Subsection 245(3) - Avoidance transaction

Cases

Canada (The King) v. MICROBJO PROPERTIES INC., 2023 FCA 157

The taxpayers, who were holding companies for partnerships that had recently agreed to sell their farmlands to third parties, were approached by...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 160 - Subsection 160(1) a transaction that split, on the purchaser’s terms, a tax savings purportedly generated by it, was a non-arm’s length transaction 701
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 251 - Subsection 251(1) - Paragraph 251(1)(c) parties were not dealing at arm's length in transactions where they did not put their own patrimony in play 370
Tax Topics - Statutory Interpretation - Interpretation Act - Subsection 45(2) subsequent amendment confirmed the prior state of the law 82
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 160 - Subsection 160(5) s. 160(5) did not change the prior view that prior facts could be taken into account 96

2763478 Canada Inc. v. Canada, 2018 FCA 209

Prior to the sale of a corporation ("Groupe AST") to a third party, its individual shareholder (“Jobin”) transferred his shares of Groupe AST...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(10) 9 month separation did not avoid series 290
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) value shift transactions that permitted the absorption of a real gain by a paper loss abused the basic capital gains regime 317
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(6) individual allegedly suffering double taxation re s. 245(2) denial of capital loss of his corporation failed to apply under s. 245(6) within 180 days 327

Canada v. Spruce Credit Union, 2014 DTC 5079 [at 7044], 2014 FCA 143

The taxpayer and 53 other BC credit unions maintained their required deposit insurance with two corporations ("CUDIC" and "STAB"). Due to a...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 137.1 - Subsection 137.1(4) - Paragraph 137.1(4)(c) allocations in proportion to shareholdings rather than premiums 304

1207192 Ontario Limited v. Canada, 2012 DTC 5157 [at 7396], 2012 FCA 259, aff'g 2011 DTC 1301 [at 1686], 2011 TCC 383

In the course of applying s. 245 to deny the recognition by the taxpayer of a capital loss, the Court considered and rejected the argument of the...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) capital loss from value shift did not reflect economic loss; purpose objectively determined 451

Canada Safeway v. Alberta, 2012 DTC 5133 [at 7271], 2012 ABCA 232

The taxpayer implemented a series of transactions that gave rise to interest deductions in Alberta, with the interest income being received free...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) replacing equity with borrowed money to reduce provincial income not abusive 285

Canada v. Mackay, 2008 DTC 6238, 2008 FCA 105

In order for the taxpayers to acquire an interest in a shopping centre, a bank which held mortgages on the centre that were in foreclosure...

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Canada v. Canadian Pacific Ltd., 2002 DTC 6742, [2002] 3 F.C. 170, 2002 FCA 98

The taxpayer borrowed 216 million in Australian dollars under debentures bearing interest at 16.125% per annum and that had been issued at a 2%...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) transaction not to be recharacterized until after a determination of abuse 283
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(1) - Transaction an aspect of a transaction is not a transaction 249

OSFC Holdings Ltd. v. Canada, 2001 DTC 5471, 2001 FCA 260

After becoming insolvent, a company ("Standard") in the mortgages business established a partnership, transferred a mortgage portfolio to the...

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See Also

Husky Energy Inc. v. The King, 2023 TCC 167

Before a Canadian public corporation (“Husky”) paid a dividend on its shares, two significant shareholders of Husky resident in Barbados (the...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Treaties - Income Tax Conventions - Article 10 recipient of dividends on borrowed shares was not their beneficial owner because of requirement to pay dividend compensation payments 270
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 212 - Subsection 212(2) tax under s. 212(2) imposed on the basis of payment of dividend to a non-resident rather than on the basis of who is the beneficial owner 405
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(1) - Tax Benefit no tax benefit under s. 215(6) from targeted reduced rate of dividend withholding if in base transaction, the Canadian dividend payer would have withheld at the higher rate 347
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) the residence, beneficial owner, and voting requirements in the Canada-Luxembourg Treaty fully expressed the rationale for the 5% Treaty-reduced rate on dividends 413

Mony v. The King, 2022 CCI 120

The taxpayer agreed to sell his shares of a Canadian-controlled private corporation (“Créaform”), having a nominal ACB, to third parties. On...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) Gervais followed to find that avoiding capital gains attribution through ACB averaging abused ss. 73(1) and 74.2(1) 380

