Subsection 85(1) - Transfer of property to corporation by shareholders
Cases
Barnabe Estate v. Minister of National Revenue, 99 DTC 5387, [1999] 4 CTC 5 (FCA)
A farmer, before dying, made an oral agreement with a corporation owned by him to transfer the assets of a farming business to it. It was found that a valid election could be made under s. 85(1) by his executors on his behalf.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - General Concepts - Effective Date | transaction effective at time of informal oral agreement | 147 |
Dale v. R., 97 DTC 5252, [1997] 2 CTC 286 (FCA)
The taxpayers agreed with the corporation controlled by them to transfer an apartment building to the corporation in consideration for the issuance of preference shares. However, at the time of the agreement, the authorized capital of the corporation did not include preference shares. After this deficiency was discovered, and following the continuance of the corporation from Prince Edward Island to Nova Scotia, two judicial orders were obtained pursuant to subsections 109(3) and 44(1) of the Companies Act (Nova Scotia) declaring the contract for the issuance of the shares to be retroactively valid and declaring the authorized and issued share capital of the corporation to be retroactively amended to reflect the issuance of the preference shares.
Robertson J.A. found that because an order of a superior court that has not been set aside must receive full effect according to its terms and is not (subject to very limited exceptions) subject to collateral attack, the issuance of the preference shares should also have retroactive effect for taxation purposes.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - General Concepts - Effective Date | retroactive superior court order has retroactive effect for tax purposes | 174 |
Tax Topics - General Concepts - Rectification & Rescission | retroactive effect of nunc pro tunc rectification order | 177 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Dividend | 78 | |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 83 - Subsection 83(2) | 78 | |
Tax Topics - Statutory Interpretation - Provincial Law | 140 |
Deconinck v. The Queen, 90 DTC 6617, [1990] 2 CTC 464 (FCA)
Although on the taxpayer's evidence an election form filed by the taxpayer was intended to accord rollover treatment for the conveyance by the taxpayer of ten properties and showed as the elected amount the aggregate estimated ACB of six of those properties that had been owned by him on V-Day it only referred to and described one of those properties due to an error of the taxpayer and his professional advisors. The taxpayer was held to have realized a capital gain equal to the difference between the elected amount and the ACB. "An election by a taxpayer under section 85 must be made in such a way that it is possible to determine in respect of which property it is made. It is not enough for a taxpayer simply to intend to elect in respect of a given property; he must actually do so."
See Also
Les Développements Iberville Ltée v. Agence du Revenu du Québec, 2018 QCCA 1886 (Quebec Court of Appeal)
Three affiliated Quebec corporations avoided (or so they thought) most of the Quebec tax on the sale of Quebec real estate at a gain of around $800M (including some recapture) by using a “Quebec year-end shuffle.” In particular, they transferred the properties on a rollover basis to subsidiary LPs, and then transferred their units of those LPs to two numbered companies, also on a rollover basis. The two numbered companies selected February 28, 2006 as their taxation year-end for federal (and Ontario) tax purposes, but March 19, 2006 for Quebec taxation purposes. On March 1, the two numbered companies then acquired units in two Ontario LPs with business income, which had the effect of most of their income being allocated to Ontario for Quebec purposes in accordance with the inter-provincial income allocation formula, so that virtually no Quebec tax was payable on the above gains, which were realized in March between the two year ends.
Schrager JA agreed with the findings in the Court of Quebec that:
- establishing different year ends for provincial and federal purposes was contrary to the purpose of the Quebec definition of “fiscal period” which, in copying the federal definition, did not show any intention to allow different year ends for federal and Quebec purposes as well as contrary to the interprovincial allocation rule, whose purpose was to ensure that 100% of a corporation’s income is taxed collectively by the provinces (with Schrager JA disagreeing with a Veracity comment that how the provinces tax the income allocated to them “is beyond the purpose, object and spirit of the Allocation Rules”)
- the rollover transactions abused the legislative intent of the rollover provisions, which was to defer and not to eliminate tax.
In the latter regard, he stated (at paras. 61-62):
[T]he Appellants transferred their business to Ontario knowing that because of the creation of two fiscal periods, tax would not be paid there …[and] knew that no tax would be payable in Quebec because (theoretically) it was payable in Ontario upon application of the allocation formula, but because of the different fiscal periods, no tax would ultimately be paid in Ontario.
Thus, the rollover provisions have been used, as in OGT Holdings, to avoid the payment of tax and not simply defer its payment. ln this manner, the Appellants have acted contrary to the object and spirit of [the rollover provisions].
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) | abuse to use rollover provisions to avoid rather than defer tax | 683 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 9 - Capital Gain vs. Profit - Real Estate | property bifurcated between capital and income portion on acquisition | 98 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 18 - Subsection 18(1) - Paragraph 18(1)(b) - Capital Expenditure v. Expense - Improvements v. Repairs or Running Expense | improvements to leased retail premises were not demonstrated to be made only at tenants’ requests | 106 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Regulations - Regulation 402 - Subsection 402(6) | purpose of inter-provincial allocation rules is for 109% of income to be allocated and taxed | 558 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 249.1 - Subsection 249.1(1) | no policy of permitting differing Quebec and federal year ends | 196 |
Dale v. The Queen, 94 DTC 1100, [1994] 1 CTC 2303 (TCC), aff'd supra.
The taxpayers agreed with a corporation controlled by them to transfer an apartment building to the corporation in consideration for the issuance of preference shares. However, at the time of the agreement, the authorized capital of the corporation did not include preference shares, and this deficiency was not rectified until well after the taxation year of the taxpayers in question.
In rejecting the submission of the Crown that the shares had to be validly issued in the year of the transfer of the building, Bowman J. found (at p. 1110) that the expression "consideration that includes shares" was not confined to executed consideration, and that:
What is essential is that there be either an actual issuance of shares or a binding obligation to do so at the time of transfer and that the shares be issued within a period of time that, in all the circumstances, is reasonable. ... Consideration is of two kinds - executed and executory - and it would be an unwarranted restriction on that term to limit it to only one of the two types [citing Chitty on Contracts on the meaning of "consideration"].
Accordingly, an election under s. 85(1) in respect of the transfer of the apartment building was effective, notwithstanding that a purported issuance of preference shares at the time was not validated until a subsequent date.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 15 - Subsection 15(1) | 78 | |
Tax Topics - Statutory Interpretation - Drafting Style | 93 |
The Queen v. Miller, 90 DTC 6335, [1990] 2 CTC 4 (FCTD)
Collier, J. indicated that "common sense dictates" that where the taxpayer's income for a year was increased as a result of a Revenue Canada reassessment, the corresponding amounts in a forward averaging election made by the taxpayer also should be increased, notwithstanding the absence of legislative provisions specifically allowing for such a correction on the forward averaging election form.
Cox v. I.R.C., [1988] BTC 37 (HCJ)
An obligation to file returns was not satisfied when "to be advised" or "details to follow" were entered against certain items.
Ward-Stemp v. Griffin, [1988] BTC 12 (HCJ)
Walton, J. stated, obiter, that it might be arguable that a statutory requirement to make an election "in such form and manner as the Board may prescribe" was met if the taxpayer and his wife had written a letter containing all the required information, rather than using the required form.
The Queen v. Leslie, 75 DTC 5086, [1975] CTC 155 (FCTD)
On the incorporation of a business the agreement purported to transfer net assets having a value of $5,078 and goodwill having a value of $20,222 in consideration of the issuance of $10,000 of treasury shares and a promissory note in the principal amount of $15,300. In fact, the business had no goodwill. It was held that there was some consideration for the promissory note since the promissory note was not expressed in the agreement to be given for any part of the goodwill but merely for part of the balance of the purchase price of all the assets sold.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 15 - Subsection 15(1) | no asset backing for note - no benefit until paid | 93 |
Deltona Corp. v. MNR, 71 DTC 5186, [1971] CTC 297 (Ex Ct), briefly aff'd 73 DTC 5180, [1973] CTC 215 (SCC)
An election filed by a predecessor corporation for the amalgamated corporation to be taxed as an NRO was invalid. "I can find no suggestion of any principle that would justify the Court in concluding that an 'election' that was filed under the Income Tax Act when the amalgamated corporation did not exist and which was not, therefore, filed by it, must nevertheless be found a fact to have been filed by it."
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 133 - Subsection 133(8) - Non-Resident-Owned Investment Corporation | 143 | |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 250 - Subsection 250(4) | although an amalgamated corporation was "continued" from its predecessors on amalgamation, it came into existence on the amalgamation | 120 |
Administrative Policy
2020 Ruling 2020-0854091R3 - Safe Income and Section 47
The proposed transactions included Parent exchanging all its Common Shares of Subsidiary on a s. 85(1) rollover basis for non-voting redeemable retractable non-cumulative preferred shares of Subsidiary (the “New Pref”) and Class A Common Shares with attributes identical to those of the Common Shares other than a different period of notice for shareholders’ meetings and being convertible into Common Shares on a one-for-one basis. The PUC of the Common Shares is allocated to the new shares on a relative FMV basis. The New Prefs have a cost equaling their redemption amount. Rulings were only requested on safe income matters.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 55 - Subsection 55(2.1) - Paragraph 55(2.1)(c) | safe income of common shares acquired on a s. 88(1) wind-up averaged with directly-purchased common shares/ no safe income reduction on redemption of high ACB prefs | 426 |
15 September 2020 IFA Roundtable Q. 1, 2020-0853411C6 F - IFA 2020 Roundtable – T2057 & Functional Currency
Where the parties to a s. 85 rollover transaction have different tax reporting currencies (as defined in s. 261(1)), in what currency should the amounts be reported on the form T2057? should be denominated in the transferor’s elected functional currency?
CRA responded that it would require that two separate forms T2057 be filed. The amounts would be reported and denominated in the transferor’s tax reporting currency on the first form T2057, and in the transferee’s tax reporting currency on the second T2057.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 261 - Subsection 261(5) - Paragraph 261(5)(a) | different currency reporting of s. 85(1) rollover where one party has elected a functional currency | 63 |
5 October 2012 Roundtable, 2012-0451291C6 F - Subsection 85(1) and UMIR Marketplace Rules
The questioner referred to securities’ law requirements that certain transactions occur on the exchange rather than on an off-market basis. CRA indicated that if a shareholder sold the shareholder’s shares of public companies for their market price on the exchange and the shareholder’s personal holding company purchases the same number of shares on the exchange for their market price, the s. 85(1) rollover would not be available because inter alia there would be no transfer of the shares “to” the holding company.
2015 Ruling 2015-0589471R3 - Earnout
In connection with the implementation of an earnout transaction for the purchase of Holdco common shares by a key employee, the (corporate) shareholders of Holdco (a Canadian-controlled private corporation holding Opco) first transfer a portion of their Holdco common shares to Opco in consideration for tracking preferred shares of Opco (with Opco immediately selling the purchased common shares on a five-year earnout basis to the key employee). CRA rules that s. 85(1) would apply to such transfer assuming a s. 85(1) election was made in prescribed manner and within the prescribed time.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 12 - Subsection 12(1) - Paragraph 12(1)(g) | 5-year earnings based earnout for sale of Holdco common shares by Opco to key employee | 841 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 55 - Subsection 55(1) - Safe-Income Determination Time | safe income determination time for a subsequent contemplated annual common share dividend was immediately before that dividend rather than a prior dividend or s. 55(3)(a)(ii) or (v) increase | 654 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 55 - Subsection 55(2.1) - Paragraph 55(2.1)(c) | utilization of safe income as earned through a contemplated succession of dividends of all the annual earnings | 203 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 7 - Subsection 7(1) - Paragraph 7(1)(a) | transactions for using s. 7 rules on sale of non-treasury shares | 212 |
9 October 2015 APFF Roundtable Q. 21, 2015-0598291C6 F - Filing deadline for various forms
As Saturdays are "public holidays" as defined in the Interpretation Act, s. 35, if the return filing deadline of the taxpayer falls on a Saturday (e.g., Saturday, April 30, 2016), the filing deadline for related forms to be filed by that deadline (e.g., Forms T2057, T1134 and T5013) will be extended to the following Monday.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Statutory Interpretation - Interpretation Act - Section 26 | where a return filing deadline falls on a Saturday, the deadline for related forms also is extended to the Monday | 92 |
29 January 2015 Internal T.I. 2014-0544651I7 - Section 85 transfer of Swap Contracts
The taxpayer entered into cross-currency (U.S.$/Cdn$) Swap Contracts with a counterparty respecting the issuance of U.S.-dollar notes issued by it or an affiliate and whose proceeds were used to repay existing indebtedness and general corporate purposes. The taxpayer subscribed for common shares in companies for nominal amounts and shortly thereafter transferred its rights under each of the Swap Contracts to the new corporations. The joint s. 85(1) election forms which were filed on transfers, which specified the cost and agreed amounts, recorded the Swap Contracts on the line "Security or debt obligation property" (rather than the Inventory line) by writing "See attached" on that line. The attachment referred to: "Right, title and interest to swap Cdn $XX into US $XX pursuant to a utilization notice dated XX".
After finding that the swaps qualified as "inventory" under the broad s. 248(1) definition and, therefore, as eligible property under s. 85(1.1)(f), the Directorate responded to the view of the TSO that "the election…was invalid," the Directorate stated:
[T]he Taxpayer's derivatives could be considered as inventory for the purposes of subsection 85(1), which supports the Taxpayer's contention that XX intention was to record the transfer as inventory. We have also taken into consideration that the… property and values were accurately described. Accordingly… it is reasonable to consider the error was clerical in nature, which…should not, in and of itself, invalidate the election… .
See summary under s. 85(1.1).
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Inventory | swap contract treated as inventory | 55 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(1.1) | swap contract treated as inventory | 180 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 9 - Capital Gain vs. Profit - Foreign Exchange | swap contract treated as inventory | 55 |
S4-F7-C1 - Amalgamations of Canadian Corporations
1.61 If the laws governing an amalgamation provide that the predecessor corporations are continued in the amalgamated corporation, the amalgamated corporation may file an election under the various provisions contained in the Act on behalf of a predecessor corporation provided that the predecessor corporation itself would otherwise have been eligible to file the election on its own behalf if the amalgamation had not occurred. For example, the amalgamated corporation may file an election under subsection 85(1), subject to the time limits referred to in subsection 85(6) or within the parameters of subsections 85(7) or (7.1), for a property transfer which involved one or more of the predecessor corporations.
11 October 2013 APFF Roundtable, 2013-0495821C6 F - Share disposition
In order to isolate cost base in preferred shares, a taxpayer transfers his common shares of a corporation to the corporation in exchange for preferred shares and common shares. In 2004-0092561E5, CRA indicated that there will not be a disposition of the "transferred" common shares to the extent that, following this transfer, the taxpayer holds shares with the same rights and restrictions as the transferred common shares. Is this position changed as a result of the enactment of s. 49, para. 3 of the Quebec Business Corporations Act, which provides that "the articles may provide that the shares of two or more classes or two or more series of the same class carry the same rights and restrictions"? CRA stated (TaxInterpretations translation):
[W]e consider the participation of a shareholder in the share capital of a corporation as being intangible property constituting the collection of the rights and conditions ("bundle of rights") respecting the shares, in accordance with the articles and relevant corporate law.
The CRA applies the same position as stated in the above-noted Technical Interpretation if, by virtue of the BCA, a share of a given class issued in exchange for a share of a different class of shares has the same rights, privileges, conditions and restrictions as the share of the other class.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Disposition | no disposition where shares exchanged for identical-attribute shares of a different class | 229 |
7 October 2011 APFF Roundtable Q. 17, 2011-0412171C6 F - 112(7) - Share-for-Share Exchange - 85(1)
Where there is an exchange of 100 common shares in the capital of a corporation for 100 "new" common shares in its capital, there could be considered to be no disposition of the old common shares (given that the share rights are identical), so that the s. 85(1) election is unavailable.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 112 - Subsection 112(3) | s. 112(3) could still apply if "old" dividend-bearing shares "exchanged" under purported s. 85(1) exchange for "new" but identical shares | 98 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Disposition | purported dirty s. 85 exchange of old common shares for new common shares does "not necessarily" entail a disposition | 49 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 112 - Subsection 112(7) | s. 112(7) does not “technically” apply to a dirty s. 85 exchange of old shares for new shares | 257 |
8 October 2010 Roundtable, 2010-0373231C6 F - Application of subsections 51(1) and 85(1)
In confirming its position in IT-291R3, para. 35, CRA stated:
The Dale case concerned a transferee corporation that had issued shares that were not authorized in its articles of incorporation. It was several years after the property was transferred before the shares were properly issued. ... Bowman J. ruled that the term "consideration that includes shares", which appears in section 85, does not mean that the shares must be issued at the same time as the property transfer or in the same taxation year. ...
