RC4015(E) Rev. 16

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Table of contents

• Is this guide for you?
• Chapter 1 - General information
  • Filing and balance due dates
• Chapter 2 - Calculating your 2016 business income
  • Businesses that started before 2016
  • Businesses that started in 2016
  • Form T1139, Reconciliation of 2016 Business Income for Tax Purposes
    • Identification area
    • Part 1 - Changing to a December 31 fiscal period end
    • Line A - Net income (loss) for your first fiscal period ending in 2016
    • Line B - Net income (loss) for the period ending December 31, 2016
    • Line C - Subtotal (line A plus line B)
    • Line D - Last year's additional business income (if changing this year)
    • Line E - Net income (loss) for each business
    • Part 2 - Electing to have a fiscal period that does not end on December 31 (alternative method)
    • Line F - Net income (loss) for your fiscal periods ending in 2016
    • Line G - Additional business income
    • Line H - Subtotal (line F plus line G)
    • Line I - Last year's additional business income
    • Line J - Net income (loss) for each business
    • Death of a partner or proprietor
    • Part 3 - Election
• Online services
  • My Account
  • Handling business taxes online
    • Receiving your CRA mail online
    • Authorizing the withdrawal of a pre-determined amount from your bank account
  • Electronic payments
• For more information
  • What if you need help?
  • Direct deposit
  • Forms and publications
  • Electronic mailing lists
  • Tax Information Phone Service (TIPS)
  • Teletypewriter (TTY) users
  • Service complaints
  • Reprisal complaint
  • Tax information videos
  • Cancellation of penalties or interest

Is this guide for you?

Use this guide if you are a self-employed business person including a self-employed commission salesperson or a professional and the fiscal period of your business or professional practice does not end on December 31, 2016.

This guide will help you calculate the business or professional income to report on your 2016 income tax and benefit return. Instructions are provided to help you fill out Form T1139, Reconciliation of 2016 Business Income for Tax Purposes.

Do not use this guide if you changed to a December 31 year-end in a previous year.

If you started your business in 2016 and your first fiscal period ends in 2017, you may be able to choose a fiscal period other than the calendar year. You can file an election with your income tax and benefit return. To request this election, fill out Form T1139, Reconciliation of 2016 Business Income for Tax Purposes.

This guide complements other Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) guides such as the T4002, Business and Professional Income, T4003, Farming and Fishing Income, and the RC4408, Farming Income and the AgriStability and AgriInvest Programs Harmonized Guide.

Unless otherwise noted, all legislative references are to the Income Tax Act and the Income Tax Regulations.

Chapter 1 - General information

Generally, you have to report your business income from a business carried on in Canada on a calendar-year basis. This rule affects:

• sole proprietorships;
• professional corporations that are partners in a partnership; and
• partnerships in which at least one of the partners is an individual, a professional corporation, or another affected partnership.

You may be able to use an alternative method of reporting your business income that is available on a business-by-business basis. The alternative method allows you to have a fiscal period that does not end on December 31. It applies to individuals and partnerships where all partners are individuals.

If you want to have a fiscal period that does not end on December 31, you have to file an election with your income tax return. If you filed an election in previous years for your business, you do not have to file an election for the 2016 tax year.

Use Form T1139 to file your election on or before the filing due date of your return. A partner who has authority to act for a partnership can make the request. All partners in the partnership must fill out a copy of Form T1139. The form should be included with their income tax and benefit return to provide details of their net business income (loss) share for the 2016 tax year.

Filing and balance due dates

If you have self-employed income and you choose to make this election to change your fiscal year-end, you have until June 15, 2017, to file Form T1139 with your income tax and benefit return. An exception to this date would be if the expenses made to carry on the business are mostly the cost or capital cost of tax shelter investments.

Even if you have until June 15, 2017, to file your return, any tax owing must be paid by April 30, 2017.

Chapter 2 - Calculating your 2016 business income

Businesses that started before 2016

If you filed Form T1139 with your 2015 income tax and benefit return, you also have to file it with your 2016 return to calculate your additional business income in Part 2.

If you started your business in 2015 and your first fiscal period ended in 2016, but you did not fill out Part 2 of Form T1139 and reported business income in 2015, fill out the form for the 2016 tax year.

