and the existing franchise agreement, subject to consent. | The shares of the corporation operating the office — everything it owns, and everything it owes. |
| Franchisor consent & ROFR | Required for the specific office changing hands — often the pacing condition on the whole deal. | Required for the change of control itself, with the franchisor reviewing who is actually taking over. |
| Client tax records & preparer authorization | Records transfer under privacy safeguards; the incoming preparer secures their own CRA authorization, and any seasonal kiosk client flow is assessed separately. | The corporation's existing CRA registrations and authorizations generally continue, since the entity itself doesn't change. |
| The lease | The year-round office lease needs landlord consent to assign; any seasonal kiosk or mall space is typically handled under its own shorter-term arrangement. | Usually stays in place unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause. |
| Tax angle | Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased. | Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares. |
| Typical use | The default for a single office changing hands. | Less common — sometimes used where an operator holds multiple offices under one company. |
The office's assets — the client base and its records, leasehold improvements, equipment, and the existing franchise agreement, subject to consent.
The shares of the corporation operating the office — everything it owns, and everything it owes.
Required for the specific office changing hands — often the pacing condition on the whole deal.
Required for the change of control itself, with the franchisor reviewing who is actually taking over.
Records transfer under privacy safeguards; the incoming preparer secures their own CRA authorization, and any seasonal kiosk client flow is assessed separately.
The corporation's existing CRA registrations and authorizations generally continue, since the entity itself doesn't change.
The year-round office lease needs landlord consent to assign; any seasonal kiosk or mall space is typically handled under its own shorter-term arrangement.
Usually stays in place unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause.
Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased.
Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares.
The default for a single office changing hands.
Less common — sometimes used where an operator holds multiple offices under one company.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single Liberty Tax office changing hands between one buyer and one seller, timed around tax season, with a lease and a standard franchisor consent process.
Start my file →An operator selling several offices — or an office with a seasonal kiosk arrangement — as one operating company, or a resale where a right of first refusal or a disclosure question needs to be worked through first.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
Seasonal kiosk or mall space is typically arranged under its own shorter-term agreement, separate from the main office lease, so a resale needs to look at both — whether the kiosk arrangement is even in place for the upcoming season and whether it's something the buyer is taking on.
The records generally transfer as part of the asset sale under privacy and confidentiality safeguards, but the incoming preparer still needs their own CRA authorization to represent those clients — a separate step from the sale itself.
Not necessarily. Ontario courts have read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, and franchisor involvement in the resale can trigger a full disclosure requirement regardless of how the deal is framed.
Because most of an office's value and activity concentrates in filing season, transfers are commonly timed before or shortly after peak months, so client service isn't disrupted mid-season and the new owner has clarity on which season's business they're buying.
Often, yes. Multiple offices under one operating company are more commonly sold as shares, keeping every office's franchise agreement and client relationships intact at once.
Related
Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by Liberty Tax or its franchisor.
Tell us about your Liberty Tax resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.