Official version of the 2019 STEP Roundtable is now available

Although we discussed most of the items in the 2019 STEP Roundtable in June, we are providing the Table below, including our descriptors and links to our summaries, for convenience of reference.

Summary Descriptor
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 1, 2019-0798621C6 - STEP 2019 - Q1 - NRT ceasing to be deemed resident Income Tax Act - Section 94 - Subsection 94(2) - Paragraph 94(2)(t) a qualifying s. 94(2)(t) sale of Canadian shares effects an immediate commencement of a non-resident year
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 2, 2019-0798491C6 - STEP 2019 - Q2 - Alter ego trust and donations Income Tax Act - Section 118.1 - Subsection 118.1(1) - Total Charitable Gifts - Paragraph (c) - Subparagraph (c)(ii) - Clause (c)(ii)(C) gifts made by alter ego trust during 3 years following settlor's death
Income Tax Act - Section 118.1 - Subsection 118.1(1) - Total Charitable Gifts payments made to registered charity beneficiaries of a trust can be charitable gifts if the payments made are in the discretion of the trustees
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 3, 2019-0799901C6 - STEP 2019 – Q3 – TOSI and Hours Worked Income Tax Act - Section 120.4 - Subsection 120.4(1.1) - Paragraph 120.4(1.1)(a) falling below 20 hours not presumptive
Income Tax Act - Section 120.4 - Subsection 120.4(1) - Excluded Business husband and wife each contributing 5 hours per week to business could have an excluded business
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 4, 2019-0799911C6 - STEP 2019 Q4 - TOSI & Meaning of Excluded Business Income Tax Act - Section 120.4 - Subsection 120.4(1.1) - Paragraph 120.4(1.1)(a) spouse on achieving 20-hour threshold could receive large dividends as excluded amounts
Income Tax Act - Section 120.4 - Subsection 120.4(1) - Excluded Business an excluded amount can exceed arm’s length remuneration for the services rendered
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 5, 2019-0799961C6 - 2019 STEP - Q5 TOSI and Spouse Age 65+ Income Tax Act - Section 120.4 - Subsection 120.4(1.1) - Paragraph 120.4(1.1)(c) - Subparagraph 120.4(1.1)(c)(ii) example of the flow-through of the s. 120.4(1.1)(c) excluded amount exclusion through a trust
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 6, 2019-0799941C6 - STEP 2019 - Q6a,b TOSI tracing of attributes Income Tax Act - Section 120.4 - Subsection 120.4(1.1) - Paragraph 120.4(1.1)(b) a subsequent bequest of Opco shares from the active mother converts previous bequest of shares from the inactive father into good shares for TOSI purposes
Income Tax Act - Section 120.4 - Subsection 120.4(1.1) - Paragraph 120.4(1.1)(b) - Subparagraph 120.4(1.1)(b)(ii) successive legatees can rely on the same activity-level of the original testator under s. 120.4(1.1)(b)(ii)
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 7, 2019-0798321C6 - STEP 2019 - Q7 - Income Author / Musician Income Tax Act - Section 129 - Subsection 129(4) - Income or Loss royalty income was incident to composing active business
Income Tax Act - Section 125 - Subsection 125(7) - Specified Investment Business royalty income from a music composing business is active business income
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 8, 2019-0798481C6 - STEP 2019 - Q8 - Contingency Fees WIP Income Tax Act - Section 10 - Subsection 10(4) - Paragraph 10(4)(a) contingent fee WIP can have a greater than nil value “in certain circumstances”
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 9, 2019-0798631C6 - STEP 2019 - Q9 - Estate immigrating to Canada Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Graduated Rate Estate - Paragraph (d) a non-resident estate that becomes resident can then become a GRE
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 10, 2019-0809651C6 - STEP 2019 – Q10 – Non-resident Estate as GRE Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Graduated Rate Estate - Paragraph (c) NR estate can provide a temporary tax number of deceased lacking a SIN
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 11, 2019-0805771C6 - STEP 2019 - Q11 – Estate as Qualified Disability Trust Income Tax Act - 101-110 - Section 104 - Subsection 104(13) estate ceases to generate income when it is fully administered
Income Tax Act - Section 122 - Subsection 122(3) - qualified disability trust - Paragraph (a) - Subparagraph (a)(i) a GRE likely cannot be continued indefinitely as a QDT
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 12, 2019-0798301C6 - STEP 2019 – Q12 – Attribution under 75(2) Income Tax Regulations - Regulation 204 - Subsection 204(1) Satoma has not changed the CRA view that trusts must report income that is attributed to the settlor under s. 75(2)
Income Tax Act - Section 75 - Subsection 75(2) s. 75(2) attributed income must be reported by trust even though its net income is nil
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 13, 2019-0798501C6 - STEP 2019 - Q13 - TOSI and PBE Income Tax Act - Section 120.4 - Subsection 120.4(1) - Split Income - Paragraph (a) - Subparagraph (a)(i) no exclusion for dividend income flowed out to preferred beneficiary
Income Tax Act - Section 120.4 - Subsection 120.4(1) - Split Income - Paragraph (c) exclusion inapplicable to dividend income flowed through to a preferred beneficiary
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 14, 2019-0798511C6 - STEP 2019 - Q14 - TOSI and PBE Income Tax Act - 101-110 - Section 104 - Subsection 104(19) designation can be avoided by including dividend in "other income" box
Income Tax Act - Section 120.4 - Subsection 120.4(1) - Split Income - Paragraph (a) - Subparagraph (a)(i) subjecting dividend income paid to a preferred beneficiary to TOSI accords with tax policy – but the designation can be readily avoided
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 15, 2019-0798351C6 - STEP 2019 - Q15 - CPP/EI Rulings Income Tax Act - Section 5 - Subsection 5(1) A CPP/EI status ruling can trigger a payroll audit
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 16, 2019-0798461C6 - 2019 STEP Conference Q16 - Passive Income Income Tax Act - Section 125 - Subsection 125(5.2) recurring ordinary dividends can constitute a transfer of property sufficient to engage s. 125(5.2)
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 17, 2019-0798711C6 - STEP 2019 - Q.17 - Part XVIII of the Act Income Tax Act - Section 266 - Subsection 266(1) the IRS has not followed up re any FATCA information sent to it
7 June 2019 STEP Roundtable Q. 18, 2019-0809731C6 - STEP 2019 - Q18 - Update re DTS