Businesses that started in 2016

If you started your business in 2016 and chose a December 31 year-end, you do not have to fill out Form T1139. If you started your business in 2016 and your first fiscal period ends in 2017, you may elect to report your business income in 2016 by completing parts 2 and 3.

Form T1139, Reconciliation of 2016 Business Income for Tax Purposes

Use this form only for businesses carried on in Canada.

The form has three parts:

• Part 1 – calculates the net income you need to report on your income tax and benefit return if you change your fiscal period end to December 31;
• Part 2 – calculates the net income you need to report on your income tax and benefit return if you choose or previously elected to have an alternative fiscal period; and
• Part 3 – is where you select and certify your choice of fiscal period.

If you have more than one business with fiscal periods that do not end on December 31, fill out parts 1 and 2. For example, you could change one business to a December 31 year-end, and choose to keep a fiscal year that does not end on December 31 for the other business.

This form can accommodate more than one business. If you have more than two to report in Part 1 or 2 of the form, use a separate sheet for the requested information. Do not file more than one Form T1139.

Identification area

Enter your social insurance number (SIN) and your business number assigned by the CRA in the appropriate areas. If you have more than one business number, enter the number for your proprietorship.

Part 1 - Changing to a December 31 fiscal period end

Part 1 applies only to businesses that started before 2016 and filled out Form T1139 last year.

Fill out this part if you elected to keep a year-end other than December 31 and you now want to change it to December 31. If you choose this option, you have to report your business income on a calendar-year basis in later years.

Part 1 will help you calculate the amount of business income you need to report at lines 135 to 143 on your 2016 income tax and benefit return.

Line A - Net income (loss) for your first fiscal period ending in 2016

Line A applies only to businesses that started before 2016 and that are changing to a December 31 year-end in 2016.

For each business, enter the net income (loss) of your first fiscal period ending in 2016 at line A. For example, if your fiscal period began July 1, 2015, and ended June 30, 2016, the amount to enter at line A is the net income (loss) for the fiscal period ending June 30, 2016.

You can find the net income (loss) amount you need to enter at line A from your income and expense statement. This amount is found at line 9946 on the following forms:

• T2125, Statement of Business or Professional Activities;
• T2121, Statement of Fishing Activities;
• T2042, Statement of Farming Activities;
• T1163, Statement A - AgriStability and AgriInvest Programs Information and Statement of Farming Activities for Individuals;
• T1164, Statement B - AgriStability and AgriInvest Programs Information and Statement of Farming Activities for Additional Farming Operations;
• T1273, Statement A - Harmonized AgriStability and AgriInvest Programs Information and Statement of Farming Activities for Individuals; and
• T1274, Statement B - Harmonized AgriStability and AgriInvest Programs Information and Statement of Farming Activities for Additional Farming Operations.

If you are a partner in a partnership, enter on line A your share of the partnership's net business or professional income (loss) for the first fiscal period ending in 2016. If you have deductible expenses from your share of the net partnership business income (loss), subtract these amounts before entering your share at line A.

If you are a partner in a partnership and you received a T5013 slip, Statement of Partnership Income, and you did not make adjustments to the amount in box 116, 120, or 122, enter the amount at line A for the period ending December 31, 2016.

If you made adjustments to the amount in box 116, 120, or 122, enter at line A the amount from line 9946 on the form that applies to your type of business income.

Line B - Net income (loss) for the period ending December 31, 2016

Line B is for businesses that started before 2016 and whose year-end was changed to December 31 in 2016. In this case, enter on line B the net income (loss) of your fiscal period ending December 31, 2016.

For example, if your first 2016 fiscal period ended on June 30, 2016, the amount to enter on line B is the net income (loss) for the period of July 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016. You will have to prepare an income and expense statement for this period for each business.

Your net income (loss) for the fiscal period ending on December 31, 2016, is the amount at line 9946 on the forms listed at Line A – Net income (loss) for your first fiscal period ending in 2016.

If you are a partner in a partnership, enter at line B your share of the partnership's net business or professional income (loss). If you have deductible expenses that relate to this income that you did not deduct at line A, subtract them before entering your share of the net partnership income (loss) at line B.

