We have translated the questions released by CRA from the 2020 APFF Roundtable

We have published translations of the 14 questions from the October 7, 2020 (regular) APFF Roundtable that were released last week. Although most of them have been covered in various News of Note posts, for your convenience, they are also summarized and linked in the table below.

Topic Descriptor
7 October 2020 APFF Roundtable Q. 1, 2020-0852131C6 F - Meaning of reasonable error Income Tax Act - Section 207.06 - Subsection 207.06(1) examples of what CRA has accepted as a “reasonable error” in making an RRSP or TFSA over-contribution
Income Tax Act - Section 204.1 - Subsection 204.1(4) meaning of "reasonable error"
7 October 2020 APFF Roundtable Q. 2, 2020-0852141C6 F - APFF 2020 Roundtable Q2 - Request for Information Income Tax Act - Section 231.1 - Subsection 231.1(1) CRA may request personal bank statements when conducting indirect reviews
7 October 2020 APFF Roundtable Q. 3, 2020-0852151C6 F - Safe income Income Tax Act - Section 55 - Subsection 55(2.1) - Paragraph 55(2.1)(c) repayment of loan, that had funded a dividend creating a safe income deficit, out of subsequent earnings reduced SIOH
7 October 2020 APFF Roundtable Q. 4, 2020-0852161C6 F - Election Income Tax Act - Section 164 - Subsection 164(6) CRA will not follow the ARQ in allowing a s. 164(6) loss carryback claim on a terminal return before the GRE’s T3 return is assessed
7 October 2020 APFF Roundtable Q. 5, 2020-0852171C6 F - Usufruct of a principal residence Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(3) application of s. 248(3) to usufruct created by will and terminated by death of usufructuary or surrender by her, or assignment or death by bare owner
Income Tax Act - Section 70 - Subsection 70(6) - Paragraph 70(6)(b) - Subparagraph 70(6)(b)(ii) s. 70(6)(b)(ii) not satisfied where residence of deceased passes to a usufruct for his surviving spouse for a fixed term of years
Income Tax Act - 101-110 - Section 107 - Subsection 107(4) application of s. 107(4) to termination of deemed s. 248(3)(a) spousal trust
Income Tax Act - Section 54 - Principal Residence - Paragraph (c.1) a deemed s. 248(3) testamentary usufruct trust might access the principal residence exemption on the spousal usufructuary’s death or on her surrendering her interest
7 October 2020 APFF Roundtable Q. 6, 2020-0852181C6 F - Par. 5(2)(b) of the Employment Insurance Act Other Legislation/Constitution - Federal - Employment Insurance Act - Section 5 - Subsection 5(2) - Paragraph 5(2)(b) CRA now applies a “proportionate attribution approach” in applying the s. 5(2)(b) test of “control … of … voting shares”
7 October 2020 APFF Roundtable Q. 7, 2020-0852191C6 F - Capital dividend and series of shares Income Tax Act - Section 83 - Subsection 83(2.1) s. 83(2.1) “should be considered” where one of the main purposes of a reorganization is to stream capital dividends
Income Tax Act - Section 83 - Subsection 83(2) capital dividends can be paid on one series and not the other
7 October 2020 APFF Roundtable Q. 8, 2020-0852201C6 F - Acheminement du CDC / CDA Streaming Income Tax Act - Section 83 - Subsection 83(2.1) s. 83(2.1) does not generally apply to the streaming of capital dividends to one of the original shareholders
7 October 2020 APFF Roundtable Q. 9, 2020-0852211C6 - Capital dividend Income Tax Act - Section 83 - Subsection 83(2) a s. 83(2) dividend election cannot be made on a formula amount
7 October 2020 APFF Roundtable Q. 10, 2020-0852221C6 F - Interest-free loan to a related foreign company Income Tax Act - Section 17 - Subsection 17(1.1) s. 17 generally does not apply to loans made by individuals, but s. 247 can apply
Income Tax Act - Section 247 - New - Subsection 247(2) - Paragraph 247(2)(a) s. 247 would apply to an interest-free loan made by a Canadian individual to a non-arm’s length non-resident corporation
7 October 2020 APFF Roundtable Q. 11, 2020-0852231C6 F - Designation under subsection 89(14) Income Tax Act - Section 89 - Subsection 89(14) dividend designation cannnot state it is the GRIP, if less
Income Tax Act - Section 185.1 - Subsection 185.1(2) an eligible dividend designation must state a dollar amount, and GRIP variances are addressable under s. 185.1(2)
7 October 2020 APFF Roundtable Q. 12, 2020-0852241C6 F - CRA role in the interprovincial arbitration process Income Tax Regulations - Regulation 400 a taxpayer can make representations at the first level of the process for resolving inter-provincial income allocation issues
7 October 2020 APFF Roundtable Q. 13, 2020-0852251C6 F - Small Business Deduction Income Tax Act - Section 125 - Subsection 125(5.1) s. 55(2) gain from active-asset shares do not grind business limit
Income Tax Act - Section 125 - Subsection 125(7) - Adjusted Aggregate Investment Income s. 55(2) gain from a share can qualify as a gain from an active asset for AAII purposes
7 October 2020 APFF Roundtable Q. 14, 2020-0852261C6 F - Section 128 E.T.A. Excise Tax Act - Section 128 - Subsection 128(4) a USA stripped away voting control of a parent over its wholly-owned subs so that it was not closely related to them for ETA purposes