Income Tax Severed Letters - 2017-01-18

Technical Interpretation - External

12 December 2016 External T.I. 2016-0668341E5 F - Stock dividend

Unedited CRA Tags
52(3); 55(2); 55(2.1); 55(2.2); 55(2.3); 112(3)
safe income strip using a preferred share stock dividend
stock dividend deemed under s. 55(2.3)(b) to come out of safe income gave rise to full basis

Principales Questions: Preferred shares having a paid-up capital of $1 and a value of $700,000 would be paid as a stock dividend on common shares where the safe income on hand attributable to the common shares would be equal to $700,000. What would be the tax consequences arising from this stock dividend and what would be the tax consequences arising from the redemption of those preferred shares immediately after their issuance.

Position Adoptée: At the time of the stock dividend and considering the facts of the particular situation, subsection 55(2) would not apply because the value of the preferred shares would not exceed the safe income on hand of the common shares before the stock dividend. The safe income on hand of the common shares would be reduced by the value of the preferred shares and the preferred shares would have an ACB equal to the reduction of the safe income on hand of the common shares. When the shares are redeemed, the tax consequences would depend on whether there would be Part IV tax paid on the deemed dividend that would not be reimbursed (or whether or not subsection 55(2) applies). If subsection 55(2) applies, there would be no tax consequences because of the high ACB of the preferred shares disposed of.

Raisons: Wording of the relevant legislative provisions of the Act.

9 December 2016 External T.I. 2016-0639481E5 - Specified foreign property-jointly held property

Unedited CRA Tags
233.3
co-owners of specified foreign property have T1135 reporting obligations even if they did not contribute to its acquisition
Words and Phrases
property of
"property of" a taxpayer applies to a beneficial (or legal?) co-owner who made no financial contribution
Words and Phrases
of

Principal Issues: 1. Is a taxpayer who owns a joint interest in a specified foreign property, but has not made any financial contribution towards the acquisition of such property required to report their interest in the property on Form T1135, Foreign Income Verification Statement? 2. For purposes of the reporting requirements in section 233.3 of the Act, in the case of joint ownership of specified foreign property, is the reporting entity the beneficial owner or does a strictly legal owner have a reporting obligation? 3. Do the income attribution rules under the Act have any bearing on how property interests are reported on Form T1135?

Position: 1. and 2. General comments provided. 3. The reporting requirements under section 233.3 of the Act are independent of any determination with respect to the attribution rules.

Reasons: 1. and 2. The determination of ownership of a property is a mixed question of fact and law. 3. Legislation.

6 December 2016 External T.I. 2015-0589041E5 F - Frais médicaux payés d’avance - prepaid medical expenses

Unedited CRA Tags
118.2(2)a); 118.2(1); 118.2(2.1)
prepaid expenses not recognized before incurred
Words and Phrases
incur
example of the election to claim medical expenses (that are not a prepayment for a future year’s services) on a lagged basis

Principales Questions: Quel est l’impact du moment où les frais médicaux sont payés aux fins du calcul du crédit d’impôt pour frais médicaux (« CIFM ») au paragraphe 118.2(1)? / What is the impact of when medical expenses are paid for the purposes of calculating the medical expense tax credit (« METC ») in subsection 118.2(1)?)

Position Adoptée: Si les services sont fournis au cours de l’année d’imposition où les frais ont été engagés, les frais payés à un dentiste pour les services dentaires seraient des frais médicaux en vertu de l’alinéa 118.2(2)a). Nous sommes d’avis qu’aux fins du calcul du CIFM au paragraphe 118.2(1), les frais médicaux d’un particulier doivent être payés au cours de la période que le particulier a choisie. / If services are provided in the taxation year in which the expenses were incurred, fees paid to a dentist for dental services would be medical expenses under paragraph 118.2(2)(a). We are of the view that, for the purposes of calculating the METC in subsection 118.2(1), an individual’s medical expenses must be paid during the period chosen by the individual.

