News of Note
CRA indicates it can accommodate bifurcating a GST/HST VDP application into wash transaction and Category 2 components
Email this ContentA taxpayer is making a GST/HST voluntary disclosure respecting wash transactions (e.g., the wrong entity in a corporate group claimed input tax credits), so that, without more, the application would fall under Category 1 (complete waiver of interest and penalties). However, if there are other errors as well, CRA will generally split the application into a Category 1 application respecting the wash transaction, and a Category 2 (General program) or Category 3 (Limited program) application for the other errors, “provided there is no indication of tax avoidance, deliberate or wilful default, or carelessness amounting to gross negligence.” Where such elements are present “then the VDP application as a whole will fall under Category 3” (i.e., usually no relief provided other than from a gross negligence penalty).
Neal Armstrong. Summary of 28 February 2019 CBA Roundtable, Q.7 under ETA s. 281.1(2).
CRA discusses required recognition of RRIF minimum amount in post-terminal year of transfer of RRIF to surviving spouse
The deceased, who died in November, bequeathed his RRIF to his surviving spouse, to whom it was transferred in the subsequent year. In 2016-0651711C6 F, CRA indicated that even if the deceased had withdrawn the minimum amount before his death, the amount which could be transferred free of tax was reduced by the minimum amount for the subsequent year under the s. 146.3(6.11) formula.
In this regard, CRA has now indicated that the minimum amount for that subsequent year respecting the RRIF of the deceased would be the age that the deceased would have attained on January 1 of the subsequent year (assuming no election had been made for the prescribed factor under Regs. 7308 (3) and (4) to be based instead on the age of the spouse).
CRA also indicated, in the situation where the death had occurred before the deceased could withdraw the minimum amount for the year of death, but the transfer of his RRIF to the surviving spouse was not made until the following calendar year, then there was no need for the RRIF issuer to pay the minimum amount for the year of death – but that the eligible amount received by the surviving spouse in the subsequent year would be reduced by the minimum amount for that year.
Neal Armstrong. Summary of 11 October 2019 APFF Financial Strategies and Instruments Roundtable, Q. 8 under s. 146.3(6.11).
CRA states that it is responding to requests for pre-VDP no-names discussions promptly
Those considering making an application for relief under the GST/HST voluntary disclosure program may want their advisor to first have a no-names discussion with a CRA official to determine whether they would fall in Category 2 (for which CRA generally goes back only 4 years, and relieves half the interest and all penalties such as the 4% late-filing penalty) or Category 3 (generally no relief, other than for any gross negligence penalty), given the vagueness of the published distinction between the two categories.
These no-names discussions are handled by the Shawinigan National Verification and Collections Centre (NVCC). CRA stated:
Depending on the complexity of the situations, as well as the availability of the applicant and of the VDP officer, it is recognized that it may take several contacts in some situations to fully conclude a pre-disclosure discussion.
…[T]he NVCC is currently responding to requests for call-backs promptly.
Neal Armstrong. Summary of 28 February 2019 CBA Roundtable, Q.6 under ETA s. 281.1(2).
CRA indicates that a taxpayer can make a voluntary disclosure where it twigs to the issue as a result of being charged for HST by a CRA-assessed 3rd party
CRA’s Memorandum on the GST/HST voluntary disclosure program states that a VDP application will not be considered voluntary if “enforcement action … relating to the subject matter of the VDP application has been initiated … against a third party, where the purpose and impact of the enforcement action against the third party are sufficiently related to the present application.” Regarding a situation where an unrelated supplier (Sco) had been supplying goods for resale to its customer (Aco), neither had been charging GST/HST based on what CRA would regard as a misinterpretation of a place-of-supply rule (in ETA s. 144), and Aco discovered this CRA view when CRA assessed Sco, who then charged the GST/HST to Aco, CRA stated:
[I]f Aco and Sco are not related, the application from Aco would likely be considered under VDP. Conversely, if Aco and Sco are related companies, Aco’s application would not be considered as voluntary due to the prior enforcement action (audit) that was conducted against Sco … .
The CRA Memorandum also states that the VDP applicant “will be required to waive their rights to object and appeal in relation to the specific matter disclosed in the VDP application.” CRA clarified that:
[T]he applicant is allowed to file a Notice of Objection in case of disagreement with respect to characterization issues, such as whether a supply is a taxable or exempt supply, or whether a particular supply is deemed to be made inside or outside Canada as a result of the application of the place of supply rule in section 144 ... .
Neal Armstrong. Summary of 28 February 2019 CBA Roundtable, Q.5 under ETA s. 281.1(2).