The Federal Court of Appeal upheld the decision by Bowman J. on this point (see Dale et al v. Canada, 97 DTC 5252).
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 51 - Subsection 51(1) | simultaneous exchange | 50 |
30 April 2009 External T.I. 2008-0296721E5 F - Late filed election 85(7) - Amending transactions
An individual transferred an immovable to his corporation for non-share consideration. The CRA assessed recapture and a capital gain on the transfer. The taxpayer then filed a late s. 85(7) election indicating that preferred shares (which were already part of the authorized capital) were issued on the date of the transfer, and propose to enter into a "deed of correction" providing for the issuance of such shares. On that basis, would CRA accept the late election?
CRA responded:
[T]he CRA will not accept changes to the terms of a contract made after the fact that have the effect of altering the basis upon which an assessment was made, unless a court order is made to that effect.
[E]ven if the "deed of correction" of the Contract …were to be entered into … CRA could not take it into account for the purposes of determining the tax consequences of the transfer of the Immovable. Consequently, CRA would not be able to accept a late election filed by the taxpayer and the Corporation under subsection 85(7) since, based on the Contract initially entered into by the taxpayer and the Corporation, one of the conditions set out in subsection 85(1) (i.e., the issuance by the Corporation of share consideration) would not have been satisfied.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - General Concepts - Rectification & Rescission | CRA will not anticipate a judicial rectification | 189 |
10 November 2004 External T.I. 2004-0092561E5 F - 85(1), 248(1) "Disposition"
Mr. X, who holds all 100 common shares of Corporation A having a fair market value, ACB and PUC of $1,000,000, $500,000 and $1000, respectively, exchanges those common shares for 100 common shares and 500,000 preferred shares of Corporation A. Such exchange of common shares of the capital stock of a corporation for preferred shares and common shares in its capital stock would not constitute a disposition of any of the common shares for purposes of s. 85(1) (and only entail an issuance of the preferred shares), even though there was a cancellation of the "old" common shares. CRA stated:
The CRA's longstanding position on the concept of disposition in situations similar to the Particular Situations is to focus on the nature of the changes made to the shares of the capital stock of a particular corporation rather than the method by which the changes are accomplished. Our approach is based on the fact that we consider a shareholder's interest in a corporation to be an intangible asset, consisting of a bundle of rights and privileges attached to the shares granted by the articles of incorporation and the relevant corporate laws. Thus, a particular transaction in a particular share of the capital stock of a particular corporation held by a taxpayer may not constitute a disposition where, after the transaction, the taxpayer is left with another share of the capital stock of the particular corporation that has identical rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions as the rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attached to the particular share.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Disposition | no disposition to the extent that there is a dirty s. 95 exchange of old common shares for identical new common shares | 261 |
6 July 2004 External T.I. 2004-0081631E5 F - Price Adjustment Clauses
CRA will accept a rollover form filed with a "yes" answer to the question concerning the existence of a price adjustment clause as sufficient notice of a price adjustment clause. However, in order to give effect to a price adjustment clause, the parties will be required to file an amended election under s. 85(7.1) and pay the penalty under s. 85(8). Essentially the same considerations apply to a s. 97(2) election.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - General Concepts - Effective Date | no requirement to notify CRA of price-adjustment clause otherwise than by ticking box on any prescribed form | 136 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 51 - Subsection 51(1) | no requirement to notify CRA of price-adjustment clause regarding a s. 86 or 51 exchange | 95 |
13 July 2004 External T.I. 2004-0058141E5 F - Transfert du droit aux revenus provenant d'un bien
A couple transferred, to their jointly-owned corporation, the right to receive the income from a Quebec rental property for a specified period, in consideration for preferred shares of the corporation. CRA found that because such transfer gave rise to a usufruct and, thus, a deemed trust under s. 248(3), the s. 85(1) rollover was not available (the transfer instead was to the deemed trust at the property's FMV).
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(3) | assignment of the rents from a rental property to a corporation would result in a disposition to a deemed trust under s. 248(3) | 134 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 75 - Subsection 75(2) | s. 75(2) applicable to assignment of the rents from a rental property to a corporation giving rise to a deemed trust under s. 248(3) | 93 |
12 November 2003 External T.I. 2002-0121835 - 85(1) - Holdbacks Payable
On a sale by a contractor of its construction contracts to a corporate purchaser, the fair market value of builder's holdbacks assumed by the purchaser would be considered to be non-share consideration for purposes of s. 85(1).
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(1) - Paragraph 85(1)(b) | 59 |
6 November 2003 External T.I. 2003-0041355 F - Subsections 110.(19) and 85(1)
CCRA confirmed that a rental property could now be transferred on a s. 85(1) rollover basis to a corporation for agreed amounts corresponding, in the case of the land which had been "non-qualifying real property" as defined in s. 110.6(1) and whose ACB had then been stepped up in 1994 pursuant to an s. 110.6(19) election, for the land’s stepped-up ACB.
4 June 2002 External T.I. 2002-0141435 F - Disposition of Shares
The exchange of voting common shares of Zco for voting preferred shares and non-voting common shares of Zco, with such voting common shares being cancelled, constituted a disposition for the purposes of s. 85(1), so that the s. 85(1) election could be made.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Disposition | exchange of voting common for voting pref and non-voting common is a disposition | 50 |
9 November 2001 External T.I. 2001-0101685 F - APPLICATION DE 16.1 ET DE 85(1)
A taxpayer may not elect pursuant to s. 85(1) in respect of a property which was the subject of an election pursuant to s. 16.1(1) given that, for s. 85(1) to apply, the taxpayer must dispose of an eligible property to a taxable Canadian corporation, whereas s. paragraph 16.1(1)(f) deems the taxpayer to have disposed of the property but does not deem the disposition to be made to a Canadian corporation and the property does not belong to the taxpayer under the civil law.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 16.1 - Subsection 16.1(1) - Paragraph 16.1(1)(f) | s. 16.1(1)(f) does not accommodate an s. 85(1) disposition to a corporation | 49 |
19 September 2001 External T.I. 2001-0092085 - Transfer of Obligation under Short Position
The assumption of a short sale obligation of an individual by a corporation controlled by him would result in realization of the accrued gain or loss on the short sale obligation.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 9 - Computation of Profit | assumption of short sale obligation triggered gain | 33 |
5 July 2001 External T.I. 2001-0089105 F - ECHANGE D"OPTIONS - COUT INDIQUE
CCRA indicated that an RRSP can make a s. 85(1) election like other taxpayers, in which case the cost amount of the shares received by it could be equal to that of the transferred shares.
7 June 2001 External T.I. 2001-0086165 F - REGLES DE ROULEMENT ET REER
CCRA confirmed that the tax treatment of a transaction subject to s. 85, 85.1, 86 or 87 will not differ where the shareholder is an RRSP (or RRIF).
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 87 - Subsection 87(4) | s. 87(4) applies to RRSPs | 47 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Taxpayer | RRSP is a taxpayer | 89 |
17 March 1997 Internal T.I. 9631007 - INTERACTION OF 85(1) & 110.6(19)
The benefit of making an election under s. 110.6(19) in respect of an eligible capital property or a depreciable property effectively will be lost if the property is transferred on a rollover basis to a corporation. In addition, in the case of an eligible capital property, s. 14(3) will apply regardless of the fact that the property was transferred to the corporation at less than its fair market value, with the result that the corporation's cumulative eligible capital will be reduced until the asset is disposed of.
24 May 1995 External T.I. 9420675 - WYOMING LLCS
An interest in a Wyoming LLC receivable by a taxpayer as consideration for the disposition of shares of a foreign affiliate to the LLC would constitute "shares of the capital stock of the acquiring affiliate" provided that the LLC otherwise qualified as a foreign affiliate of the taxpayer immediately after the disposition.
Income Tax Technical News, Release No. 3, 30 January, 1995 under "Section 85 (Dale Case)"
While awaiting the decision of the Federal Court of Appeal in the Dale case, RC intends to maintain its current practice of accepting election under s. 85(1) where the shares to be issued are not authorized at the time of the transfer, as long as three listed conditions are satisfied: the transfer agreement requires the transferee to issue the shares; the transferee immediately files articles of amendments; and the transferee corporation issues the shares once the amendments to its articles are made.
1994 A.P.F.F. Round Table, Q. 42
While awaiting the results of the appeal of the Dale case, RC will allow an election under s. 85(1) where the transferee is required under the agreement to issue the required shares, the transferee immediately undertakes the steps necessary to issue the shares (eg., filing articles of amendment), and then issues the shares promptly following the necessary changes to the transferee's articles.
3 December 1993 External T.I. 9200995 F - Transfer of Farm Inventory to a Corporation
Since the entitlement of a farmer under a gross revenue insurance program constitutes an account receivable to him that relates to the farming business carried on by him, it is on income account and is not a capital property to him. Accordingly, it will not constitute an "eligible property".
17 September 1992 T.I. (Tax Window, No. 24, p. 4, ¶2195)
A taxpayer cannot elect under both ss.85(1) and 22 with respect to accounts receivable.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 22 - Subsection 22(1) | 15 |
92 C.R. - Q.20
A joint election can be filed under s. 85(1) with respect to the changing of common shares of a corporation into preferred shares by the filing of articles of amendment.
26 March 1992 External T.I. 5-913338
Where a holding company assumes all of the debt associated with a property acquired by it from its subsidiary, interest on that debt will be deductible provided the property is used by the holding company for the purpose of earning income, even though for purposes of an s. 85(1) election, a substantial portion of that debt was assumed as consideration for a promissory note of the subsidiary rather than as payment for the transferred property.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 20 - Subsection 20(1) - Paragraph 20(1)(c) | 76 |
24 February 1992 Memorandum (Tax Window, No. 13, p. 17, ¶1617)
The minimum permissible agreed amount in respect of the transfer of a partnership interest is nil.
91 C.R. - Q.20
If a taxpayer transfers debt or shares of a taxable Canadian corporation to that corporation in consideration for treasury shares, and those shares have rights that are sufficiently changed to result in a disposition, RC is of the view that the disposition is to the corporation.
10 July 1991 Decision Summary (Tax Window, No. 5, pp. 4-5, ¶1345)
Where on an s. 85(1) roll of real estate with excess mortgage debt, the transferor gives the transferee a promissory note in the amount of the excess debt, the interest on the assumed mortgage debt will be deductible.
14 June 1991 T.I. (Tax Window, No. 4, p. 24, ¶1308)
Share purchase warrants issued by the transferee corporation do not constitute a right to receive shares.
October 1989 Revenue Canada Round Table - Q.11 (Jan. 90 Access Letter, ¶1075)
Where a taxpayer receives an undivided part of a block of flow-through shares following the liquidation of a limited partnership under s. 98(3), and then exchanges this undivided part for shares of the same category of the same corporation, having the same paid-up capital, RC will accept an election under s. 85(1), and will accept that the shares issued to the taxpayer have a paid-up capital equal to that of the undivided block of shares.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
---|---|---|
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) | 50 | |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 84.1 - Subsection 84.1(1) | 35 |
86 C.R. - Q.32
A deferred tax liability does not constitute non-share consideration.
85 CR - Q.52
S.85(1)(e.2) may apply notwithstanding that the taxpayer has obtained an independent valuation. However, a price-adjustment clause is usually employed by taxpayers to ensure that their intention of transferring the property for fair market value consideration is in fact achieved and s. 85(1)(e.2) will not apply.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
---|---|---|
Tax Topics - General Concepts - Effective Date | 7 |
84 C.R. - Q.47
Where a mortgage to be assumed exceeds the ACB of the property, RC will accept an allocation of the excess to other transferred assets, or as the consideration for a promissory note delivered by the transferor in the amount of the excess.
84 C.R. - Q.78
In situations where the tax consequences of an election were unintended and extremely harsh, RC is prepared to provide taxpayers with administrative relief only in exceptional circumstances. Where the redemption amount of preference shares taken back on an estate freeze is too low, administrative relief is provided to increase the redemption value, especially where a price adjustment clause was contained in the agreement.
12 December 1980 TI RCT 85-013
Construction holdbacks would be considered to be eligible property. The cost amount of the right would be calculated by eliminating the profit element from the face amount.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
---|---|---|
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(1.1) | 51 |
80 CR - Q.14
Adjustments to the agreed amount will be made to reflect changes in V-Day value only.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
---|---|---|
Tax Topics - General Concepts - Effective Date | 36 |
IT-188R Archived "Sale of Accounts Receivable" 22 May 1984
"The use of the 'rollover' provisions of section 85 precludes the use of the section 22 election ... ."
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 22 - Subsection 22(1) | 116 | |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 88 - Subsection 88(1) | 28 | |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 9 - Capital Gain vs. Profit - Account Receivable | 173 |
IT-243R4 "Dividend Refund to Private Corporations"
IT-291R3 "Transfer of Property to a Corporation under Subsection 85(1)"
Shares need not be immediately issuable
35. One of the requirements that must be met for section 85 to apply to a transfer of property to a corporation is that the transferor receives consideration that includes at least one share of the capital stock of the corporation. It is the practice of the CCRA to accept an election under subsection 85(1) where the shares to be issued as consideration for the transferred property have not been legally authorized under the articles of the corporation at the time of the transfer provided that all of the following conditions are satisfied:
(a) there is an agreement between the transferor and the transferee which requires, among other things, that the transferee issue the required shares;
(b) the transferee immediately carries out the necessary steps to authorize the issuance of the shares, that is it files supplementary letters patent or articles of amendment, as the case may be;
(c) once the necessary amendments to the corporation's constituting documents are made, the transferee corporation issues the shares without delay.
If for any reason the transferee corporation does not obtain, under the applicable corporate legislation, the necessary authorization for the issuance of the shares, the election under subsection 85(1) will be considered to be invalid.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
---|---|---|
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(1) - Paragraph 85(1)(b) | allocation of assumed debt amongst transferred properties | 58 |
IT-457R "Election by Professionals to Exclude Work in Progress from Income" under "Meaning of 'Work in Progress'"
IT-489R: "Non-Arm's Length Sale of Shares to a Corporation"
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
---|---|---|
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(1) - Paragraph 85(1)(e.2) | 0 |
Articles
Michael J. Welters, "Limited Partner's Interest in Partnership Property", Canadian Tax Highlights, Vol. 21,No. 7, July 2013, p. 3 at 4
"…most authorities have concluded that limited partners are the owners of partnership properties." [then discussing Donroy Ltd. (196 F. Supp. 54 (Calif. Dist. Ct. 1961); aff'd. 301 F. 2d 200 (9th Cir. 1962)); Unger v. Commissioner, TC Memo 1990-15; Memec Plc v. Inland Revenue Commissioners, [1998] STC 754; Re Lehndorff Gen. Partner (1993), 17 CBR (3d) 24 (Gen. Div.)and Kucor Construction & Developments & Associates v. Canada Life Assurance Co. (1998 CanI.II4236 (ONCA)]
Dunn, Nielsen, "Exchanges of Property for Shares: section 85-Part 2", 1995 Canadian Tax Journal, Vol. 43, No. 2, p. 496.
David W. Smith, "Corporate Restructuring Issues: Public Corporations", 1990 Corporate Management Tax Conference Report, pp. 6:10-6:11
Discussion of relative merits of ss.85.1 and 85(1) elections.
Carsley, "Loan Receivables Denominated in a Foreign Currency", Canadian urrent Tax, July 1988, p. 31
RC has taken the position that for the purpose of determining the cost amount of a foreign currency receivable the amount of the receivable should be converted into Canadian dollars at the date of the transfer, thereby giving rise to gain or loss.
Wise, "The Valuation of Preferred Shares Issued on a Section 85 Rollover", 1984 Canadian Tax Journal, March-April, p. 239.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
---|---|---|
Tax Topics - General Concepts - Fair Market Value - Shares | 0 |
Sylph, Percival, "Accounting Options for Section 85 Rollovers", CA Magazine, July 1981, p. 42
"The fair market value of the asset to the transferee should recognize the future tax effects of the differences between the tax bases and the amount assigned to the asset in the legal agreement."