Raisons: Selon l’alinéa 118.2(2)a), les frais médicaux d’un particulier doivent notamment être fournis au cours de l’année d’imposition où ces frais ont été engagés. À cet alinéa, nous sommes d’avis que le moment où les frais sont payés ne constitue pas un facteur déterminant pour établir si les frais sont des frais médicaux aux fins du CIFM, pourvu qu’ils soient payés. Selon l’élément B de la formule du paragraphe 118.2(1), les frais médicaux qui font l’objet du calcul du CIFM pour une année donnée doivent notamment avoir été payés par le particulier ou son représentant légal au cours de toute période de 12 mois se terminant dans l’année, pour un particulier qui n’est pas décédé au cours de l’année. / For the purposes of 118.2(2)(a), an individual’s medical expenses must, among other things, be provided in the taxation year in which the expenses were incurred. In this subsection, we are of the view that the moment when the fees are paid is not a determining factor in establishing whether the fees are medical expenses for the purposes of the METC provided that they are paid. For the purposes of Element B of the formula in subsection 118.2(1), the medical expenses that are subject to the calculation of the METC for a particular year must be paid by the individual or the individual’s legal representative in any 12-month period ending in the year, for an individual who did not die in the year.

6 December 2016 External T.I. 2016-0666841E5 F - Sale of property for POD less than FMV

Unedited CRA Tags
15(1); 15(1.4)(c); 56(2); 246(1)
application to Holdco shareholder of Opco where Opco conferrred a benefit on child of Holdco's shareholder
s. 246(1) applicable to indirect shareholder benefit if direct shareholder influenced the benefit conferral
potential application to immediate shareholder re benefit on indirect shareholder

Principal Issues: A benefit is conferred by a corporation to the child of the shareholder of a corporate shareholder of Opco. Should the value of the benefit be included in the income of the corporate shareholder, of the shareholder of the corporate shareholder or of the child of the shareholder of the corporate shareholder?

Position: There are situations where the value of the benefit would be included in the income of the corporate shareholder of Opco. In other situations, the value of the benefit would be included in the income of the shareholder of the corporate shareholder of Opco.

Reasons: Question of fact.

9 August 2016 External T.I. 2016-0644171E5 - Training assistance for ABE

Unedited CRA Tags
56(1)(n), 56(1)(u), 56(1)(r), 110(1)(g), 110(1)(f), 118.5(1)

Principal Issues: 1.Is the deduction under paragraph 110(1)(g) limited to tuition assistance received for adult basic education?
2. In situations where the requirements of paragraph 110(1)(g) have not been met could there be a tuition tax credit available under subsection 118.5(1)?
3. Could assistance amounts that are received by individuals for items other than tuition (i.e., transportation, child care, books supplies) be considered social assistance such that it is included in income by virtue of paragraph 56(1)(u) and an offsetting deduction under paragraph 110(1)(f) is available?

Position: 1. Provided that all the other requirements of paragraph 110(1)(g) are met and the taxpayer cannot claim a tuition tax credit for the program, then the deduction will be available. The deduction in paragraph 110(1)(g) may also be available for amounts that are provided under a program established under the authority of the Department of Employment and Social Development Act and included in income pursuant to paragraph 56(1)(n).
2. Question of fact and yes, provided that the requirements of subsection 118.5(1) are met. The deduction in 110(1)(g) is not available where a tuition tax credit is available.
3. Paragraph 56(1)(n) is broad and would encompass almost any form of financial assistance paid to a student to enable the student to pursue his or her education.

Reasons: See analysis.

Technical Interpretation - Internal

23 November 2016 Internal T.I. 2014-0558411I7 F - Application du paragraphe 110.7(4)

Unedited CRA Tags
6(1), 6(6), 110.7(1), 110.7(4), 67.1(2)e)
deduction for board at remote work site not applicable if not close to 40,000+ population centre

Principales Questions: Précisions demandées suite à l’opinion 2013-050548 / Additional information requested following the interpretation 2013-050548.

Position Adoptée: Voir document. / See document.

Raisons: Texte de loi / Wording of the act.