Income Tax Severed Letters 30 October 2019
This morning's release of three severed letters from the Income Tax Rulings Directorate is now available for your viewing.
CRA indicates that applicants are required only to include 4 years of payments with their VDP GST/HST application
In its GST/HST Memorandum 16-5 on the voluntary disclosure program, CRA indicates that VDP applicants are required to submit information for the four calendar years before the date the application is filed for applications under Category 1 or Category 2 – but also states that a valid VDP application must “include payment of the estimated tax owing.” CRA has now clarified that such applicants would only be expected to include payment of the estimated tax owing for the same four-year period with their VDP applications.
In the course of a brief statistical update, CRA stated:
From March 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, the CRA received 639 GST/HST VDP applications. …
CRA received a total of 347 requests for pre-disclosure discussions related to both Income Tax Act and Excise Tax Act matters between March and December 2018.
Neal Armstrong. Summary of 28 February 2019 CBA Roundtable, Q.4 under ETA s. 281.1(2).
CRA indicates that it no longer provides an administrative concession limiting the application of ETA s. 155(1)
CRA reportedly indicated in 1991 that, as an administrative concession, it would not apply ETA s. 155(1) (respecting certain transactions between non-arm’s length persons being deemed to occur at fair market value) to transactions between corporations without share capital that form part of a national religious organization.
CRA indicated that it now “has no administrative concession in place that limits the application of subsection 155(1),” and noted that after 1991, s. 155(2) was enacted to provides a detailed code for exceptions to the application of s. 155(1), so that:
For example, if a charity were to make a non-arm’s length supply of real property for no consideration that was exempt by way of section 5 of Part V.I of Schedule V to the ETA, subsection 155(1) would not apply to deem the supply to be made for consideration equal to the fair market value of the property.
Neal Armstrong. Summary of 28 February 2019 CBA Roundtable, Q.3 under ETA s. 155(2).
CRA indicates that a GST/HST election to render memberships taxable is inferred if GST/HST is charged
Sched. V, Pt. VI, ss. 18 and 17 describe a GST/HST exemption for a supply of a membership in a professional organization or a public sector body in qualifying circumstances – unless an election is made (on Form GST 124 or GST23, respectively) for s. 18 or 17 to not apply to the supply. CRA stated:
In general, the CRA would accept that an election was made under section 17 or 18 even though the organization did not complete the required form, if the organization has always acted as though it had made the election in question.
Unsurprisingly, CRA stated that a fresh election is not required for each membership supply, and explained that the signed election is regarded as having a continuing effect respecting all future supplies until the election is revoked by completing Part D of the form.
Neal Armstrong. Summary of 28 February 2019 CBA Roundtable, Q.2 under ETA Sched. V, Pt. VI, s. 17.
CRA entertains discretionary extension of the TFSA rollover period
The s. 207.01(1) definition of “exempt contribution” sets out key requirements for the transfer of the TFSA of a deceased to a surviving spouse to occur on a rollover basis, including that the survivor’s contribution be made during the “rollover period” ending on December 31 of the calendar year following the year of death, or “at any later time that is acceptable to the Minister.”
CRA effectively confirmed that a Ministerial extension of the rollover period also extended the required period for the survivor to receive the payment from the deceased’s TFSA. CRA did not comment on when such discretion would be exercised, which was better than saying something like, it would only be exercised in “exceptional” circumstances.
Neal Armstrong. Summary of 11 October 2019 APFF Financial Strategies and Instruments Roundtable, Q.7 under s. 207.01(1) - “exempt contribution” – (b).
CRA states that backdated ETA s. 211 elections are accommodated only in “exceptional” circumstances
An important planning issue for a public service bodies (e.g., a charity or municipality) is whether to make an ETA s. 211 election which, for example, may permit it to generate additional input tax credits, but may also impose additional GST/HST costs on it or its customers.
In response to a suggestion that it was CRA policy that “if a public service body has been charging GST/HST on supplies of real property that would otherwise be exempt, and has been accounting for that tax and claiming input tax credits (ITCs) in its net tax calculations and remittances as if the s. 211 election had been filed on time, then the CRA will normally accept a late-filed section 211 election,” CRA stated:
[A] decision on whether to accept a backdated effective date for a section 211 election falls within the purview of the Domestic Compliance Programs Branch … [which] will only consider the backdating of a section 211 election in exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances include, but are not limited to, situations where a PSB has obtained inaccurate written information from the CRA. The acceptance of a late-filed section 211 election will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Neal Armstrong. Summary of 28 February 2019 CBA Roundtable, Q.1 under ETA s. 211(1).