Forms
T2057 "Election on Disposition of Property by a Taxpayer to a Taxable Canadian Corporation" 23 January 2009
File...at the tax centre serving the area where the transferor is located. Where two or more co-owners or members of a partnership referred to above elect, the elections will be processed in bulk and should be filed at the tax centre of the transferee; and...separate from any tax returns. You may put it in the same envelope with a return, but do not insert it in or attach it to the return.
TP-518-V (Quebec)
TP-518 (Quebec - French)
Paragraph 85(1)(a)
Administrative Policy
7 February 2018 External T.I. 2016-0637221E5 - Rollover of Mineral Rights
The Taxpayer, which is not in the business of exploration and development of mineral properties, wishes to transfer the Property (which may consist of subsurface rights to explore for qualifying mineral or hydrocarbon resources) on a tax deferred basis to a taxable Canadian corporation in consideration for shares. Respecting the operation of the s. 85(1) election, CRA stated:
In the case of a CRP [Canadian resource property], the rules in subsection 85(1) do not establish a minimum limit for the agreed amount. Hence, where the Taxpayer transfers the Property to a corporation pursuant to subsection 85(1), the agreed amount can be any amount up to the fair market value of the Property. Pursuant to paragraph 85(1)(a), the agreed and elected amount is deemed to be the Taxpayer’s proceeds of disposition of the Property and the corporation’s cost of the Property.
…The amount of the reduction to the Taxpayer’s CCDE is equal to the proceeds of disposition received by the Taxpayer as a result of the disposition, less outlays or expenses made or incurred for the purpose of the disposition and that are not otherwise deductible for the purposes of Part I of the Act. If the Taxpayer’s CCDE becomes negative as a result of this reduction, the negative amount must be included in income for that taxation year pursuant to subsection 66.2(1) and paragraph 59(3.2)(c).
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 66.2 - Subsection 66.2(5) - Canadian development expense | cost of property added to CCDE or COGPE | 234 |
2016 Ruling 2016-0635101R3 - 55(3)(a) Spin-Off to Use Parent Losses
Subco has entered into an agreement for the sale to an arm’s length purchaser of a property containing parcels of land with accrued capital gains and buildings thereon with accrued terminal losses. Since its Parent has accrued losses, the property is spun-off to a Newco subsidiary of Parent in reliance on s. 55(3)(a), with Newco then wound-up under s. 88(1) so that the capital gains can be realized in Parent’s hands.
On the spin-off of the property by Subco to Newco, CRA indicated that the s. 13(21.1)(a) rule for denying a terminal loss was to be applied after applying s. 85(1) without regard to s. 13(21.1)(a). For example, suppose that a parcel of land had an ACB and FMV of $200 and $400, and that the accrued terminal loss on the building thereon was $50. Subco and Newco would designate an s. 85(1) agreed amount for the parcel of $250. S. 13(21.1)(a) then kicks in to deny the $50 terminal loss but also to reduce the deemed proceeds to Subco from $250 to $200. Insofar as Newco is concerned, the agreed amount is still $250, so that in effect the terminal loss is used to bump the land ACB to Newco (and ultimately to Parent) by $50.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 13 - Subsection 13(21.1) - Paragraph 13(21.1)(a) | where land transferred under s. 85(1) along with terminal loss building, elect high with a view to s. 13(21.1)(a) applying to reduce the land proceeds to ACB | 189 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 55 - Subsection 55(3) - Paragraph 55(3)(a) | 55(3)(a) spin-off of property already subject to sale agreement to parent before closing date | 592 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 86 - Subsection 86(1) | s. 86(1) applied where “dirty” s. 85 exchange mechanic used, but no s. 85 election made | 93 |
11 May 2011 External T.I. 2011-0394231E5 F - Subsections 14(1.01) and 85(1) - Quotas
Can the disposition of milk quotas occurring as part of the drop down of a dairy-farming business by a partnership under s. 85(2) be structured so that the s. 14(1.01) election is used for the quotas eligible for the capital gains deduction (i.e., those acquired more than two years previously) and the s. 85(2) rollover is used for the quotas that are not so eligible? CRA responded:
[E]ven though quotas are generally considered fungible assets that are difficult to identify in a partial sale … within this set of fungible goods, it is possible to have separate groups with their own tax characteristics. …
[I]t is possible to structure the transaction so that, in the first place, the quotas eligible for the capital gains deduction can be identified and transferred with a utilization of the election under subsection 14(1.01) and, second, all non-qualified quotas are transferred free of tax under subsection 85(2).
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - 101-110 - Section 110.6 - Subsection 110.6(1.3) | milk quotas could be segregated between those eligible for capital gains deduction and those transferred on rollover basis | 183 |
Paragraph 85(1)(b)
Administrative Policy
10 March 2004 External T.I. 2003-0047905 - Debt Assumption by Partnership
Three individuals, who are co-owners and actively involved in managing several commercial rental properties and whose tax basis (ACB of land and UCC of buildings) in the properties is less than the mortgages thereon, transfer their respective interests to a new general partnership among them in consideration for the assumption by the partnership of that portion of the mortgages which does not exceed the ACB and UCC of the transferred assets and for general partnership interests, and elect under s. 97(2) with agreed amounts equal to such tax basis. Shortly thereafter, the partnership assumes the remaining poriton of the mortgages, so as to result in the the individuals (who are not specified members) having a negative adjusted cost basis for their interests in the partnership. In finding that such second stage assumption was included in the boot, CCRA stated:
[T]he assumption by the Partnership of the Excess Mortgages represents consideration for the Properties for the purposes of paragraph 85(1)(b) and subsection 97(2). Accordingly, the Co-owners will realize a gain on the transfer. In this regard we cite … MDS Health … and … Haro Pacific … .
IT-291R3 "Transfer of Property to a Corporation under Subsection 85(1)"
17 … Paragraph 85(1)(b), however, will not apply where the fair market value of the non-share consideration given (including the assumption of debt by the transferee) is allocated among several properties transferred and retained by the transferee and the amount allocated to each asset is not greater than the agreed amount in respect of each asset.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(1) | 259 |
2003 Ruling 2003-0054013 - Assumption of Debt
A subsidiary is to become a co-obligor of a parent's debts on a s. 85(1) transfer of property from the parent, but the parent will fully indemnify the child for the debt. CRA rules that the subsidiary is not considered to have assumed the parent's liabilities.
12 November 2003 External T.I. 2002-0121835 - 85(1) - Holdbacks Payable
Where a contractor transferred its construction contract to a corporate purchaser, the amount previously withheld by the contractor as a holdback in respect of amounts otherwise payable to its subcontractor would represent part of the non-share consideration received by the contractor given that the liability in respect of these holdbacks would be assumed by the transferee corporation.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
---|---|---|
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(1) | 38 |
10 April 2003 External T.I. 2002-0170485 - Assumption of Debt
Where a corporation owes $100 to the taxpayer, and the taxpayer transfers a property with an FMV of $300, cost to the taxpayer of $200, and encumbered by a debt of $275, then (provided the $100 debt is genuine) the corporation may assume a portion of the $275 debt (e.g., $75) as repayment of that portion of the $100 debt, so that the property may be transferred for an elected amount of $200 (i.e., the consideration described in s. 85(1)(b) will be considered to have been reduced to the elected amount of $200).
6 December 2000 External T.I. 2000-0056485 - assumption of excess debt on sec 85 transfer
Where shares received on an s. 85(1) roll are immediately redeemed by issuing a promissory note, CRA will not consider s. 85(1)(b) to apply, i.e., it will not consider the note to be a non-share consideration received on the transfer of assets by the transferor to the transferee.
27 September 2000 External T.I. 2000-0039335 - Change in CCRA's position re 85(1)(b)
The Agency has now reversed its position on the assumption of excess debt in an s. 85(1) rollover transaction (for example, the purchaser assuming the excess debt in consideration for a note of the vendor) and now treats the total debt assumed as being consideration for the properties initially transferred. The Agency also confirmed its view "that paragraph 85(1)(b) does not apply to increase proceeds if the fair market value of the non-share consideration given (including the assumption of debt by the purchaser) is allocated among several properties transferred to and retained by the purchaser and the amount allocated to each asset is not greater than the amount elected in respect of each asset".
2000 Ruling 1999-001074
S.85(1)(b) would not apply where the portion of liabilities assumed by the transferee that were in excess of the cost amount of the transferred property were so assumed in consideration for a cash payment.
1996 Corporate Management Tax Conference Round Table, Q. 7
Until it completes its review, RC will permit excess debt to be assumed by the transferee corporation in consideration for the issuance by it of a note payable or in consideration for the redemption by it of some of the shares issued to acquire the transferred assets.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
---|---|---|
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 20 - Subsection 20(1) - Paragraph 20(1)(c) | assumption of excess debt | 94 |
1992 A.P.F.F. Annual Conference, Q. 21 (January - February 1993 Access Letter, p. 58)
RC will consider roll-over treatment under s. 85(1)(b) to be available on the transfer of a property subject to mortgage indebtedness in excess of its ACB where the transferee corporation receives a promissory note from the transferor in consideration of its assumption of the excess portion of the mortgage debt, and uses this promissory note to redeem the preference shares issued by it to the transferor. However, this position is under review.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 20 - Subsection 20(1) - Paragraph 20(1)(c) | 53 |
26 March 1992 T.I. (Tax Window, No. 18, p. 2, ¶1831)
Where, in connection with the transfer by Opco to its parent, Holdco, of property subject to debt in excess of the property's ACB, Holdco first assumes the excess debt in consideration for a promissory note of Opco, and then Holdco surrenders that promissory note to Opco in consideration for the redemption of preference shares issued by Holdco to Opco on the transfer, s. 85(1)(b) will not apply to alter the agreed amount (being the property's ACB), i.e., the allocation of the assumed debt as consideration for the promissory note of Opco rather than as consideration for the transfer of the property will be respected.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
---|---|---|
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 20 - Subsection 20(1) - Paragraph 20(1)(c) | 93 |
Articles
Kim Maguire, Jeffrey Shafer, "Trends in Buy/Sell Transactions", draft 2021 Conference Report
Use of rights to acquire shares of purchaser (pp. 5-6)
- Where the vendor has the contingent right to receive additional shares of the purchaser, the fact of some purchaser shares being received at closing will satisfy that precondition for s. 85(1) to apply [see also Dale], whereas the contingent right to receive shares will not constitute boot under the s. 85(1)(b) wording, thereby permitting the s. 85(1) deferral.
- Such rights presumably are acquired at a deemed cost of nil, the exercise of such rights would not be a disposition by virtue of s. 49.1, and the shares would appear to be acquired at a nil cost.
- The election form (T2057) creates difficulties in that it refers only to the “share consideration” rather than also including rights to receive shares in that quoted phrase.
Commentary [in progress]
Paragraph 85(1)(c)
Administrative Policy
13 August 2013 External T.I. 2012-0471401E5 F - FMV - partnership interest
Where an interest in a professional partnership that has made the s. 34 election has been transferred under s. 85(1) to a corporation, can the deferred tax liability respecting the partnership’s work-in-progress be taken into account in determining the fair market value of the partnership? CRA responded:
[In] determining the FMV of an interest in a professional partnership … [n]ormally, the work-in-progress of a business that was the subject of an election under section 34 is taken into account … . A potential purchaser thus would be inclined to accord some value to work-in-progress which had been performed but not invoiced. However, such value would likely be discounted in order to consider possible efficiency losses in the execution of mandates, all risks associated with recoveries as well as income taxes.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
---|---|---|
Tax Topics - General Concepts - Fair Market Value - Other | deferred tax liability re deferred (s. 34) partnership income recognition reduces partnership interest FMV | 236 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 34 | FMV of partnership interest reduced re deferred income taxes on WIP subject to s. 34 election | 41 |
Paragraph 85(1)(c.1)
Administrative Policy
7 July 2005 External T.I. 2005-0122191E5 F - Erroneous Elections in Statute-barred Years
An individual (X) transferred all the shares of Bco to Aco in exchange for a note and common shares, electing under s. 85(1) at an amount thought to be the transferred shares’ ACB – but it later emerged that this amount was their PUC, and their ACB was higher (but still less than their FMV). CRA noted that s. “85(1)(c.1) results in an automatic adjustment to the agreed amount in respect of the transferred property and, as a result, the affected taxpayers do not have to file an amended election in that regard.”
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
---|---|---|
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(7) | no need to amend the s. 85(1) election where automatic s. 85(1)(c.1) adjustment | 55 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - 101-110 - Section 110.6 - Subsection 110.6(19) | no need to amend the s. 85(1) election where the agreed amount was less than the s. 85(1)(c.1) floor | 93 |
Paragraph 85(1)(c.2)
Administrative Policy
IT-427R "Livestock of Farmers"
IT-433 "Farming or Fishing - Use of Cash Method"
Paragraph 85(1)(d)
Administrative Policy
2015 Ruling 2014-0558831R3 - No-type of property spin-off butterfly
A butterfly spin-off by a public corporation (DC) of two business divisions (which it prepackaged in a Newco subsidiary) is preceded by a drop-down of the assets (some held directly) of those two divisions by DC into Newco. On the drop-down, the DC cumulative eligible capital is treated as a proportionate portion of the actual CEC amount. In particular, for purposes of s. 85(1)(d)(i), the reference therein to DC’s CEC in respect of its business immediately before the disposition shall be interpreted to mean a pro rata proportion of DC’s CEC in respect of its business immediately before the transfer to Newco represented by the transferred eligible capital property in respect of the business (based on the relative “fair market value at that time or the amount of the CEC that is attributable to” the transferred ECP relative to that of all of DC’s ECP in respect of the business.)
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
---|---|---|
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 55 - Subsection 55(1) - Distribution | prior drop-down of assets to Newco/split of DC manager's business/CEC proration/replacement option issuance as boot | 1177 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 7 - Subsection 7(1.4) | replacement stock options issued by Spinco treated as boot | 112 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 86 - Subsection 86(1) | new common shares with same attributes as old subject to rights of new special shares/ pro rata PUC | 164 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Disposition | splitting of fee for management of 2 divisions not a disposition of contract | 145 |
Paragraph 85(1)(d.11)
Administrative Policy
15 November 2006 External T.I. 2004-0083461E5 F - Feb. 2004 Proposals - Paragraph 85(1)(d.11)
CRA noted that the question as to whether the application rule regarding s. 85(1)(d.11) (that it applied in respect of dispositions occurring after December 20, 2002) referred to the initial transfer of the eligible capital property by the taxpayer to the taxable Canadian corporation under s. 85(1) or to the subsequent sale of ECP by that corporation, was now addressed by s. 86(4) of the Notice of Ways and Means Motion tabled on November 9, 2006.
Paragraph 85(1)(e)
Administrative Policy
27 October 2017 External T.I. 2017-0688971E5 F - New Class 14.1
Goodwill of a business was purchased in 2016 for $100,000, resulting in a cumulative eligible capital balance on December 31, 2016 of $75,000 (i.e., 75% of $100,000) ignoring any s. 20(1)(b) amortization deductions. The business owner (Mr. X) now wants to roll the business into a Newco under s. 85(1), electing at $100,000 (which, in the posited example, equals the non-share consideration in the form of a loan to be assumed by Newco).
CRA indicated that this elected amount would produce $25,000 in recapture of depreciation, stating:
[U]nder paragraph 13(38)(a), the total capital cost of Mr. X's property included in Class 14.1 in respect of the business was deemed to be $100,000 … .
However, by virtue of paragraph 13(38)(c) … [t]he UCC balance for Class 14.1 in respect of Mr. X’s business ... would be $75,000.
… [The] agreed amount [of $100,000] would be deemed to be the proceeds of disposition of the property tor Mr. X and the cost of the property to Newco.