Damis Properties Inc. v. The Queen, 2021 TCC 24

Five corporate taxpayers sought to increase their after-tax return from the sale by their farm partnerships of the farm by transferring their...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 160 - Subsection 160(1) s. 160 did not apply to a sale of companies holding cash sales proceeds to a purchaser who purported to eliminate the tax liability 785
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(1) - Tax Benefit no tax benefit based on comparison to a commercially unrealistic alternative 276
Tax Topics - Income Tax Regulations - Regulation 1102 - Subsection 1102(1) - Paragraph 1102(1)(c) software was not acquired with an income-producing purpose 282
Tax Topics - General Concepts - Onus unfair to place the onus on taxpayer re facts which taxpayer could not reasonably be expected to know 339

Agence du revenu du Québec v. Custeau, 2020 QCCA 1496

When a family small business corporation (the “Corporation”) was in financial difficulty, two Quebec regional development funds agreed in 1997...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(10) Copthorne does not require the s. 248(10) “in contemplation of” test to be applied on a backwards-looking basis 695

Loblaw Financial Holdings Inc. v. The Queen, 2018 TCC 182, rev'd on s. 95(1) - investment business - (a) (arm's length conduct) grounds 2020 FCA 79, in turn aff'd 2021 SCC 51

The taxpayer, which was an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Loblaw Companies Limited (a Canadian public company), wholly-owned a Barbados...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 165 - Subsection 165(1.11) requirement met where Crown knew the nature and quantum of the dispute 269
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 95 - Subsection 95(1) - Foreign Bank CFA qualified as a foreign bank since it was licensed under Barbados law as an international bank 123
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 95 - Subsection 95(1) - Investment Business - Paragraph (a) Barbados-licensed international bank, which used Loblaw funding to invest responsively to Loblaw considerations, conducted an offside non-arm’s length business 429
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 95 - Subsection 95(1) - Investment Business - Paragraph (c) employee equivalents was reduced by employee time described in s. 95(2)(b) 290
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 9 - Capital Gain vs. Profit - Foreign Exchange short-term debt securities were inventory because they were the raw material for generating swap income 130
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 152 - Subsection 152(4.01) - Paragraph 152(4.01)(a) - Subparagraph 152(4.01)(a)(ii) GAAR is generally a separate matter rather than being subsumed in the allegedly-misused substantive provision 208
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(10) hiring of employees 15-years previously to engage foreign bank exception to investment business definition was not part of same series as renewal of foreign bank licence 228
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) use of Barbados sub to engage in proprietary trading for Canadian parent misused the foreign bank exemption, whose purpose was promoting international competitiveness 336
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 95 - Subsection 95(2) - Paragraph 95(2)(l) purpose of s. 95(2)(l) exception was to permit non-resident subsidiaries of Canadian banks and dealers to compete internationally 190

Custeau v. Agence du revenu du Québec, 2018 QCCQ 5692, aff'd 2020 QCCA 1496

The two taxpayers (Charles and Philippe, who were brothers) each subscribed nominal amounts for Class A common shares of the family operating...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) no abuse where individuals used PUC thrust upon them by an arm’s length investor (through PUC averaging) to subsequently strip surplus 298

Soucy v. Agence du revenu du Québec, 2018 QCCQ 4845

A direct gift of a vehicle to the taxpayer by her ex-husband would have been subject to Quebec sales tax as they were now unrelated persons. From...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Excise Tax Act - Section 274 - Subsection 274(3) double gift was made (avoiding QST) because the property would not have been directly gifted 246

Birchcliff Energy Ltd. v. The Queen, 2017 TCC 234

A newly-launched public corporation ("Birchcliff") accessed the losses of a lossco ("Veracel"), in order to shelter the profits from producing oil...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - General Concepts - Sham ephemeral transactions under a Plan of Arrangement were not a sham 215
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 251.2 - Subsection 251.2(2) - Paragraph 251.2(2)(a) proxy which accorded no discretion to a class of shareholders did not render them a group 221
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) raising share equity through a lossco immediately before its amalgamation was abusive 278

2763478 Canada Inc. v. The Queen, 2017 TCC 98, aff'd 2018 CAF 209

Prior to the sale of a corporation ("Groupe AST") to a third party, its individual shareholder rolled his shares of Groupe AST into a holding...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) value-shift transactions were abusive 258

Gervais v. The Queen, 2016 TCC 180, aff'd 2018 FCA 3

The taxpayer’s wife (Mrs. Gendron) purchased 1.04M preferred shares from the taxpayer (Mr. Gervais) at a cost of $1.04M (with Mr. Gervais not...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) basis averaging scheme to transfer half of a capital gain to the taxpayer’s wife was an abuse of the attribution rules 429
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(1) - Tax Benefit benefit compared to straight sale and gift 166

Veracity Capital Corporation v. M.N.R., 2015 DTC 5136 [at 6421], 2015 BCSC 2278, rev'd 2017 BCCA 3

The following transactions occurred under a KPMG-advised “Quebec Year-end shuffle” or “Q-Yes” plan in order to avoid 90% of the B.C....