If you are a partner in a partnership and you received a T5013 slip, and you did not make adjustments to the amount in box 116, 120, or 122, enter this amount at line B. If you made adjustments to the amount in box 116, 120, or 122, enter at line B the amount from line 9946 on the form that applies to your type of business income listed at Line A – Net income (loss) for your first fiscal period ending in 2016.

Additional information for line B if you are changing to a December 31 fiscal period end in 2016

Generally, you calculate the income and expenses of your fiscal period ending on December 31, 2016, the same way as your previous fiscal period ending in 2016. You have to consider the following items:

Reserves - Add any reserves you deducted in your fiscal period ending in 2016. For more information on allowable reserves, see Guide T4002, Business and Professional Income.

Opening inventory and closing inventory - The opening inventory is the amount of the closing inventory of your fiscal period ending in 2016. Similarly, the closing inventory as of December 31, 2016, will be the opening inventory for your 2017 fiscal period. For more information on opening and closing inventory, see Guide T4002.

Work-in-progress (WIP) - The WIP at the beginning of your fiscal period is the amount of the WIP at the end of your fiscal period ending in 2016. For more information on WIP, see Guide T4002.

Capital cost allowance (CCA) - The undepreciated capital cost (UCC) of depreciable property at the start of your fiscal period is the UCC at the end of the previous fiscal period ending in 2016. Similarly, the UCC at the end of your fiscal period ending December 31, 2016, is the UCC at the start of your 2017 fiscal period.

For your fiscal period ending on December 31, 2016, you have to prorate your maximum claim for CCA based on the number of days in that fiscal period. For example, if your fiscal period ending on December 31, 2016, is 214 days, and you would normally calculate your maximum CCA to be $3,500 for a full year, the maximum amount of CCA you can claim is $2,052 ($3,500 × 214 ÷ 365).

For more information on CCA, see the guide that applies to your type of business income and Interpretation Bulletin IT-285, Capital Cost Allowance – General Comments.

Business-use-of-home expenses - You can claim any deductible business-use-of-home expenses you could not use in the previous fiscal period ending in 2016. Similarly, you can carry forward to your 2017 fiscal period any deductible business-use-of-home expenses you could not use in your fiscal period ending December 31, 2016.

Line C - Subtotal (line A plus line B)

Enter at line C the total of lines A plus B. Calculate this total for each business you have.

Line D - Last year's additional business income (if changing this year)

If you changed to a December 31 fiscal period end in 2016, enter at line D last year's additional business income from line G of last year's Form T1139.

Line E - Net income (loss) for each business

Enter at line E the result of line C minus line D. Calculate this difference for each business you have.

Enter your net income (loss) from line E on the appropriate line of your T1 return in the self-employment income section:

• at line 135 for business income;
• at line 137 for professional income;
• at line 139 for commission income;
• at line 141 for farming income; or
• at line 143 for fishing income.

Part 2 - Electing to have a fiscal period that does not end on December 31 (alternative method)

Part 2 applies to businesses that started before 2016 and elected to keep a fiscal period that does not end on December 31. It will help you calculate the amount of business income to report on the appropriate line of your 2016 income tax and benefit return.

The election, which is available on a business-by-business basis, applies to individuals and partnerships in which all partners are individuals.

You cannot use the alternative method if you are:

• an individual who is a partner in a partnership that includes a professional corporation as a partner; or
• in partnerships that are partners in other partnerships.

If you started your business in 2016 and your first fiscal period ends in 2017, you can fill out parts 2 and 3, and report business income in 2016.

Line F - Net income (loss) for your fiscal periods ending in 2016

This is the net income (loss) for your fiscal periods ending in 2016. For example, if your fiscal period began June 1, 2015, and ended May 31, 2016, the amount to enter at line F is the net income (loss) for the fiscal period ending May 31, 2016.

For each business, enter at line F the amount of your net income (loss) from your income and expense statement. This is the amount at line 9946 on the form that applies to your type of business income listed at Line A – Net income (loss) for your first fiscal period ending in 2016.

If you are a partner in a partnership, enter at line F your share of the partnership's net business or professional income (loss) for the fiscal period ending in 2016. If you have expenses during the fiscal period of the partnership that are deductible from your share of the net income, subtract these amounts before entering your share of the net income (loss) at line F.

