21 August 2000 Ministerial Correspondence 2000-0039304 - HARRIS CASE

Please note that the following document, although believed to be correct at the time of issue, may not represent the current position of the CRA.
Prenez note que ce document, bien qu'exact au moment émis, peut ne pas représenter la position actuelle de l'ARC.

Please note that the following document, although believed to be correct at the time of issue, may not represent the current position of the Department.

Prenez note que ce document, bien qu'exact au moment émis, peut ne pas représenter la position actuelle du ministère.

Principal Issues: reports of loss of tax revenue on the emigration of a trust or on the distribution of property to a non-resident beneficiary

Position: referred to draft legislation which proposes to ensure that all persons, including trusts, who leave Canada or transfer property from Canada, will realize a deemed disposition at the time of departure (with exceptions for Canadian real estate and Canadian business property which is taxed when sold)

Reasons: House of Commons Standing committee report of Set 18, 1996; draft legislation on migration dated Dec 17, 1999

August 21, 2000

XXXXXXXXXX

Dear XXXXXXXXXX:

The Honourable Martin Cauchon, Minister of National Revenue, has asked me to reply to your correspondence addressed to the Honourable Paul Martin, Minister of Finance, concerning the Federal Court of Appeal's decision in The Queen et al. V Harris. Mr. Martin sent a copy of your correspondence to Mr. Cauchon on July 12, 2000.

The concern raised in the court challenge is one of several tax policy issues raised in the Auditor General's 1995 report. Those issues were considered by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance in its report released on September 18, 1996. Even though the committee found that the specific cases referred to in the Auditor General's report were dealt with in accordance with existing provisions of the Income Tax Act and that there was no evidence of wrongdoing, it recommended that the Act be amended to address the tax policy issues. The Department of Finance responded to those recommendations on October 2, 1996, by announcing draft amendments to the Act, which when enacted, will be effective as of that date, and most recently, by tabling a Ways and Means Motion in the House of Commons on June 5, 2000, to implement these proposals. As a result, any person who leaves or transfers property from Canada will pay tax on most capital gains that have accrued in Canada up to the time of departure. Exceptions to this rule will include gains that accrue on Canadian real estate and Canadian business property, which can always be taxed when they are ultimately sold.

The confidentiality provisions of the Act prevent me from divulging information from a taxpayer's file without his or her prior written authorization.

The confidentiality provisions of the Act are fundamental to the integrity of a self-assessment system and the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency takes that responsibility very seriously. The court case referred to in your correspondence involves one individual's court challenge regarding the tax affairs of another.

The Attorney General has sought leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada based on the fundamental questions this decision raises concerning the confidentiality of taxpayers affairs. As this matter is still before the courts, I cannot comment further on the court challenge.

I appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.

Yours sincerely,

	Bill McCloskey
	Assistant Commissioner
						   Policy and Legislation Branch