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) abuse of inter-provincial income allocation formula “designed to prevent both the over-taxation and the under-taxation of income" 500

Birchcliff Energy Ltd. v. The Queen, 2015 TCC 232, nullified on procedural grounds 2017 FCA 89

A newly-launched public corporation ("Birchcliff") accessed the losses of a lossco ("Veracel"), in order to shelter the profits from producing oil...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - General Concepts - Sham transitory share issuance under plan of arrangement was not a sham 177
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 111 - Subsection 111(5) - Paragraph 111(5)(a) grant of proxy did not detract from investors acting individually in own interest 237
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) abusive reverse takeover by Lossco through diverted private placement 261

Pièces automobiles Lecavalier Inc. v. The Queen, 2014 DTC 1126 [at 3319], 2013 TCC 310

A Canadian subsidiary ("Greenleaf") of Ford U.S. paid down to $9,750,000 (including accrued interest) a debt of $24,369,439 (plus accrued...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - General Concepts - Evidence Canadian tax accountant's testimony on US tax consequences accorded little weight 152
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) avoidance of debt forgiveness rules was abusive 277
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(10) debt-paydown transactions effected in contemplation of sale transaction were part of same series as the sales transactions 248

Swirsky v. The Queen, 2013 TCC 73, 2013 DTC 1078 [at 431], aff'd 2014 FCA 36

For creditor-proofing reasons, the taxpayer sold shares in a family real estate development company ("Torgan") to his wife, and used the sales...

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McClarty Family Trust v. The Queen, 2012 DTC 1123 [at 3122], 2012 TCC 80

A family holding company ("MPSI") paid a stock dividend of preferred shares, having nominal paid-up capital and a redemption amount of $48,000, on...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 84 - Subsection 84(3) 340

McMullen v. The Queen, 2007 DTC 286, 2007 TCC 16

The taxpayer and an unrelated individual ("DeBruyn") accomplished a split-up of the business of a corporation ("DEL") of which they were equal...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) 198
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 251 - Subsection 251(1) - Paragraph 251(1)(c) mutual benefit and same advisors insufficient to establish non-arm's length in structured sale transaction 257
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 84 - Subsection 84(2) 229
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 84.1 - Subsection 84.1(1) arm's length: negotiation based on self-interest 257

MIL (Investments) S A v. The Queen, 2006 DTC 3307, 2006 TCC 460, aff'd 2007 FCA 236

In March 1993 an individual ("Boulle") transferred his shares of a Canadian public junior exploration company ("DFR") to the taxpayer, which was a...

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Desmarais v. The Queen, 2006 DTC 2376, 2006 TCC 44

The taxpayer, who held 14.28% of the common shares of a Canadian private corporation ("Consercom") transferred a 9.76% block to a wholly-owned...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) surplus stripping 235

Overs v. The Queen, 2006 DTC 2192, 2006 TCC 26

The taxpayer owed approximately $2.3 million to a wholly-owned corporation. The loan, which had been used by him for personal purposes, would be...

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Univar Canada Ltd. v. The Queen, 2005 DTC 1478, 2005 TCC 723

The taxpayer incorporated a Barbados subsidiary ("BarbadosCo") using borrowed money to subscribe for the shares of BarbadosCo, and BarbadosCo used...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 95 - Subsection 95(6) - Paragraph 95(6)(b) no tax avoidance purpose since no base-case intention to have acquired the underlying note 102

Brouillette v. The Queen, 2005 DTC 1004, 2005 TCC 203

The taxpayer facilitated a leveraged buy-out of him and his co-shareholder of a company ("Brouillette Automobiles") by incorporating a corporation...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 251 - Subsection 251(1) - Paragraph 251(1)(c) same advisors insufficient/adverse re price 199

Geransky v. The Queen, docket 98-2383(IT)G (TCC)

The taxpayer, who owned a portion of the shares of the holding ("GH") which, in turn, owned an operating company ("GBC") utilized the enhanced...