CRA went on to indicate that s. 13(39), which might otherwise increase the undepreciated capital cost by $25,000 on this disposition, does not apply where s. 85(1) applies to the disposition.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 13 - Subsection 13(38) - Paragraph 13(38)(c) | a s. 85 roll of purchased goodwill at an agreed amount of unamortized cost can trigger recapture | 250 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 13 - Subsection 13(39) | non-application on s. 85 roll can result in recapture -but disposition bump available to NAL transferee | 117 |
2017 Ruling 2016-0675881R3 - Paragraph 55(3)(a) Internal Reorganization
CRA also ruled in connection with a s. 55(3)(a) division of the rental real estate and realty assets of Canco between Newco 1 and Newco 2 that the undepreciated capital cost of depreciable property could be split based on the relative capital cost rather than relative fair market value of the depreciable properties that were spun-off. (Butterfly rulings typically have prorated UCC based on relative FMV – see e.g., 2014-0530961R3 and 2013-0498651R3). In particular, CRA stated that for the purposes of determining the elected amount under s. 85(1)(e):
the reference to “the undepreciated capital cost to the taxpayer of all property of that class immediately before the disposition” in subparagraph 85(1)(e)(i) will be read to mean the proportion of the undepreciated capital cost to Canco of all the property of that class that the capital cost of the property so transferred before the disposition is of the capital cost of all property of that class immediately before the disposition.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 55 - Subsection 55(3) - Paragraph 55(3)(a) | division of rental real estate company between holdcos for 2 children but with parents' holdco retaining voting control | 579 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 55 - Subsection 55(4) | s. 55(3)(a) split-up between Newcos for two siblings which were related due to multiple-voting shares held by the father’s and mother’s Holdco | 170 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 186 - Subsection 186(1) - Paragraph 186(1)(b) | where circular RDTOH calculation arises on spin-off transaction, it is for the TSOs to sort out which corporations should bear Part IV tax | 249 |
27 November 2014 External T.I. 2013-0503861E5 F - Application du paragraphe 248(16)
Where a taxpayer claims an input tax credit under ETA s. 193 on transferring a depreciable building on a rollover basis under ITA s. 85(1), can it treat the undepreciated capital cost of the property as being reduced by such ITC for purposes of the determination of the elected amount under s. 85(1)(e)? CRA responded (TaxInterpretations translation):
[T]he taxpayer does not have the right to receive the government assistance before the disposition of the depreciable property, because it cannot…claim its ITC before the disposition…by reason of the rules of ETA section 193. The UCC…consequently is reduced through the operation of variable J…after the disposition… .
…[T]he calculation of the UCC under subparagraph 85(1)(e)(i) is made immediately before the disposition of the depreciable property. Consequently, the taxpayer …cannot adjust the UCC for purposes of subparagraph 85(1)(e)(i) irrespective of whether the ITC claim is made in the reporting period in which the disposition occurs or in a subsequent period, because it will not receive the ITC and will not have a right to receive it immediately before the disposition of the depreciable property.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(16) | ETA s. 193 ITC claim does not reduce UCC under s. 85(1)(e)(i) | 82 |
2006 Ruling 2006-0181061R3 - Butterfly Distribution - XXXXXXXXXX
in a single-wing butterfly in which assets are distributed to a holding company for one of the two brothers which control the corporation, the business assets of the distributing corporation which are transferred on a rollover basis to "Newco" include depreciable property. For purposes of determining the elected amount:
the reference to the "undepreciated capital cost to the taxpayer of all property of that class immediately before the disposition" found in subparagraph 85(1)(e)(i) will be interpreted to mean that proportion of the undepreciated capital cost to the taxpayer of all the property of that class that the FMV of the assets that are transferred immediately before the disposition is of the FMV of all property of that class immediately before the disposition.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
---|---|---|
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 55 - Subsection 55(1) - Distribution | 73 |
25 October 2002 External T.I. 2002-0137705 F - Butterfly
CCRA agreed that it would generally treat the reference in s. 85(1)(e) to "the undepreciated capital cost to the taxpayer of all property of that class immediately before the disposition" as referring to "that proportion of the undepreciated capital cost to the taxpayer of all property of that class immediately before the disposition that the FMV to the taxpayer of the property transferred of that class is of the FMV to the taxpayer of all property of that class immediately before the disposition" where a butterfly reorganization entails the transfer by the distributing corporation of its property to new subsidiaries of the distributing corporation, followed by the transfer of the shares of the new subsidiaries to the transferee corporations.
October 1989 Revenue Canada Round Table - Q.6 (Jan. 90 Access Letter, ¶1075)
On the division pursuant to a butterfly reorganization of two depreciable assets of the same class, RC will accept the apportionment of the undepreciated capital cost on a pro-rata basis to each asset of the class in accordance with ATR-27.
Paragraph 85(1)(e.2)
Administrative Policy
S4-F3-C1 - Price Adjustment Clauses
CRA will consider a price adjustment clause to represent pricing at fair market value if:
- the agreement reflects a bona fide intention of the parties to transfer property at FMV;
- the purported FMV is determined by method that is fair and reasonable in the circumstances (which does not necessarily entail using CRA's preferred method, nor engaging a valuation expert);
- the parties agree that a CRA or Court valuation, if any, will supersede the price otherwise determined; and
- the excess or shortfall is actually refunded or paid, or legal liability therefor is adjusted (para. 1.5).
Price adjustment clauses involving shares may use a number of adjustment mechanisms. CRA non-exhaustively mentions changes in redemption value, the issuance of a note or change in the principle amount of a note, or a change in the number of shares issued - although CRA recommends against using the latter because of inherent legal and technical difficulties (para. 1.6).
2014 Ruling 2011-0415811R3 - Internal reorganization
Current structure
Parent, a public corporation which previously had been spun-off by Subco 2 (also a public corporation, but with Subco 1 holding all its common shares), owns all the common shares of Subco 1, Subco 3, Can Holdco (as well as preferred shares of Subco 1), and a portion of the common shares of FA2. Subco 3 owns the remaining common shares of FA2 and Subco 2 owns all the common shares of FA 1. The assets held in Subco 2 and FA 1 constitute the majority of the assets in the Parent group.
Proposed transactions
- Parent will transfer to Can Holdco (which currently has nominal assets) all its FA 2 shares in consideration for common shares of Can Holdco having an equal FMV, and elect at the lesser of under s. 85(1)(c.1)(i) and (ii).
- Subco 3 will transfer all its FA 2 shares to Can Holdco for a purchase price equal to the shares' adjusted cost base (and with a price adjustment clause based only on any adjustment to such ACB), and Can Holdco will issue in consideration therefor redeemable retractable Class B shares having a redemption amount, paid-up capital and FMV equal to such purchase price. Subco 3 and Can Holdco will elect at the lesser of the s. 85(1)(c.1)(i) and (ii) amounts.
- Similarly, Subco 2 will transfer its FA 1 shares to Can Holdco for Can Holdco Class C preferred shares with a redemption amount, paid-up capital and FMV equal to the ACB of the transferred shares, with a similar s. 85(1) election made.
- Can Holdco will transfer all its FA 1 shares to FA 2 in consideration for additional FA 2 shares with an equivalent FMV.
- Can Holdco will redeem its Class C shares held by Subco 2 for demand notes (accepted as full payment, and with their terms acknowledging that their principal amount is subject to adjustment based on the Class C share price adjustment clause).
- Similarly, Can Holdco will redeem its Class B shares held by Subco 3 for demand notes.
- Parent will draw down under its credit facility and subscribe for Can Holdco common shares in amounts sufficient to fund the note redemptions in 8 below.
- Can Holdco will satisfy the notes owing to Subco 2 and 3 in cash.
- Subco 2 will reduce the stated capital of its common shares by making a single cash distribution, within XX months from the transfer in 3, with the reduction being subject to a price adjustment clause.
- Subco 1 will make a corresponding stated capital distribution in cash to Parent.
- Subco 3 will reduce the stated capital of its common shares by making a cash distribution, subject to a price adjustment clause.
- Parent will repay the advance in 7.
Purposes
. To combine FA 1 and 2 groups within a single ownership chain. The transfers in 2 and 3 occur at ACB rather than FMV in order "to restrict the increase in Parent's ACB of its Can Holdco Common Shares arising from its subscription for additional common shares in Can Holdco…[in 7] to the sum of Subco 3's aggregate ACB of its FA 2 Shares and Subco 2's aggregate ACB of its FA 1 Shares" [i.e., to avoid shifting more ACB away from the Subco 1 and 3 chain, which have important assets?]
Rulings
Ss. 85(1)(e.2), 15(1), 56(2), 69(4) and 246(1) will not apply to the transfers in 2 and 3. Per summary:
Based on the specific unique facts of the present situation, it would not be reasonable to regard any part of the excess, as described in paragraph 85(1)(e.2), as a benefit that Subco 2 or Subco 3 desired to have conferred on a person related to Subco 2 or Subco 3.
The transfer of FA 1 shares in 4 will not by itself cause those shares to cease to be capital property. S. 84(2) will apply and s. 84(4.1) will not apply to the distribution in 9.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 84 - Subsection 84(2) | cash distribution to parent of indirect proceeds of internal reorg | 506 |
17 May 2012 Internal T.I. 2012-0437001I7 F - Price Adjustment Clause
A price adjustment clause (PAC) is engaged to increase the fair market value of shares issued to the taxpayer on a s. 85(1) drop-down transaction. CRA confirmed that given that there is no change to the elected amount or the description of the transferred property, there is no need to file an amended s. 85(1) election.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - General Concepts - Effective Date | per Gurberg, a PAC has retroactive effect | 169 |
9 June 2003 External T.I. 2003-0004835 - WHETHER A PARTNERSHIP IS A PERSON
In a s. 97(2) transfer, the partnership is not considered a person related to the taxpayer solely because the taxpayer is a majority interest partner. Therefore, assuming that the taxpayer is not a corporation controlled by the partnership, and there is no intention to confer any benefit on the other partners, s. 85(1)(e.2) would not apply to the transfer.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 97 - Subsection 97(2) | 60 |
15 November 2002 Internal T.I. 2002-0162427 F - Price Adjustment Clause & 85(7.1)
Madame exchanged her Class A shares of the corporation for Class D shares having a redemption amount which CCRA subsequently determined was substantially less than the FMV of the Class A shares, and filed a s. 85(1) rollover election respecting this exchange. Monsieur (her husband) then subscribed for Class A shares. In finding that s. 85(1)(e.2) likely was applicable unless the TSO chose to respect a price-adjustment clause, the Directorate stated:
[I]t is clear that the result of the transaction was that Madame conferred a benefit on Monsieur. … [Furthermore] it seems reasonable … to conclude that Madame desired to confer a benefit on Monsieur since, as sole director of the Corporation, it was she who chose to set the redemption value of the Class D shares at an amount lower than the FMV of the Class A shares transferred in consideration.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - General Concepts - Effective Date | large FMV discrepancy suggested lack of bona fide valuation so that price adjustment clause need not be applied/ if applied, s. 85(1) election must be amended | 212 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(7) | amended s. 85(1) election must be filed if price-adjustment clause applied | 100 |
1996 Tax Executives Round Table, Q. IV (No. 9639160)
"Generally, where the facts show that the parties to the transaction intended to transfer the property at its fair market value and their efforts to establish that value are based on a fair and reasonable method the Department will not consider that a taxpayer desired to confer a benefit."
15 November 1990 T.I. (Tax Window, Prelim. No. 2, p. 14, ¶1078)
A taxpayer will not be considered to have conferred a benefit pursuant to s. 85(1)(e.2) where the redemption and retraction amount of preferred shares received in exchange for rental property transferred to a corporation equals the fair market value of that property, even if the dividend rate on the shares is low in relation to current market conditions.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - General Concepts - Fair Market Value - Shares | 60 |
90 C.R. - Q34
It is not the intention of RC to apply s. 85(1)(e.2) to a "classic" estate freeze provided that the transferor receives retractable preference shares with a value equal to the difference between the fair market value of the transferred property and any other consideration taken back.
89 C.R. - Q.23
"Where the fair market value of the business assets exceeds the fair market value of the consideration used to pay for the business assets in a situation where a taxpayer owns all the share capital of a corporation to which it transfers the business assets ... it appears reasonable to conclude that the excess is a benefit that the taxpayer wishes to confer on the corporation."
October 1989 Revenue Canada Round Table - Q.10 (Jan. 90 Access Letter, ¶1075)
s. 85(1)(e.2) will be applicable where the price is less than the fair market value of the property, regardless whether the consideration consists of shares redeemable at a price equal to the sale price, or whether the consideration consists of common shares the total value of which is less than the sale price - assuming that it is reasonable to consider the excess as a benefit that the transferor decided to confer upon the related corporation (in this case, its wholly-owned subsidiary).
88 C.R. - "Demise of the Wingless Butterfly"
s. 85(1)(e.2) will apply where property is transferred from a corporation to its wholly-owned subsidiary if the fair market value of the consideration provided by the subsidiary for the property is less than the fair market value of the property transferred by the parent.
81 C.R. - Q.6
S.85(1)(e.2) will not be applied to transactions which comply with s. 55(3)(b).
IT-489R: "Non-Arm's Length Sale of Shares to a Corporation"
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(1) | 0 |
Articles
Tung, "Application of the Gifting Provisions of Section 85", Tax Profile, October 1990, p. 42
Discussion of the overstatement of RC in IC 76-19R2, para. 22.
Paragraph 85(1)(e.4)
Administrative Policy
10 September 2012 External T.I. 2012-0446921E5 F - Avantage pour automobile
In 2012, Corporation A disposed of an automobile that had been acquired by it in 2009 at a cost of $40,000 and used by a joint employee of it and a related corporation (Corporation B) to Corporation B, for consideration equal to its fair market value of $25,000, with the automobile continuing to be used by the employee in the course of such joint employment. Following this transfer, what is the automobile cost for automobile standby charge purposes? CRA responded:
[E]lement "C" of the formula in subsection 6(2) refers to the cost of the automobile to Corporation B.
CRA went on to note that if the two corporations elected under s. 85(1):
[P]aragraph 85(1)(e.4) provides that, for the purposes of subsection 6(2), the cost of the automobile to the transferee corporation will be deemed to be an amount equal to its fair market value immediately before the disposition.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 6 - Subsection 6(2) | transfer to related corp stepped down cost for standby charge purposes to FMV | 135 |
IT-521R: "Motor Vehicle Expenses Claimed by Self-Employed Individuals"
IT-522R: "Vehicle, Travel and Sales Expenses of Employees"
Paragraph 85(1)(f)
Administrative Policy
21 January 2002 External T.I. 2001-0078735 F - Droit de recevoir une somme
The shareholders of a CCPC (Xco) agreed to sell their Xco shares to a public corporation (Yco) in consideration for an upfront cash payment, and for shares of Yco received on an s. 85(1) rollover basis – but with a clause (the “Clause”) in the sale agreement providing that in one year’s time they would receive a further cash payment for each of their Yco shares equal to the deficiency in its trading price at that time as compared to the portion of the sale price allocated to such shares.
CCRA indicated that the right to receive an amount pursuant to the Clause was a capital property, forming part of the non-share consideration that the vendors received on the disposition of their shares in Xco, the cost of which was determined pursuant to paragraph 85(1)(f).
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 54 - Proceeds of Disposition | FMV of contingent right to deferred cash sales proceeds was included in proceeds, with subsequent gain or loss when the contingency was resolved | 224 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 12 - Subsection 12(1) - Paragraph 12(1)(g) | s. 12(1)(g) inapplicable to contingent right to receive deferred cash sales proceeds to the extent the share consideration declined in value | 220 |
Paragraph 85(1)(h)
Finance
5 October 2018 APFF Financial Strategies and Instruments Roundtable, Finance Response to Q.6
An individual transfers a directly-held pharmacy business to a wholly-owned Newco in 2017. On January 1, 2017, the cumulative eligible capital (CEC) account of $1.5 million, reflecting a previous purchase price for goodwill of $2 million, was transferred to Class 14.1 resulting in an undepreciated capital cost (UCC) balance of $1.5 million. The FMV of the goodwill at the time of the drop-down in 2017 is $2.2 million. The s. 85(1) elected amount is $1.5 million to avoid recapture. However, the shares received by the individual in exchange therefor would have a cost only of $1.5 million, whereas if the drop-down had occurred in 2016, it could still have occurred on a rollover basis with an elected amount of $2.0 million (i.e., 4/3 of the CEC balance), thereby giving rise to a cost of the same shares to the individual of $2 million.
After discussing the general policy behind the Class 14.1 transitional rules, Finance commented on this $500,000 cost discrepancy:
Subsections 13(38) and (39) and their interaction with other rules, including subsection 85(1), are the subject of a review by the Department of Finance Canada in order to ensure that the tax consequences of a rollover under subsection 85(1) are appropriate for the transferor and the transferee of property.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 13 - Subsection 13(38) | Finance is reviewing the deemed cost of shares received on s. 85 drop-down of transitioned Class 14.1 property | 221 |
Subsection 85(1.1)
See Also
Commissioner of State Revenue v Rojoda Pty Ltd , [2020] HCA 7
An Australian-resident husband and wife (Anthony and Maria) were the equal partners of a partnership (the “AMS Partnership”) and were registered as joint tenants of freehold title to partnership property. Upon the death of Anthony in February 2011 (leaving his estate to be divided equally between three testamentary trusts for his children), the partnership was dissolved, and three months later, the partnership was subject to a general dissolution in accordance with the partnership deed. Maria, as the surviving joint tenant, became registered as proprietor of the freehold titles. In December 2013, Maria, the beneficiaries of Anthony’s estate and a trust company (“Rojoda”) entered into a deed (the “2013 Deed”) whose effect was to declare a bare trust over the legal title to the properties held by Maria in favour of each of the former partners and the legatees of the deceased estate.