If you are a partner in a partnership and you received a T5013 slip, and you did not make adjustments to the amount in box 116, 120, or 122, enter at line F the partnership income. If you made adjustments to the amount in box 116, 120, or 122, enter the amount for your net income (loss) from your income and expense statement. This amount is from line 9946 on the form that applies to your type of business income listed at Line A – Net income (loss) for your first fiscal period ending in 2016.

Line G - Additional business income

For line G, calculate the additional business income by using the following formula:

(A − B) × C ÷ D, where:

A is your net business income, if any, for the fiscal periods ending in 2016. This is the amount at line F of your Form T1139 for each business;

B is the lesser of:

1. the total amount included in A above that is considered to be a taxable capital gain for the purpose of the capital gains deduction; and
2. your total capital gains deduction deducted for 2016.

C is the number of days you carry on the business after the end of the fiscal period up to and including December 31, 2016; and

D is the number of days you carry on the business that are in the fiscal periods ending in 2016.

Businesses that started in 2016 whose first fiscal period ends in 2017

If you started your business in 2016 and your first fiscal period ends in 2017, you can choose to include a part of this business income in 2016. In this case, to calculate the additional business income to enter at line G, it is the lesser of:

1. any amount you designate as your additional business income; and
2. the amount determined by the following formula:

   (V − X) × Y ÷ Z, where:

   V is your net business income for the fiscal period ending in 2017 (see note below);

   X is the lesser of:

   1. the total amount included in V above that is considered to be a taxable capital gain for the purpose of the capital gains deduction; and
   2. your total capital gains deduction deducted for 2017;

   Y is the number of days you carry on the business in 2016 that are in the fiscal period ending in 2017; and

   Z is the number of days you carry on the business that are in the fiscal period ending in 2017.

Line H - Subtotal (line F plus line G)

Enter the result of line F plus line G at line H. Calculate this result for each business you have.

Line I - Last year's additional business income

For each business, enter at line I the amount at line G from last year's Form T1139.

Line J - Net income (loss) for each business

Enter at line J the result of line H minus line I. Calculate this amount for each business.

Enter the amount(s) of line J on your T1 return at the line(s) that best describes your business in the self-employment income section. See Line E – Net income (loss) for each business for the list of applicable lines.

Death of a partner or proprietor

In the case of the death of a partner or proprietor, there are timing issues to consider when reporting income and completing the final tax return.

If the partner or proprietor has died after the end of the business fiscal period, the individual who is the legal representative can choose to fill out an optional income tax return. This means the representative will fill out two sets of returns and two T1139 forms for the 2016 year:

• a final income tax return and Form T1139 to report the business income for the regular fiscal period plus all other income; and
• an optional income tax return (plus Form T1139) for the business income from the short fiscal period, which is based on the time from the end of the regular fiscal period to the date of death.

Final income tax return (including Form T1139) for the regular fiscal period

In this case, the final income tax return includes the business income from the regular fiscal period and all other income. The legal representative fills out the financial statements and Form T1139. The form should be filled out for the regular fiscal period as follows:

• At line F, enter the net income (loss) for the regular fiscal period ending in 2016.
• At line G, enter the 2016 additional business income calculated using the following formula:

(Q − R) × S ÷ T, where:

Q is the net business income, if any, for the fiscal periods ending in 2016 other than the short fiscal period. This is the amount at line F;

R is the lesser of:

1. the total amount included in Q above that is considered to be a taxable capital gain for the purpose of the capital gains deduction; and
2. the total capital gains deduction deducted for 2016;

S is the number of days the business is carried on after the end of the 2016 fiscal period, up to and including the date of death; and

T is the number of days the business is carried on that are in the regular fiscal period(s) ending in 2016.

• Enter at line I the additional business income from line G on last year's Form T1139.
• Enter at line J the net income (loss) for each business. This is the result of line H minus line I.

Optional income tax return (plus Form T1139) for the short fiscal period

The optional income tax return includes the business income for the short fiscal period. The legal representative fills out the financial statements and Form T1139 for the time from the end of the regular fiscal period until the date of death. Form T1139 should be filled out for the short fiscal period as follows:

• At line F, enter the net income (loss) from the end of the regular fiscal period until the date of death.
• At line I, enter the additional business income from line G of Form T1139 for the final income tax return.
• At line J, enter the net income (loss) for each business. This is the result of line H minus line I.