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Husky Oil Ltd. v. R., 99 DTC 308, [1999] 4 CTC 2691 (TCC)

A Bermuda corporation, which was in financial difficulty and in which the taxpayer had an indirect 35% interest, transferred a drilling vessel,...

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Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia v. Spotless Services Ltd., 71 ALJR 81, 34 ATR 183, 141 ALR 92

Under arrangements that were characterized as a deposit of funds by the taxpayer in the Cook Islands, the taxpayer received an interest rate on...

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RMM Canadian Enterprises Inc. v. R., 97 DTC 302, [1998] 1 C.T.C. 2300 (TCC)

A non-resident corporation ("EC") approached a business associate who, along with two other individuals, formed a Canadian corporation ("RMM") to...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 159 - Subsection 159(3) 167
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) 235
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 251 - Subsection 251(1) - Paragraph 251(1)(c) purchaser of cash-rich company without any signifcant separate role did not deal at arm's length 177
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 84 - Subsection 84(2) application of s. 84(2) to sale of cash-rich company to accommodation party who quickly paid cash proceeds therefor 222
Tax Topics - Treaties - Income Tax Conventions 96
Tax Topics - Treaties - Income Tax Conventions - Article 10 116

Mark Resources Inc. v. The Queen, 93 DTC 1004, [1993] 2 CTC 2259 (TCC)

Before going on to find that the former s. 245(1) did not prohibit the deduction of interest by the taxpayer, Bowman J. stated, in obiter dicta...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 20 - Subsection 20(1) - Paragraph 20(1)(c) loss utilization was not income-producing purpose/ gross income test 177

Barclays Mercantile Industrial Finance Ltd. v. Melluish, [1990] BTC 209 (Ch. D.)

The taxpayer ("BMI") acquired a film from the producer ("WBI"), leased it to another corporation at a return that yielded 2.16% per annum on its...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 18 - Subsection 18(1) - Paragraph 18(1)(a) - Income-Producing Purpose 136
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 83 - Subsection 83(2.1) main purpose was to make a profit, not take deduction 264
Tax Topics - Income Tax Regulations - Regulation 1100 - Subsection 1100(17) no "lease" where failure to provide exclusive possession 75

Mallalieu v. Drummond, [1983] BTC 380, [1983] 2 All E.R. 1095 (HL)

The court rejected the view that in ascertaining the purpose of an expenditure, the state of mind of the spender is the only relevant factor.

Newton v. Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia, [1958] A.C. 450 (PC)

In interpreting the provisions of s. 260 of the Commonwealth Income Tax and Social Services Contribution Assessment Act, 1936-1951 (Australia),...

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Words and Phrases
purpose

Administrative Policy

23 May 2013 IFA Round Table Q. 4

Given that in all three cases, a new Canadian corporation (CanHoldco) is "inserted" to establish cross-border PUC so as to enable surplus of...

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2003 Ruling 2003-03924

The corporate general partner of a Canadian limited partnership operating a business in Canada borrows on an unsecured basis under a loan with a...

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Finance

Modernizing and Strengthening the General Anti-Avoidance Rule, Department of Finance Consultation Paper, 11 August 2022

Narrowing “bona fide purpose”

  • It may be appropriate to provide that a “bona fide purpose” does not include foreign (or provincial) tax...

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Articles

Avery Jones, "Nothing Either Good or Bad, but Thinking Makes it So - The Mental Element in Anti-Avoidance Legislation", 1983 British Tax Review, p. 9, 113.

Paragraph 245(3)(a)

Administrative Policy

8 October 2010 Roundtable, 2010-0373221C6 F - Paid-up capital

CRA indicated that it has concluded in some cases that using PUC averaging to shift PUC to individual shareholders engages GAAR, and “is...

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Locations of other summaries Wordcount
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) CRA has concluded in some cases that using PUC averaging to shift PUC to individual shareholders engages GAAR 283
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 89 - Subsection 89(1) - Paid-Up Capital - Paragraph (a) abusive use of PUC averaging to shift PUC to individuals 39

Paragraph 245(3)(b)

Administrative Policy

17 May 2023 IFA Finance Update

Change to “one of the main purposes” test modernized the test

  • There were suggestions in obiter dicta that, if there is a transaction that...

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