The Duties Act (Western Australia) imposed duty on “dutiable transactions" including "a declaration of trust over dutiable property, such as "land in Western Australia." At issue was whether, as found by the Court of Appeal below, the interests of the beneficiaries of the trust over the partnership property changed to fixed interests on the partnership dissolution that occurred on death (which was not a dutiable transaction), or whether the change to fixed interests occurred under the 2013 Deed (which would be a dutiable transactions). Essentially the same issue arose respecting the dissolution on death of Anthony and a 2013 Deed respecting a second family partnership.
After noting (at para. 21) the “orthodox” and correct view that “the interest of partners in relation to partnership assets is not an interest in any particular asset but is an indefinite and fluctuating interest in relation to the assets, being the right to a proportion of the surplus after the realisation of the assets and payment of the debts and liabilities of the partnership”, and in finding that the 2013 Deeds involved dutiable transactions, being the declaration of new trusts, the majority of the High Court stated (at paras. 26, 33, 41-42):
[P]artnership property is held on trust for the partners. … However, the equitable rights of partners under a trust of partnership property differ substantially from the equitable rights created by the declarations of trust in the 2013 Deeds. Contrary to the reasoning of the Court of Appeal, those rights did not change after dissolution due to the equitable maxim that equity regards as done that which ought to be done. ...
[T]he only right that the partners have, both before and after dissolution, in relation to each asset is a right to the account and distribution after sale of the proceeds of that asset … .
Prior to the 2013 Deeds …[s]ince there was no provision to the contrary in either of the partnership deeds, Maria held the freehold titles of each partnership on trust for the partners. … Each partner had a non-specific interest in relation to all of the partnership freehold titles (as well as all of the current assets of each partnership) with a right, upon dissolution, to compel the sale of the freehold titles in order to realise a fund from which at the conclusion of the winding up a vested share could then be claimed.
Although the relevant operative clause of each of the 2013 Deeds provided that Maria "confirms" that she held the freehold titles of each partnership on trust in the relevant proportions for each former partner or their successors, those "confirmations" of fixed trust had a substantive effect. They extinguished the unique equitable rights of the partners under the partnership trusts and created new fixed trusts.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 96 | partnership property is held in trust for the partners | 155 |
Boland v. Boland (1980), 14 Alta. L.R. (2d) 154 (Alta. Q.B.)
Cormack J. found that s. 24 of the Partnership Act (Alberta) (which deemed partnership property consisting of land to be personal property and not real property) to be a narrow provision which merely codified the equitable doctrine of notional conversion for purposes of devolution of estates. ("On the principle that, in the liquidation of partnership debts, the share of each partner was to be sold and turned into money, it followed that, in equity, the share, whether consisting of land or not, as between the real and personal representative of a deceased partner should be deemed to be personal and not real estate.") (p. 174)
Seven Mile Dam Contractors v. The Queen in Right of British Columbia (1980), 116 DLR (3d) 398, 1980 CanLII 451 (BCCA)
On a sale of equipment by one partnership ("Seven Mile") to another ("Kootenay Power") in which the two partners of Seven Mile had a 40% and 10% partnership interest, tax was imposed under the Social Service Tax Act (B.C.) on the price of "property purchased" on the basis that only a 1/2 interest in the equipment had been transferred. Hutcheon J.A. adopted a statement in Lindley on the Law of Partnerships that the share of a partner "is regarded as a proportionate interest in the specific items of property which together constitute the partnership property."
Lane v. The Queen, 78 DTC 6535, [1978] CTC 795 (FCTD), briefly aff'd 86 DTC 6568, [1986] 2 CTC (FCA)
Collier J found that the taxpayer's disposition of his interest in a "syndicate" was the disposition of an interest in a partnership so that recapture of depreciation was not realized, given that under the partnership law of Alberta a disposition by a member of a partnership of his shares in the partnership was not a disposition of a share in particular assets held, as a group, by the particular partnership members.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 100 | disposition of partnership interest not disposition of underlying property | 61 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 9 - Capital Gain vs. Profit - Partnership Interests | partnership interest distinct from partnership property | 107 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 96 | 20 |
Lavin v. Geffen (1920), 61 SCR 356, aff'g (1920), 51 DLR 203 (Alta. C.A.)
An oral agreement of one partner to purchase the other partner's interest was enforceable, notwithstanding that the assets of the partnership included a leasehold interest in real estate and notwithstanding section 4 of the Statute of Frauds which applied to "the sale of lands tenements or hereditaments or any interest in or concerning them," because the partnership interests were mere choses in action.
Winsby v. Tait, [1941] 2 DLR 81 (SCC), rev'd [1943] 1 DLR 81 (PC)
A provision of the Mineral Act (B.C.), which provided that "no person ... shall be recognized as having any right or interest in or to any mining property unless he or it has a free miner's certificate unexpired," did not prevent a partner from seeking an accounting of his share of partnership profits from mining claims." Davis J. quoted the following statement of Romer L.J. in Re Bourne, [1906] 2 Ch. 427:
"It is to be borne in mind that the real interest of the partnership in real estate is of a personal character, because wherever the legal estate may by, whether it is in the partners jointly or in one partner or in a stranger it does not matter, the beneficiary interest in the real estate belongs to the partnership, with an implied trust for sale for the purpose of realizing the assets and for the purpose of giving to the two partners their interests when the partnership is wound up and an account taken."
In re Fuller's Contract, [1933] 1 Ch. 652
In commenting on a submission that Re Bourne should be regarded as "a decision that a partner has no beneficial interest in the partnership real estate that he can point to," Luxmoore J. stated:
"I think Romer L.J. was only pointing out that the beneficial interest in the real estate belonged to the partnership, that is, to those persons who constituted the partnership, and that those persons were together entitled to the partnership property. Of course, as between the partners, the partnership property must be dealt with in a particular way, but so far as all the rest of the world is concerned, there is no limitation on the interests of the partners; the partners have the beneficial interest in the partnership assets, which are held together as an undivided whole, but they respectively have undivided interests in them."
Porter v. Armstrong, [1926] 2 DLR 340, [1926] S.C.R. 328
Two individuals did not agree to purchase land as partnership property given that in their mind there was no "binding agreement which would disable either of them from dealing with the share - that is to say, with the share in the land itself - as his own separate property" (p. 330). Duff J. stated:
"The property of the partnership is not divisible among the partners in specie. The partner's right is a right to a division of profits according to the special arrangement, and as regards the corpus, to the sale and division of the proceeds on dissolution after the discharge of liabilities. This right, a partner may assign, but he cannot transfer to another an undivided interest in the partnership property in specie."
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 96 | 126 |
Boyd v. Attorney General for BC (1917), 54 SCR 532
An Ontario domiciled person had died owning a partnership interest in a partnership that carried on business in Ontario, did not carry on business in British Columbia but held timberland situate in British Columbia. In rejecting a submission that BC succession duty did not apply because the deceased did not have an interest in property situate in BC, Duff J. stated (at p. 559):
[A]t the death of the deceased partner his interest was an undivided interest in the partnership assets as a whole, including the British Columbia assets, an undivided interest in every item of the assets subject to a charge for payment of debts.
Driver v. Broad, [1893] 1 Q.B. 744 (C.A.)
A debenture containing a floating charge on leasehold property of a company, consisting of a factory and warehouse, constituted an interest in land for purposes of the Statute of Frauds. [C.R: 206(1)(h)]
Administrative Policy
3 November 2023 APFF Financial Strategies and Instruments Roundtable Q. 6, 2023-0994241C6 F - Consequences of Transfer of DSUs to a corporation
In finding that the rights of an employee under a deferred share unit plan described in Reg. 6801(d) (a "DSU Plan") were not eligible property that could be transferred to the employee’s personal holding company under s. 85(1), CRA stated that an “employee's rights under a DSU Plan generate income from an office or employment” rather than being capital property.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Salary Deferral Arrangement | transfer of DSU to corporation would cause it to cease to qualify, perhaps retroactively | 240 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 54 - Capital Property | deferred share units were not capital property | 59 |
29 January 2015 Internal T.I. 2014-0544651I7 - Section 85 transfer of Swap Contracts
The taxpayer entered into cross-currency (U.S.$/Cdn$) Swap Contracts with a counterparty respecting the issuance of U.S.-dollar notes issued by it or an affiliate and whose proceeds were used to repay existing indebtedness and general corporate purposes. The taxpayer subscribed for common shares in companies for nominal amounts and shortly thereafter transferred its rights under each of the Swap Contracts to the new corporations. "After taking into account the Taxpayers' XX [the] swaps would be on account of income."
In responding to the view of the TSO that "that the Swap Contracts do not constitute inventory for the purposes of paragraph 85(1.1)(f) as the cost or value was not relevant in computing the taxpayer's income, the Directorate stated:
[T]he cost or values of XX Swap Contracts are relevant components in the computation of the taxpayer's income from a business for a taxation year. Accordingly…the Swap Contracts are considered to be inventory for the purposes of paragraph 85(1.1)(f).
See summary under s. 85(1).
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Inventory | swap contract treated as inventory | 55 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(1) | swap contract recorded on securities rather than inventory line of T2057 | 251 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 9 - Capital Gain vs. Profit - Foreign Exchange | swap contract treated as inventory | 55 |
6 October 2014 External T.I. 2014-0543751E5 F - Rollover of a part of an interest in a partnership
X, who wished to dispose of half of interest (which is capital property) in a partnership to a taxable Canadian corporation in consideration for shares. Is a s. 85(1) election available? After noting that "property" included the fractional interest, and referring to the ACB apportionment rule in s. 43(1), CRA stated:
Thus, a part or fraction of an interest in a partnership would be eligible property as described in paragraph 85(1.1)(a).
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Property | partnership interest is one property - but fraction thereof also is property if transferred | 98 |
16 June 2014 STEP Roundtable, 2014-0526561C6 - Capital interest as eligible property for s 85
Can a capital interest in a personal trust qualify as eligible property? After noting that eligible property in s. 85(1.1) includes most capital property, capital property in s. 54(1) includes any non-depreciable property a gain from which would be a capital gain, and further noting that s. 107(1)(a) contemplates that the disposition of a capital interest in a personal trust could give rise to a capital gain, CRA stated:
[T]he capital interest in a personal trust will qualify as "eligible property" pursuant to subsection 85(1.1) and for the purposes of subsection 85(1), provided it is a capital property of the taxpayer.
5 March 2014 Internal T.I. 2013-0500891I7 - Hedging
Parent hedged a U.S.-dollar borrowing by entering into foreign currency forward contracts, which were found to have been acquired on capital account notwithstanding they were entered into a few years later. In order to utilize capital loss carryforwards of a wholly-owned subsidiary ("Subco"), it assigned its rights and obligations under the forward contracts to Subco, and they elected under s. 85 for rollover treament. The forward contracts were eligible property:
As indicated in Rulings document XXXX, we have previously confirmed that an "in-the-money" forward contract is an eligible property within the meaning of subsection 85(1) provided that it was linked to a capital transaction.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 9 - Capital Gain vs. Profit - Foreign Exchange | s. 85(1) roll of FX forward to sub | 195 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 9 - Capital Gain vs. Profit - Futures/Forwards/Hedges | s. 85(1) roll of FX forward to sub | 195 |
1 May 2013 External T.I. 2012-0459541E5 - Capital interest in a trust
"[T]he capital interest in a personal trust will qualify as eligible property pursuant to subsection 85(1.1) and for the purposes of subsection 85(1) of the Act, provided it is a capital property of the taxpayer."
14 April 2009 External T.I. 2007-0238221E5 F - Rights of musician-Transfer
As part of a general response respecting the transfer of rights by a musician to a corporation, CRA stated:
[T]he transfer of a right to royalties, together with the transfer of the copyright generating those royalties, could fall within the provisions of section 85 and not be covered by subsection 56(4). … [S]ubsection 13(3) of the Copyright Act … states that, unless otherwise provided by contract, copyright in a work created in the course of employment is the property of the employer and not of the author. That being said … F2002-0149781R3 [found] that a right to royalties from SOCAN constituted "eligible property" … .
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 56 - Subsection 56(4) | s. 56(4) generally will apply where royalty is transferred without assignment of copyright, with exception of SOCAN royalty | 165 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 56 - Subsection 56(2) | s. 56(2) not applicable where copyright or royalty interests transferred at FMV | 75 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 125 - Subsection 125(7) - Specified Investment Business | royalty income generated from an active business is itself active business income | 122 |
2004 Ruling 2002-0149781R3 F - Transfer of copyrights
Proposed transaction
Mr. A, a composer, will transfer to a newly-incorporated wholly-owned corporation (“Opco1”) his property used in his business of composer, including copyright (other than performance rights previously transferred to SOCAN, being a collective society described in s. 2 of the Copyright Act) and including his rights to royalties from SOCAN, in consideration for Opco1 shares; and will jointly elect with Opco1 for this transfer to occur on a rollover basis pursuant to s. 85(1).
Rulings
Including that (subject to s. 69(11)) s. 85(1) will apply to such transfer of his copyright and his right to royalties from the collective society, and that CRA will not apply s. 56(4).
1998 A.P.F.F. Round Table, Q. 14, 9824750
Know-how is not property. Accordingly, although the know-how relating to a business may be part of the goodwill that is transferred on an incorporation of that business, this position (reflected in IT-386R, para. 2(d)) cannot be relied upon in determining whether know-how is an eligible property for purposes of s. 85(1.1).
23 September 1996 External T.I. 5-962304
The rights of a person to obtain a patent in respect of know-how represent property and, accordingly, can qualify as an eligible property under s. 85(1.1).
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Property | 27 |
22 June 1995 External T.I. 9224155 F - R&D Pool, Rollover
A pool of unclaimed R&D expenditures is not eligible property, although any capital property the cost of which is included in the pool would be an eligible property.
28 March 1995 Internal T.I. 9502507 - RIGHT TO ROYALTY ELIGIBLE PROPERTY
Although "a right to receive income, in or by itself, would generally not be considered capital property", here the taxpayer also owned the underlying property which gave rise to the rights (making it arguable that the rights to the royalty income in question were capital property) and, further, such rights related to a business (with the result that the rights might qualify as eligible capital property). Accordingly, the rights qualified as eligible property.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Property | 66 |
94 C.P.T.J. - Q.20
"In order for a right to a royalty income in respect of 'know-how' to qualify as an eligible property, it must be either a capital property or an eligible capital property ... . The right to receive income where there is no underlying right to the property that may create this income would not be regarded as a capital property."
1 September 1994 External T.I. 9413775 - ELIGIBLE PROPERTY & CUM DIVIDENDS
Before indicating that a preferred share with accrued cumulative dividends could be transferred by an individual to a holding corporation under s. 85(1) or exchanged for other shares of the corporation pursuant to a reorganization of capital described in s. 86(1) without the accrued dividends being recognized as income, Revenue Canada rejected the position that such accrued dividends would be an eligible property separate form the shares themselves, stating:
The right to accrued cumulative dividends would be just one of the bundle of rights that would be attached to a particular share ... . The transfer or exchange of shares with the right to accrued cumulative dividends would not, in and by itself, result in the accrued cumulative dividends being paid or deemed to have been paid by the corporation.
In its summary, it stated: “cumulative dividend not a corporate debt until dividend declared.”
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 248 - Subsection 248(1) - Property | right to accrued dividends is not separate property from the shares | 93 |
3 February 1994 External T.I. 5-923647
Holdbacks and unapproved billings of a contractor are eligible property in respect of which the elected amount can be $1.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 56 - Subsection 56(4) | 44 |
9 September 1991 Memorandum (Tax Window, No. 10, p. 16, ¶1476)
Holdbacks receivable of building contractors cannot be transferred on a rollover basis under s. 85(1).
15 August 1991 T.I. (Tax Window, No. 7, p. 19, ¶1393)
Where an individual carrying on a profession has made an election under s. 34 to exclude work-in-progress from income, the work-in-progress is "eligible property". Unbilled disbursements are costs incurred in the year to earn income and are not "eligible property".
