CRA rules that a purchaser could acquire Lossco’s business through a sub LP and then acquire Lossco as an empty shell to get its losses under s. 88(1.1)

A foreign-owned Canadian-resident corporation (“Taxpayer”) used a subsidiary LP to acquire the sole business of a “Lossco” that was in CCAA proceedings and then, a number of years later (and perhaps well after the completion of the CCAA restructuring) it purchases the shares of Lossco for nominal consideration and winds up Lossco. Lossco had generated non-capital losses and investment tax credits from its business before the sale of that business by the CCAA monitor to the subsidiary LP of Taxpayer.

CRA ruled that (i) proceeding in this two-step manner, and (ii) the absence of any activity or assets in Lossco for a number of years following its sale of its business and prior to its acquisition by Taxpayer, did not preclude Taxpayer from utilizing Lossco's non-capital losses and ITCs in sheltering income allocated to it by the subsidiary LP and by other subsidiary LPs carrying on similar businesses.

Neal Armstrong. Summaries of 2018 Ruling 2017-0711071R3 under s. 88(1.1)(b) and s. 88(1)(e.3).