Business start-up costs

To be able to deduct a business expense, you had to have carried on a business in the fiscal period in which the expense was incurred. Because of this, you have to be very clear about the date your business started.

Where a taxpayer proposes to undertake a business and makes some initial expenditures with that purpose in mind, it is necessary to establish whether the expenditure preceded the start of the business or whether the business had in fact begun and there were expenses incurred during preliminary steps leading to the start of normal operations.

Consequently, the date when the business can be said to have commenced must be known.

Forms and publications

• Guide T4002, Business and Professional Income
• Guide RC4022, General Information for GST/HST Registrants
• Interpretation Bulletin IT-364, Commencement of Business Operations

Related topics

• Fiscal period

Date modified:

2016-01-05