8 January 1991 External T.I. 5-902839
It is not possible for a contractor following the completion method to transfer a contract in progress to a subsidiary under s. 85(1) without realizing income.
2 January 1991 T.I. (Tax Window, Prelim. No. 3, p. 11, ¶1083)
A butterfly reorganization involving the distribution of land inventory achieved on a rollover basis under ss.97(2) and 90(3) through the use of partnerships could entail an abuse through circumvention of the provisions of s. 85, which deny the benefits of the rollover to real estate inventory.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) | 48 |
3 December 1990 T.I. (Tax Window, Prelim. No. 2, p. 11, ¶1062)
A receivable that is capital property is an eligible property which may be transferred to the debtor corporation for treasury shares.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 80 - Subsection 80(1) | 34 | |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 80 - Subsection 80(5) | 34 |
90 C.R. - Q.35
Because an interest in a partnership is not considered to be an interest in its underlying assets, a capital interest in a real estate partnership held by a non-resident will qualify as eligible property, although s. 245 could apply where a partnership formed as part of a series of transactions which are designed to circumvent s. 85(1.1).
30 April 1990 T.I. (September 1990 Access Letter, ¶1423)
RC has not addressed the issue of whether deferred leasing costs constitute property eligible for transfer.
89 C.M.TC - Q.10
a partnership interest in a real estate partnership owned by a non-resident generally is eligible property. "However, where the formation of the partnership and the transfer of the land held by a non-resident are undertaken to circumvent the prohibition in section 85, subsection 245(2) of the Act would likely apply."
88 C.R. - Q.24
Seismic data the cost of which is in fact CEE rather than inventory cannot be rolled under s. 85(1).
86 C.R. - Q.50
Since a partnership interest is not considered to be an interest in the underlying assets, an interest in a partnership with real estate inventory is eligible property.
86 C.R. - Q.54
An interest in a partnership, the underlying property of which consists of Canadian resource property, is not a Canadian resource property.
84 C.R. - Q.48
Although RC accepts that a capital property that is an interest in a partnership, the underlying property of which is real estate inventory, can be transferred pursuant to s. 85(1), in a particular set of circumstances it will be a question of fact whether there is a transfer of a partnership interest.
12 December 1980 TI RCT 85-013
Before going to find that the contingent right to receive construction holdbacks was property that could be transferred on a rollover basis, RCT stated "we agree that the work in progress is inventory for purposes of subsection 85(1) if in fact it has been used in computing profit under section 9."
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(1) | 29 |
Articles
Donn, "Exchanges of Property for Shares: Section 85 - Part 1", 1995 Canadian Tax Journal, Vol. 43, No. 1, p. 203.
Vesely, "Takeover Bids: Selected Tax, Corporate and Securities Law Considerations", 1991 Conference Report, c. 11.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 87 - Subsection 87(1) | 0 |
Wilson, "Shares in a Corporation that Primarily Holds Land Inventory May Not Qualify for a Rollover", Corporate Structures and Groups, Vol 1, No. 2, 1992, p. 27
A taxpayer's shares in a corporation that primarily holds land inventory may be property that is neither capital property nor inventory.
Paragraph 85(1.1)(a)
Administrative Policy
8 July 2020 CALU Roundtable Q. 4, 2020-0842171C6 - Segregated Funds and 85(1)
Ms. A invests $100,000 into a segregated fund policy providing that upon its maturity in 15 years the amount payable it under to her as the annuitant will be the greater of 75% of that deposit and her share of the fair market value of the investments in the segregated fund), with the beneficiary (her husband) receiving the greater of the original deposit ($100,000) and her share of the current fair market of investments in the segregated fund in the event she dies prior to the maturity.
Prior to maturity, and when the adjusted cost base of her interest (of $120,000) is less than its fair market of her interest of $140,000 (based on the fair market value of the investments in the segregated fund), she transfers her interest to a taxable Canadian corporation in consideration only for common shares. Is her interest in the segregated fund policy an eligible property under s. 85(1.1)(a), so that a s. 85(1) election may be made? CRA responded:
In a scenario such as the one described above, a disposition of an interest in a related segregated fund trust will generally result in capital gains treatment under subparagraph 39(1)(a)(iii) of the Act. In such a case, the interest may be considered a capital property, and accordingly, an eligible property under paragraph 85(1.1)(a) of the Act for purposes of subsection 85(1) of the Act.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 138.1 - Subsection 138.1(1) - Paragraph 138.1(1)(e) - Subparagraph 138.1(1)(e)(i) | bifurcation of segregated fund policy | 244 |
3 April 2020 External T.I. 2020-0836991E5 - Eligible property and stock options
Stock options of an individual that were not employee stock options and that were held as capital property were eligible property.
16 February 2004 External T.I. 2003-0054091E5 F - Rollover for Contractors
Mr. X who, in computing income from his construction business, used the percentage-of-completion method and excluded contract holdbacks each year, transferred that business on a rollover basis to a "Newco with which he does not deal at arm's length. CRA stated:
[H]oldback interests qualify as "eligible property" within the meaning of subsection 85(1.1) provided that the transferee corporation includes the amount of the holdback in its income from a business in the taxation year in which the final certification of completion or the expiration of the lien period under the relevant provincial legislation occurs. The CRA considers that in such a situation, the agreed amount can be set at a nominal amount by the transferor and transferee corporation.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 56 - Subsection 56(4) | s. 56(4) not applied where construction lien holdbacks are transferred on s. 85(1) rollover basis to transferee, which includes them when they become receivable | 123 |
Paragraph 85(1.1)(b)
Administrative Policy
29 April 2008 External T.I. 2006-0215891E5 F - Partnership Interest & Departure Tax
After emigrating from Canada, an individual transferred his interest in a real estate partnership on a s. 85(1) rollover basis to a corporation of which he was the sole shareholder. In confirming that the partnership interest could be eligible property, CRA reiterated an earlier position that:
An interest in a partnership is not considered to be an interest in its underlying assets for purposes of section 85. An interest in a partnership could be held by its owner as capital property or inventory, depending on the circumstances. An interest in a partnership with assets that include an inventory of real property would be eligible for a subsection 85(1) transfer.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 220 - Subsection 220(4.5) - Paragraph 220(4.5)(a) - Subparagraph 220(4.5)(a)(i) | s. 85(1) rollover of the property triggered the s. 220(4.5) deferred tax | 98 |
Subsection 85(1.11) - Exception
Administrative Policy
29 November 2001 External T.I. 2001-0110985 - TEI, Question 21
In response to a question noting the untenable breadth of s. 85(1.11) the Agency indicated that it "does not have the experience in administering this rule which would be necessary in order to be in a position to provide general guidelines."
Subsection 85(1.3)
Administrative Policy
12 May 2014 External T.I. 2013-0503531E5 F - Discretionary Dividends Shares
In the context of a general discussion of s. 85(1)(e.2) and after paraphrasing s. 85(1.3), CRA stated (TaxInterpretations translation):
For example, in the situation where Mr. A holds all the issued and outstanding shares of Portfolioco A, that corporation is thus a wholly-owned corporation of Mr. A by virtue of paragraph 85(1.3)(a). Furthermore, Mr. A and Portfolioco A respectively hold 55% and 45% of the issued and outstanding shares of Aco. Thus, respecting Mr. A qua transferor, Aco is a wholly-owned corporation of him by virtue of paragraph 85(1.3)(c). On the other hand, relative to Portfolioco A as transferor, Aco would not be a wholly-owned corporation of Portfolioco A because Mr. A cannot qualify as a wholly-owned corporation of Portfolioco A.
22 January 1992 T.I. (Tax Window, No. 15, p. 3, ¶1708)
Where two individuals each transfer property to a wholly-owned corporation immediately following which the two corporations are amalgamated, s. 85(1)(e.2) will not apply to the transfers of property to the corporations.
Subsection 85(2) - Transfer of property to corporation from partnership
Cases
Gillen v. Canada, 2019 FCA 62
Webb JA affirmed a finding of D’Arcy J that the beneficial ownership of some applications to the Saskatchewan government for potash exploitation rights that had been acquired by a limited partnership had been immediately on-transferred by it to a wholly-owned corporation for share consideration (presumably on an s. 85(2) rollover basis), so that their fleeting beneficial ownership by the LP did not qualify them as being used in a Canadian active business, as required under the s. 110.6(14)(f)(ii) test. He noted that the shares in fact were not issued until shortly before their sale, but stated (at para, 49) that “there is no prohibition on a corporation receiving payment for shares well in advance of the shares being issued.”
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - 101-110 - Section 110.6 - Subsection 110.6(14) - Paragraph 110.6(14)(f) - Subparagraph 110.6(14)(f)(ii) | property was not used in a business for s. 110.6(14)(f)(ii) purposes when it was transferred immediately following its acquisition | 367 |
Administrative Policy
2004 Ruling 2004-0084311R3 - Incorporating a Partnership
On the transfer of the assets of a partnership to a corporation ("Newco") in consideration for shares and a promissory note, for reasons of legal simplification the shares and note are issued in the respective names of the partners (based on their pro-rata share) instead of the name of the partnership, with such pro-rata interest then being distributed to the respective partners on the subsequent wind-up of the partnership under s. 85(3). A comment that this manner of issuing the shares and promissory notes did not invalidate the application of ss.85(2) and (3).
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 125 - Subsection 125(7) - Personal Services Business | 99 | |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 245 - Subsection 245(4) | 93 |
IT-378R "Winding-up of a Partnership" 1 January 1995
2. The consideration received by the partnership for one or more properties disposed of under subsection 85(2) must include at least one share of the capital stock of the corporation. In practice the number issued is determined by the need for shares in the course of winding up under subsection 85(3). For administrative ease the shares are sometimes issued in the names of the partners instead of the name of the partnership. The Department's view is that this procedure does not invalidate the application of subsection 85(2), nor a subsequent application of subsection 85(3), if the intent is that the shares beneficially belong to the partnership and not to the partners themselves.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(3) | 253 |
IT-457R "Election by Professionals to Exclude Work in Progress from Income" under "Meaning of 'Work in Progress'"
Articles
Bernstein, "Partnership Versus Joint Company", Tax Profile, March 13, 1990
RC will consider the requirements of s. 85(2) to be met where the shares are issued in the names of the partners instead of the name of the partnership.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 97 - Subsection 97(2) | 23 |
Forms
Form T2058 "Election on Disposition of Property by a Partnership to a Taxable Canadian Corporation"
TP-529-V (Quebec) "Transfer of Property by a Partnership to a Taxable Canadian Corporation"
Subsection 85(2.1) - Computing paid-up capital
Administrative Policy
17 June 2013 Internal T.I. 2013-0475621I7 - PUC adjustment
A non-resident corporation and another taxpayer transferred forward purchase agreements (FPAs) and promissory notes to a Canadian corporation in consideration for the issuance of common shares and jointly filed a T2057 election form. CRA determined that the fair market value of the FPAs was lower than as reflected in the election and initially took the view that as it was now too late to file to file an amended T2057 pursuant to s. 85(7.1) in order to correct the amounts reported in the election, a deemed dividend arose to the non-resident corporation under s. 84(1) which was subject to Part XIII tax. In finding that the PUC of the shares issued on the "Disputed Transaction" was "automatically reduced by an amount of $XX pursuant to subsection 85(2.1)," so that no deemed dividend arose, CRA stated:
Although we had initially believed that an amended T2057 form had to be filed by XX and XX in order to correct the amounts reported on their joint election, the wording of the aforementioned provisions rather suggests that the PUC adjustment pursuant to subsection 85(2.1) shall be made automatically where the Agreed Amount exceeds the FMV of the transferred property. Therefore, it would be incorrect to assess XX pursuant to subsection 84(1) on the basis that XX and XX have failed to file an amended election pursuant to paragraph 85(7.1)(b) since the PUC increase to the class of shares issued by XX is reduced to the FMV of the FPAs at the time of the Disputed Transaction.
7 October 2011 Roundtable, 2011-0412121C6 F - Interaction between S. 84.1 and S. 85(2.1)
Mr. A transferred his shares of Opco with an ACB and PUC of $100 and $100,000, respectively, to Holdco on a s. 85(1) rollover basis in consideration for Holdco common shares with the same ACB and PUC. S. 84.1(1) did not apply to grind the PUC of such Holdco common shares given the high PUC of the transferred common shares. However, does s. 85(2.1) instead apply to grind such PUC?
According to the preamble of subsection 85(2.1), section 84.1 takes precedence over subsection 85(2.1) respecting a disposition of property to which section 84.1 applies. Thus, where, in a particular situation, the conditions for the application of subsection 84.1(1) are met with respect to the disposition of property, we are of the view that subsection 85(2.1) does not apply, regardless of the amount calculated in accordance with the formula in paragraph 84.1(1)(a), even if nil. Consequently, in the particular situation, subsection 85(2.1) would not apply to the disposition of the 100 common shares of the capital stock of Opco to Holdco by Mr. A.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 84.1 - Subsection 84.1(1) | s. 84.1 can "apply" and thereby prevail over s. 85(2.1) even where there is no s. 84.1 grind | 78 |
7 July 1994 External T.I. 9413315 - INTERNAL CRYSTALLIZATION
Two unrelated persons each owning 50% of the common shares of Opco having a fair market value of $500,000 and an adjusted cost base and paid-up capital of $100,000 exchange those shares for preferred shares having a fair market value and stated capital of $500,000. The elected amount under an s. 85 election is $500,000.
The adjustment under s. 85(2.1) will be nil because the cost to the corporation of the common shares will be deemed to be $500,000. Accordingly, they will realize a deemed dividend of $400,000 under s. 84(3).
27 March 1994 Internal T.I. 9333227 - SHAREHOLDER BENEFIT
Where a taxpayer has transferred property to a corporation pursuant to s. 85(1) and has received consideration in excess of the fair market value of the property transferred, s. 85(2.1) in its amended form will operate to apply that provision prior to subsection 84(1). Accordingly, to the extent that the excess consideration exceeds the paid-capital of the shares received by the taxpayer on the transfer, such amount will no longer be taxed as a deemed dividend but will be taxed as a shareholder benefit under s. 15(1).
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 15 - Subsection 15(1) | 81 |
1992 A.P.F.F. Annual Conference, Q. 1 (January - February 1993 Access Letter, p. 49)
Where an individual exchanges all the common shares of Opco, having an ACB of $100,000, a paid-up capital of $500,000 and a fair market value of $600,000, for treasury shares of another class having a fair market value and stated capital of $600,000, s. 85(2.1) will only reduce the paid-up capital of the treasury shares received on the exchange at a time of computation subsequent to the time of the exchange, and will not eliminate the deemed dividend.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 84 - Subsection 84(1) | 50 |
Articles
Ewens, "Forced Share Conversions", 1993 Canadian Tax Journal, No. 6, p. 1407.
Subsection 85(3) - Where partnership wound up
Administrative Policy
14 January 2015 External T.I. 2014-0559731E5 - 85(3) rollover
Is the 60-day requirement in s. 85(3)(b) satisfied if beneficial ownership of land owned by the partnership is transferred within the 60-day period but legal title is not transferred until after the end of that 60-day period, given that the relevant governmental authority for transferring title requires a valuation, which may not be performed until after the 60-day period? CRA stated:
[I]f beneficial ownership… has in fact been transferred from a partnership to a corporation within the 60-day period…, the partnership still holds legal title to the property after the 60-day period only because the parties are awaiting the valuation necessary to effect the transfer of title, and legal title to the property in question will be transferred as soon as is practical after the valuation is completed, we would generally consider the 60-day requirement in paragraph 85(3)(b)… to be met.
8 May 2014 External T.I. 2014-0522771E5 - Whether a partnership has ceased to exist
Partner A sold his 50% partnership interest in a Quebec general partnership (the "Partnership") operating a grocery business in the province of Quebec to Partner B (also a Canadian-resident individual). The Partnership immediately disposed of all of its properties to a taxable Canadian corporation (the "Corporation") of which Partner B was the sole shareholder in consideration for the issuance of promissory notes and common shares (and elected under s. 85(2)) but with title to all assets staying the name of the Partnership. Partner B filed for dissolution of the Partnership under the Civil Code of Quebec (the "CCQ") more than 60 days after such disposition.
After indicating that "a partnership would generally cease to exist if there are no longer at least two partners carrying on the business," CRA noted that s. 98(1) would deem the partnership to have not ceased to exist until all partnership property had been distributed.
Respecting a question as to whether the requirement of s. 85(3)(b) that "the affairs of the partnership were wound up within 60 days after the disposition" would be met "even though a dissolution under the CCQ is filed more than 60 days after the disposition," CRA stated that "this issue is addressed in paragraph 7 of IT-378R."
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 98 - Subsection 98(1) | continuation of partnership with one partner | 162 |
2012 Ruling 2011-0392041R3 - Incorporation of a Professional Partnership
Background
. As described below, a professional partnership (the "Partnership") with resident Canadian partners will effectively be converted into a CCPC ("Newco"). The Partnership's "Property" consists of "Non-85(2) Property" (i.e., cash, accounts receivable and prepaid expenses), and "85(2) Property" (i.e., goodwill, inventory, equipment and other capital property); and its "Liabilities" consist of accounts payable, accrued liabilities and long-term debt.
Proposed transactions
- Newco (a CCPC) will issue one common share to each Partner for nominal consideration.
- In connection with the transfer by the Partnership of all the Property to Newco, Newco will assume a portion of the Liabilities equal in amount to the fair market value of Non-85(2) Property as sole consideration for such transfer (with a joint election being filed under s. 22 respecting the accounts receivable) and as consideration for the Partnership's transfer to Newco of the 85(2) Property, Newco will: (i) assume the "Remaining Liabilities" (i.e. the portion of the Liabilities remaining after the transfer of the Non-85(2) Property), (ii) and issue the "Promissory Notes" and the "Preference Shares" to the Partnership (with a joint s. 85(2) election being made). In accordance with IT-378R, one Newco Preference Share and one Promissory Note will be issued in the name of each Partner rather than in the name of the Partnership, but with the Partnership being the beneficial owner. The amount of each Promissory Note will be equal to that Partner's pro rata share of the aggregate Promissory Notes.
- On the immediately following day, the Partnership will be wound up under s. 85(3), at which time its only property will be the Preference Shares and the Promissory Notes. Accordingly, each Partner will receive one Newco Preference Share and one Promissory Note.
- "New Contracting Corporations" owned by Partners will then commence to provide services for agreed fees to Newco. See summary under s. 125(7) – specified partnership income.
No rulings are provided on ss. 85(2) and (3).
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 125 - Subsection 125(7) - Specified partnership income | former partners providing services through separate corporations to a Newco replacement of their professional partnership | 370 |
20 December 2013 External T.I. 2013-0501831E5 - Partnership - 85(2), (3) and 100(2)
A general partnership will transfer its goodwill, having a nil cost amount, to Corp under s. 85(2) in return for consideration that includes shares of Corp., and will elect at $1. Corp would assume all the partnership debt. The partnership would be wound-up as per s. 85(3), and a partner has a negative ACB. After confirming that the excess boot rule in s. 85(1)(b) applied on the transfer to Corp, CRA confirmed that the negative ACB would be triggered as gain:
[T]he wind-up of the partnership does result in a disposition of the partnership interest. Therefore, for those partners that have a negative ACB, subsection 100(2) of the Act would be applicable such that the negative ACB would be added to the amount, if any, determined under subsection 40(1)… .
30 April 2003 External T.I. 2002-0172485 F - LIQUIDATION SOCIETE DE PERSONNES
A partnership disposed of all of its capital property to the corporation pursuant to s. 85(1) in consideration for the assumption of debt and for shares, except that it transferred its accounts receivable in consideration for a demand note and elected to s. 22. It also retained its cash balance. The partnership then was wound up.
CCRA indicated that s. 85(3) could not apply because the corporation held, immediately before the winding-up, a demand note that was not derived from the disposition pursuant to s. 85(2) as the s. 22 election instead was made in respect of the accounts receivable. However, the position taken in IT-378R, para. 1 was still valid, so that the cash balance held immediately before the winding-up did not preclude the application of s. 85(3).
6 July 1995 External T.I. 9512165 - PARTNERSHIP BUTTERFLY
"Subsection 85(3) requires that property of a partnership be transferred to only one corporation prior to its winding-up. For example, the construction of paragraphs 85(3)(e) and 85(3)(f) indicates that a transfer of property from a partnership to more than one corporation was not intended by subsection 85(3)."
IT-378R "Winding-up of a Partnership" 1 January 1995
3. Subsections 85(2) and (3) taken together provide a means whereby partnership property may be transferred to a corporation and the related partnership interests converted into share holdings without realization of gains or losses at either level. (Those results may be different where property other than property described in subsection 85(2) is transferred to the corporation and/or property having a fair market value in excess of the adjusted cost base of a partner's partnership interest is transferred to him.) The Department's view is that the validity of an election under subsection 85(2) and of a winding-up under subsection 85(3) is contingent upon the partnership property being transferred to and share capital taken back from only one corporation. ...
7. For the purpose of paragraph 85(3)(b) the Department will consider the affairs of a partnership to have been wound up when all the property of the partnership, including money, has been distributed to the members in satisfaction of their interests in the partnership. The "rollover" will not be denied for the reason only that some of the requirements to complete the dissolution of the partnership, other than the distribution of all property, have not been fulfilled within 60 days after the disposition of property to the corporation.
8. For the purposes of paragraph 85(3)(c) the partnership must not own any property immediately before the winding up other than property received from the corporation as consideration for the disposition or money. Consequently any other partnership property must have been disposed of prior to distribution on winding up of the property described in paragraph 85(3)(c).
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(2) | 107 |
Paragraph 85(3)(f)
Administrative Policy
17 September 2018 External T.I. 2018-0751571E5 F - Adjusted cost base of property
CRA confirmed that where a flow-through LP transfers it flow-through shares under s. 85(2) to a mutual fund corporation for shares of the MFC, and then distributes those shares to its partners on its winding-up under s. 85(3), s. 66.3(3) would not apply to determine the cost to the limited partners of the distributed shares. That cost instead would be determined under s. 85(3)(f) to be equal to the ACB of their interests in the LP immediately before the LP winding-up, and would not necessarily be nil.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 66.3 - Subsection 66.3(3) | s. 66.3(3) does not apply to the cost of shares received on a ss. 85(2) and (3) wind-up of a flow-through share partnership | 263 |
Subsection 85(4)
See Also
Luise Zinkhofer and Bernard Zinkhofer v. Minister of National Revenue, 91 DTC 643, [1991] 1 CTC 2493 (TCC)
Sobier TCJ. accepted the taxpayers' submission that a corporation was not "controlled directly or indirectly in any manner whatever" by them in taxation years prior to the enactment of s. 256(5.1) where they did not acquire de jure control of the corporation.
Administrative Policy
24 March 1995 External T.I. 9431545 - EXECUTOR'S YEAR, LOSS ON SALE OF SHARES
"Subsection 85(4) of the Act will not generally apply where all the shares of a corporation held by an estate are disposed of to the corporation which, immediately following the disposition, is controlled by the legal representative of the estate in his or her personal capacity unless, immediately after the disposition, the corporation is controlled, directly or indirectly in any manner whatever... by the estate (i.e., the legal representative of the estate in the capacity as executor ... ."
28 July 1994 External T.I. 9416395 - DENIED LOSS ADDED TO ACB
With respect to whether ss.85(4)(a) and 53(1)(f.1) would apply to the transfer by a corporation and its subsidiary of their respective undivided interest in a property to another corporation where both the transferor corporations and the transferee corporation were owned by several unrelated entities with no single shareholder holding an interest greater than 40% and each shareholder owning the same interest in both the transferor group of corporations and the transferee corporation, RC stated that:
"Two or more persons will be considered to be a group which controls a corporation where there is evidence they have a common link or interest or that they act together to control the corporation."
26 January 1994 External T.I. 9336015 F - Immediately After Disposition Meaning
It was submitted that where a taxpayer transfers property to a corporation that is controlled by the taxpayer and shortly thereafter the taxpayer disposes of its shares in the transferee corporation to an arm's length purchaser, s. 85(4) and (5.1) would not apply because the taxpayer would not control the corporation within a relatively short time after the disposition and because the taxpayer would have indirectly disposed of the property to the purchaser. RC considered that this interpretation would result in the term "immediately after the disposition" be equivalent to "at the end of the series of transactions or events". Given that the expression "series of transactions or events" is used in numerous other provisions of the Act, Parliament could not have intended that the phrase "immediately after the disposition" be given the suggested interpretation.
8 February 1993 T.I. (Tax Window, No. 28, p. 2, ¶2416)
The capital loss otherwise deemed to be received by the sole individual shareholder of a holding company on the redemption of preferred shares of the holding company having a low paid-up capital and a high redemption amount would be denied by s. 85(4) because he would control the holding company immediately thereafter.
12 January 1993 T.I. 922257 (November 1993 Access Letter, p. 495, ¶C38-178; (Tax Window, No. 28, p. 11, ¶2363)
A foreign exchange loss realized under s. 39(2) on the repayment of a U.S.-dollar loan owing by a non-resident subsidiary to a Canadian corporation will not be subject to the stop-loss rules in s. 40(2)(e) or 85(4) because the debt is not viewed as having been disposed of to the subsidiary.
29 July 1992 Memorandum (Tax Window, No. 21, p. 1, ¶2038)
S.85(4) would not apply where all the shares of a corporation held by an estate are disposed of to a corporation which, immediately following the disposition, is controlled by the executrix in her personal capacity unless at that time the corporation is controlled, directly or indirectly in any manner whatever, by the estate, for example, by virtue of the estate holding a promissory note whose demand for payment would have an adverse impact on the operations of the corporation.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 256 - Subsection 256(5.1) | 62 |
20 July 1992 External T.I. 5-901453
If an estate transfers 40% of the shares of a corporation to the son of the deceased before the remaining 60% of the shares are redeemed in the hands of the estate, s. 85(4) will not apply to deny the capital loss arising on the redemption because the corporation would be controlled immediately after that time by the son, who would not be considered to control the estate by virtue only of being the executor. Similary, s. 85(4) would not apply if the common shares of the corporation were owned equally by father and mother prior to the decease of the father, following which his shares were redeemed in the hands of the estate whose executrix was the mother.
16 April 1992 T.I. (Tax Window, No. 18, p. 12, ¶1861)
Where a parent corporation settles a note receivable from a wholly-owned subsidiary for less than its principal amount, s. 85(4) will apply to deem the amount of the resulting capital loss to be nil.
92 C.R. - Q.19
Where an estate owns all the shares of Opco and 90% of its shares are redeemed, s. 85(4) will deem the capital loss to be nil, with the result that s. 164(6) will not apply.
30 November 1991 Round Table (4M0462), Q. 10.2 - Application of Subsection: 85(4) to an Estate (C.T.O. September 1994)
Re application of s. 85(4) where preferred shares of an estate are redeemed and the common shares are transferred to the children of the deceased.
91 C.R. - Q.42
If all shares held by an estate are disposed of to the corporation but the legal representatives in a personal capacity continue to control the corporation, s. 85(4) generally will not apply.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 164 - Subsection 164(6) | 27 |
27 December 1990 Memorandum (Tax Window, Prelim. No. 2, p. 21, ¶1073)
S.85(4) does not apply to deny a capital loss realized by testamentary trust on the retraction of preferred shares held by it.
Subsection 85(5)
Administrative Policy
10 June 2003 External T.I. 2003-0017065 F - Disp. of Property owned on Dec 31, 71
Mr. X owned a rental property (the “immovable") which he had acquired in 1965 at a cost of $300,000 ($100,000 and $200,000 for the land and building, respectively). The FMV of the land and building on the valuation day were $150,000 and $250,000, respectively, and their current FMVs are $250,000 and $350,000 for the land and building. The undepreciated capital cost ("UCC") is currently $50,000.
Mr. X proposes to transfer the immovable to a taxable Canadian corporation in a non-arm’s length transaction, with an s. 85(1) election being made on the following basis:
Land |
Building |
Total |
|
FMV |
$250,000 |
$350,000 |
$600,000 |
Cost amount |
$150,000 |
$50,000 |
$200,000 |
Agreed amount |
$150,000 |
$50,000 |
$200,000 |
Share consideration |
$400,000 |
||
Note consideration |
$200,000 |
CCRA indicated that s. 85(5) would deem the capital cost to the corporation of the building, for the purposes of s. 13 and the CCA regulations to be equal to Mr. X's capital cost ($200,000) and the amount by which that cost exceeded the proceeds of disposition ($50,000) would be deemed to be CCA deducted in preceding taxation years, whereas “the capital cost to the corporation of the building for the purposes of all other provisions of the Act would, in accordance with our position in paragraph 10(a) of … IT-217R … be considered to be Mr. X's capital cost of $200,000.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Application Rules - Subsection 20(1) | 2 detailed examples of the application of ITAR 20(1) | 1256 |
Subsection 85(5.1) - Acquisition of certain tools — capital cost and deemed depreciation
Administrative Policy
11 June 1990 T.I. (November 1990 Access Letter, ¶1524)
Where a parent corporation sells depreciable property to a wholly-owned subsidiary under a sales agreement, the depreciable property is transferred back to the parent on default by the subsidiary at a time that the property has a UCC of $100,000 and a fair market value of $50,000, and the debt owing by the subsidiary of $80,000 to the parent is extinguished by a quit claim deed, the more specific provisions of s. 85(5.1) will override the more general provisions of s
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 79 | 79 | |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 80 - Subsection 80(1) | 79 | |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 80 - Subsection 80(5) | 79 |
Articles
Bernstein, "Restructuring Real Estate Syndications that are in Trouble", 1992 Conference Report, c.10
Discussion of transactions that potentially avoid s. 85(5.1) in order to realize a terminal loss.
Subsection 85(6) - Time for election
Administrative Policy
90 C.R. - Q36
The RC position that the "taxation year" referred to in s. 85(6), in the case of a transfer by a partner or proprietor of capital property included in a business, is the calendar year in which the relevant fiscal period of that business ended, no longer applies.
Subsection 85(7) - Late filed election
See Also
Construction PCA Inc. v. Agence du revenu du Québec, 2019 QCCQ 8876
In 2010-2011, the individual taxpayer (“Cusson”) transferred various properties to his real estate corporation (“PCA”) with a view to the rollover provisions of ITA s. 85 and TA s. 518 applying. However, PCA did not issue any shares at the time. In January 2015, CRA identified this deficiency, and in March 2015, PCA issued shares as consideration for the previous transfers and filed late amended elections with CRA and the ARQ. Such elections were not processed by CRA on the basis that no shares had been issued at the time of the drop-downs, and it assessed on the basis that the drop-downs had not occurred on a rollover basis. The ARQ, which was not apprised of CRA’s determination that there had been no timely issuance of shares, assessed a penalty (“Assessment A”) for the late-filing of the elections received by it without the payment of the penalty, which Cusson then paid. After having learned of the absence of share consideration from CRA in 2016, the ARQ issued mirror assessments (to which the taxpayers objected) to the CRA ones, and without reversing the penalty assessments (which Cusson did not object to) or refunding the penalty payments received.
The taxpayers argued inter alia that, by issuing the penalty assessments, the ARQ had accepted the late elections and should not have issued further assessments now denying rollover treatment without having cancelled the previous assessment. In rejecting this submission, Lareau JCQ stated (at para. 33, TaxInterpretations translation):
[S]ince the payment of penalties is a prerequisite to the valid filing of the forms, failure to make such a payment upon filing cannot confer more rights on the taxpayer than if he had complied with the Act. The Claimants err in attributing, to Assessment A for the penalties, the character of a decision on the validity of the rollovers.
Administrative Policy
7 July 2005 External T.I. 2005-0122191E5 F - Erroneous Elections in Statute-barred Years
Regarding an individual who had elected at less than the ACB of the transferred shares, CRA stated that s. “85(1)(c.1) results in an automatic adjustment to the agreed amount in respect of the transferred property and, as a result, the affected taxpayers do not have to file an amended election in that regard.”
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(1) - Paragraph 85(1)(c.1) | no need to amend the s. 85(1) election where the agreed amount was less than the s. 85(1)(c.1) floor | 93 |
Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - 101-110 - Section 110.6 - Subsection 110.6(19) | no need to amend the s. 85(1) election where the agreed amount was less than the s. 85(1)(c.1) floor | 93 |
15 November 2002 Internal T.I. 2002-0162427 F - Price Adjustment Clause & 85(7.1)
Madame exchanged her Class A shares of the corporation for Class D shares having a redemption amount which CCRA subsequently determined was substantially less than the FMV of the Class A shares, and filed a s. 85(1) rollover election respecting this exchange. Monsieur (her husband) then subscribed for Class A shares. After finding that s. 85(1)(e.2) likely was applicable unless a price-adjustment clause was applied, the Directorate indicated to the TSO:
… [If] you decide to recognize the price adjustment clause … the taxpayer must file an amended election to give effect to the price adjustment clause.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(1) - Paragraph 85(1)(e.2) | significant FMV shortfall suggested that a benefit was desired to be conferred | 146 |
Tax Topics - General Concepts - Effective Date | large FMV discrepancy suggested lack of bona fide valuation so that price adjustment clause need not be applied/ if applied, s. 85(1) election must be amended | 212 |
1994 A.P.F.F. Round Table, Q. 15
Except in very limited circumstances, RC will not allow a parent corporation to file a late election on behalf of a subsidiary that has been wound-up into that corporation.
91 C.R. - Q.21
RC will no longer adjust the agreed amount where the taxpayer has made a reasonable but incorrect effort to determine the V-day value. RC now requires an amended election and the payment of the penalty.
Subsection 85(7.1) - Special cases
Cases
Brent Carlson Family Trust v. Canada (National Revenue), 2021 FC 506
The applicants were family trusts that had implemented a detailed steps memo of the tax advisors (EY) in order to maximize the utilization by family members of the capital gains exemption ("CGE”) on the sale to an arm’s length purchaser of an operating company (“Mainland”) that was indirectly held by the trusts. The steps included a step, earlier on in the pre-closing transactions, in which the trusts exchanged common shares in a subsidiary corporation with a nominal ACB, for new shares of that subsidiary that included Class F preferred shares, with a joint s. 85 election being filed at an agreed amount resulting in recognition of a capital gain equaling the aggregate CGE available to the trust’s beneficiaries. The Class F preferred shares were then sold at the closing for an amount equaling their stepped-up ACB to the arm’s length purchaser.
CRA subsequently reassessed on the basis that, since the capital gain had been realized by the trusts in a non-arm’s length transaction and some of the family beneficiaries had not yet attained 17 years, s. 120.4(5) of the “kiddie tax” rules applied to deem the capital gains distributed to those minor beneficiaries to be taxable dividends. To avoid this result, the trusts requested that CRA accept an amended election (beyond the three-year period set out in s. 85(7)) pursuant to s. 85(7.1) for the preliminary exchange for the Class F preferred shares to have occurred on a rollover basis, so that the capital gain was realized on the subsequent arm’s length sale of the Class F preferred shares such that s. 120.4(5) ceased to apply.
The trust’s request for such an amended election was rejected by decisions made in the second-level CRA review (conducted by the Assistant Director responsible for the CRA auditor who had proposed the reassessments) on the ground (supported by the “Litt Memo prepared by an auditor) that he considered the “request to be retroactive tax planning,” which was not permissible having regard to the jurisprudence (Canada Life) on rectification.
Before setting aside and remitted to the Minister for redetermination, Walker J stated (at paras. 62-63, 69):
[T]here is no explanation in the Decisions or the Litt Memo why EY’s error in realizing gains prematurely in the reorganization resulted in the Minister’s conclusion that it was not just and equitable to extend her discretion and permit the Amended Elections. … The … Request was made in the context of a third-party sale of Mainland in which the CGEs would normally be available with some pre-planning. The Trusts are not seeking a tax advantage they had not considered at the time….
… The Minister’s delegate … imports equitable requirements specific to rectification and rescission without acknowledging any difference in the remedies sought. … They requested only the amendment of the Original Elections, as contemplated in subsection 85(7.1). The Minister’s delegate erred when he stated, “[y]our request is similar to the request Canada Life put forward, in which [the] ONCA said, ‘The court cannot substitute one series of transactions for another to avoid an unintended tax result’”. …
I have found that the Decisions do not set out a logical and rational chain of reasoning or explanation sufficient to justify the Minister’s denial of the Second Request.
Walker went on to direct (at para. 71) “that the Minister ensure that the redetermination be conducted by CRA personnel who have not been involved in an audit role of any of the Trusts’ or Carlson family’s income tax returns or other tax matters or in the first and second reviews.”
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 120.4 - Subsection 120.4(5) | s. 120.4 was engaged as a result of a capital gain being realized on a preliminary NAL transaction rather than subsequent arm's length sale | 382 |
S. Cunard & Company Limited v. Canada (Attorney General), 2012 DTC 5122 [at 7192], 2012 FC 683
Scott J. found that the Barnabe Estate principle, which allowed elections to be made by the estate of a deceased person, did not apply to a late-filed election by a corporation that had been wound up. The required T2057 form was signed only by the transferor and not by an officer of the transferee corporation. Scott J. stated (at para. 44):
It is also well established in jurisprudence that a person cannot bind a corporation after its dissolution unless the corporation is subsequently revived... .
Moreover, the applicable standard of review for a late filing under s. 85(7.1) is reasonableness, and there was nothing unreasonable about the Minister's decision to disallow a wound-up corporation from making an election that a wound-up corporation lacks the capacity to make (para. 45).
Bugera v. MNR, 2003 DTC 5282 (FCTD)
Before dismissing an application for judicial review of a decision of the Minister to not grant a request for the making of late-file elections, with the decision referring to the failure of the taxpayers to file the late elections with a request for review and to pay the estimated penalty, and to the taxpayers' request for late-filing elections having arisen out of a sophisticated tax plan which required them to recognize gain on the transactions (rather than have automatic rollover treatment under section 85.1) because of a plan to generate cumulate net investment losses, Dawson J. stated (at p. 5286):
"Nothing in the wording used in subsection 85(7.1) of the Act leads me to conclude that Parliament's intent is thwarted if persons who seek the Minister's favourable exercise of discretion are generally required to accompany their request with a properly completed election and are required to pay a properly identified estimate of the penalty owing in respect of the requested election."
See Also
Glenogle Energy Inc. v. Canada (Attorney General), 2022 FC 198
In January 2015, the taxpayer transferred resource properties to a limited partnership that was wholly-owned by it, directly and indirectly. The s. 97(2) elections that were filed approximately 18 months later (in July 2016) designated nominal agreed amounts. In November 2016, the taxpayer applied to amend the elections so as to increase the agreed amounts by approximately $32 million. Despite CRA requests, no detailed explanation was provided to CRA as to the reasons for the requested amendments, and ultimately, in May 2021, the Minister’s delegate denied the request on the basis inter alia that it involved retroactive tax planning (indicating that the amended elections circumvented the successor rule in s. 66.7) and that the taxpayer’s submission did not support that the requested amendments were “just and equitable” as required by s. 96(5.1).
In dismissing the taxpayer’s application for judicial review, Aylen J stated (at paras. 41-42, 53):
I am satisfied that the Applicant’s “explanation” was so devoid of particulars that it did not amount to an explanation at all. …
The Applicant … failed to explain in any meaningful way why it would be just and equitable for the Minister [grant the request].
… I am not satisfied that the Applicant has demonstrated any error by the Minister’s delegate in his finding that the amendment requests constituted an attempt to circumvent the successor rule stipulated in section 66.7 … .
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 96 - Subsection 96(5.1) | taxpayer failed to provide any explanation to CRA as to why it was not engaged in retroactive tax planning | 395 |
Administrative Policy
7 October 2011 APFF Roundtable Q. 23, 2011-0412111C6 F - Validity of Price Adjustment Clause
At the 2007 APFF Roundtable, CRA stated:
It appears to us that the validity of a price adjustment clause does not depend on the filing of an amended election (on prescribed form T2057) pursuant to subsection 85(7.1) of the ITA.
In confirming this position, CRA stated:
Despite the fact that paragraph 26 of Information Circular 76-19R3 has not yet been amended, our position that the validity of a price adjustment clause does not depend on the filing of an amended election (on prescribed form T2057) pursuant to subsection 85(7.1) of the ITA is still in effect.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - General Concepts - Effective Date | price adjustment clause does not require filing amended election | 41 |
Information Circular IC 76-19R3, 17 June 1996, para. 15-22; re late and amended elections.
Amenedment to correct unintended tax consequences or faulty valuations or computations
16. We will generally accept an amended election under subsection 85(7.1) if its purpose is to revise an agreed amount, and without this revision, there would be unintended tax consequences for the taxpayers involved. We will permit revisions to correct an error, omission, or oversight made at the time of the original election. However, we will not permit revisions when, in the Department's view, the main purpose of the amended election is: ...retroactive tax planning, such as taking advantage of losses or tax credits not considered when the election was originally filed. In situations where the changes are partly retroactive tax planning and partly to correct errors, we will advise you that we will only accept an amended election for the latter; ...to take advantage of amendments in the law enacted after the original election was filed... .
18. Revenue Canada will generally accept an amended election when:
- it corrects an inaccurate property valuation that gave rise to unintended tax consequences;
- it reduces the agreed amount of transferred shares to the correct cost amount when a transfer at cost was the intention, e.g., subsection 83(1) dividends were omitted when calculating their adjusted cost base;
- it corrects situations where it is clear that an amount was inserted in error, such as the transfer of depreciable property at its net book value instead of its undepreciated capital cost; and
- it corrects other situations which resulted in unintended tax consequences, e.g., the application of section 84.1, subsections 15(1), 84(1), and 85(2.1), or paragraph 85(1)(e.2), when it is clear the parties wanted the rollover without any immediate tax consequences.
Amended election not required for clerical error or automatic boot adjustment
19. The Department will correct clerical errors without requiring an amended election. We will consider transposition or typographical errors as clerical errors only if they are obvious upon our initial review of the election form. We will not consider as a clerical error a situation where the agreed amount equals the fair market value of the property at the time of transfer.
20. Paragraphs 85(1)(b), (c), (c.1), (c.2), (d), (e), (e.2), (e.3), and (e.4) automatically adjust the agreed amount of the transferred property. In such cases, you do not have to file an amended election.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(8) | 59 |
Halifax Round Table, February 1994, Q. 19, 4M00680
Where capital gains are crystallized using an s. 85 election:
as long as a reasonable effort was made to estimate fair market value, the Department will normally accept an amended election in cases where the estimate proves to be inaccurate.
90 C.R. - Q37
RC's policy concerning the acceptance of an amended election is as outlined in IC 76-19R2.
86 C.R. - Q33
A submission is required. Examples of situations where it could be accepted are where the parties accounted for the properties as if they were transferred on a rollover basis or where there was a mechanical error which clearly was unintended.
Subsection 85(8)
Administrative Policy
Information Circular IC 76-19R3, 17 June 1996, para. 15-22; re late and amended elections.
Penalty estimate required for amended election
21. The Department does not accept an amended or late-filed election made under subsection 85(7) or (7.1), unless the transferor calculates and pays the estimated penalty when filing the election. We will subsequently determine and assess the balance of the penalty the transferor has to pay without delay.
Locations of other summaries | Wordcount | |
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Tax Topics - Income Tax Act - Section 85 - Subsection 85(7.1) | 403 |
7 October 2016 APFF Roundtable Q. 1A, 2016-0652951C6 F - Penalty late filed election-subsection 85(8)
Is the late election penalty under s. 85(8) applied on a property-by-property basis? CRA responded:
Where a taxpayer transfers several properties at a given date to a taxable Canadian corporation, the CRA's policy is to calculate the penalty under subsection 85(8) based on all the properties that appear on the prescribed form T2057… that is filed late, and not property by property, in the case where one form is filed.
Commentary
Availability of election
Where a taxpayer disposes of property to a taxable Canadian corporation for consideration that includes shares in the capital of the corporation, the taxpayer and corporation may make a joint election in the prescribed form (i.e., on form T2057). Subject to limits and exceptions set out in s. 85, the taxpayer's proceeds of disposition and the corporation's cost of the property will be deemed to be the elected amount (often referred to as the agreed amount). In essence, the subsection allows a shareholder or prospective shareholder to transfer property to the corporation on a rollover basis.
It has been found that the requirement that the consideration for the disposition of the property include shares can be satisfied where the transferee corporation is under an obligation to issue shares to the taxpayer, but does not do so immediately (Dale).
The property which has been disposed of must be "eligible property," as defined in s. 85(1.1).
There is no requirement that the taxpayer dispose of the property to the corporation pursuant to a written agreement, so that s. 85(1) potentially may be engaged where the taxpayer disposes of property to a corporation pursuant to an oral agreement (Barnabe Estate).
Overview of agreed amount limitations
Paragraphs 85(1)(b) and (c) impose a general lower and upper bound on the elected amount, respectively. The minimum elected amount (subject to further limitations discussed below) is the value of consideration received by the taxpayer other than shares (the "boot"). The maximum is the fair market value of the property disposed of to the corporation. An amount outside these boundaries will be raised to the minimum or reduced to the maximum, as appropriate. In the event that the s. 85(1)(b) minimum value exceeds the s. 85(1)(c) maximum value (i.e. the boot's value exceeds the property's value), s. 85(1)(c) trumps, and the taxpayer is deemed to dispose of the property for fair market value. (The excess value received by the taxpayer may be taxed under s. 15(1) as a shareholder benefit or as a deemed dividend under s. 84.1 or s. 212.1. However, note that where the "boot" consists of a promissory note issued by the transferee corporation, the value of such promissory note may be limited by the net asset value of the transferee corporation - see Leslie.)
Paragraphs 85(1)(c.1)-(e.4) deal with specific types of eligible property. In general, paragraphs (c.1)-(e.3) impose a minimum on the elected amount in order to prevent the taxpayer from utilizing the election to generate a loss. (In the absence of making an election, the suspended loss rules in ss. 40(3.4), 13(21.2) or 14(12) may apply.) Paragraph (e.4) is an anti-avoidance rule, related to the treatment of passenger vehicles in s. 13(7)(g).
Requirements for completion of election
The Interpretation Act, s. 32, provides that deviations from the prescribed form "not affecting the substance or calculated to mislead" do not invalidate the form used (see also Ward-Stemp). Furthermore, where the correct version of the prescribed form (form T2057) is utilized, issues can arise as to whether deficiencies in the manner of its completion will invalidate the purported election. The election must clearly specify the property in issue at the time the election is filed (Deconinck). Major omissions in the completion of the form may also invalidate the election (see generally, Cox).
S. 85(1) requires that the taxpayer and the corporation to which it disposed of the property in question be parties to the election. This raises the issue as to whether successors of the taxpayer or the corporation may execute the election on the predecessor's behalf. Under most corporate statutes, an amalgamated corporation is considered to be a continuation of the amalgamating corporations (Guaranty Properties), so that the amalgamated corporation may execute an election on behalf of one of its predecessors. However, where the amalgamated corporation is not a continuation of its predecessors, the execution of an election by the amalgamated corp0ration may not satisfy a requirement that its applicable predecessor make the election (see Deltona).
Where there is an assignment of its undertaking by the taxpayer or the corporation, the assignment agreement typically will give the assignee the authorization to execute documents as attorney for the transferor, in which event the assignee will have the power under general principles of agency (see Agency) to execute elections on behalf of the taxpayer or corporation, as applicable (at least, if its principal is still in existence). Similarly, where an individual taxpayer enters into a transfer agreement and then dies, the executors of the taxpayer's estate may make an election on the taxpayer's behalf (Barnabe Estate).
The Minister has the authority (subject to a 10-year limitation period) to grant permission to amend (or revoke) elections (s. 220(3.2)). However, in the case of elections under s. 85(1), there is a more specific provision granting the Minister the discretion to permit the election to be amended if the amended election also is made in prescribed form and an estimate of the applicable penalty is paid (s. 85(7.1)). It may be arguable that the Courts also have the ability to allow the taxpayer and corporation, after a reassessment, to vary the amount made in a prior election in order to give effect to the originally intended tax consequences (see Miller (respecting forward averaging election)).
A rectification order may potentially be granted in the discretion of a court of competent jurisdiction to correct any defects in the underlying transfer agreement or authorized capital of the transferee corporation that otherwise would preclude the favourable application of s. 85(1) (Dale). CRA has also indicated that, in any case, it will accept an election provided that conditions listed in paragraph 35 of Interpretation Bulletin IT-291R3 are met (2010-0373231E5).
Effect of rollover transaction on capital property status
Where the taxpayer holds an asset whose sale by the transferor to a third party would have been on capital account, the transfer of that asset to an affiliate in a reorganization transaction generally will not affect its status as capital property in the hands of the transferee - even if the transferee then immediately sells the asset (Leases - Leases or licences acquired with a view to resale; Hickman Motors). Similarly, such a transaction likely will not call into question the status to the transferor of the transferred assets as capital property (see Patents - Capital reorganizations).