For more information about filing returns for deceased persons, see Guide T4011, Preparing Returns for Deceased Persons.

Part 3 - Election

If you filled out Part 2, you have to sign and date "Part 3 - Election," unless you already made this election. An election for a partnership is valid if it is made by a partner who can legally act for the partnership. If you are a partner in a partnership, all partners have to fill out this form and include it with their income tax and benefit returns.

If you started your business in 2016 and your first fiscal period ends in 2017 and you report a business income for the first time in 2017, fill out Form T1139 to request an election for your 2017 income report. If you started your business in 2016 and your first fiscal period ends in 2017 and you elected to include an amount of business income in 2016, fill out Form T1139 to request an election for your 2016 income report.

You can cancel your election at any time and change your fiscal period end to December 31 of the year in which you made the cancellation request. Once you have changed your fiscal period end to December 31, you cannot change it back.

Online services

My Account

Using the CRA’s My Account service is a fast, easy, and secure way to access and manage your tax and benefit information online, seven days a week.

To register for My Account, go to My Account for Individuals. Registration is a two-step process. You will be asked to enter some personal information and create a user ID and password or use a Sign in Partner. Be sure to have your current and previous year’s personal tax returns on hand. To register, a return for one of these two years must have been assessed. After you complete step one, you will have instant access to some of your tax and benefit information. Step two includes the mailing of the CRA security code. We will mail it to the address we have on file for you. The separate mailing of the security code is a measure used to protect you from identity theft and to ensure the security of your personal information. You will have access to the full suite of services available in My Account once you enter your code.

An authorized representative can access most of these online services through Represent a Client.

Handling business taxes online

Save time using the CRA’s online services for businesses. You can:

• authorize a representative, an employee, or a group of employees, who has registered with Represent a Client, for online access to your business accounts;
• request or delete authorization online through Represent a Client, if you are a representative;
• change mailing and physical addresses, as well as the address where you keep your books and records;
• file a return electronically without a web access code;
• register for online mail, get email notifications, and view your mail online;
• enrol for direct deposit, update banking information, and view direct deposit transactions;
• authorize the withdrawal of a pre-determined amount from your bank account;
• request additional remittance vouchers;
• transfer payments and immediately view updated balances, without having to calculate interest;
• stop or restart the mailing of the GST/HST return for registrants package;
• add another business to your profile;
• view answers to common enquiries, and if needed, submit account-related enquiries;
• view the account balance and instalment balance, including the corresponding transactions(for example, payments); and
• do much more.

To register or log in to our online services, go to:

• My Business Account, if you are a business owner; or
• Represent a Client, if you are an authorized representative or employee.

For more information, go to E-services for Businesses.

Receiving your CRA mail online

You, or your representative (authorized at a level 2), can choose to receive most of your CRA mail for your business online.

When you or your representative registers for online mail, an email notification will be sent to the email address(es) provided when there is new mail available to view in My Business Account. Correspondence available through online mail will no longer be printed and mailed. To register, select the “Manage online mail” service and follow the steps.

Using our online mail service is faster and easier than managing paper correspondence.

Authorizing the withdrawal of a pre-determined amount from your bank account

Pre-authorized debit (PAD) is an online, self-service, payment option. Through this option, you agree to authorize the CRA to withdraw a pre-determined amount from your bank account to pay tax on a specific date or dates. You can set up a PAD agreement using the CRA's secure My Business Account service. PADs are flexible and managed by you. You can view historical records, modify, cancel, or skip a payment. For more information, go to Make a payment to the Canada Revenue Agency and select "Pre-authorized debit."

Electronic payments

Make your payment using:

• your financial institution’s online or telephone banking services;
• the CRA's My Payment service; or
• pre-authorized debit at My Account for Individuals or My Business Account.

For more information on all payment options, go to Make a payment to the Canada Revenue Agency.

For more information

What if you need help?

If you need more information after reading this publication, visit our website or call 1-800-959-5525.

Direct deposit

Direct deposit is a fast, convenient, reliable, and secure way to get your CRA payments directly into your account at a financial institution in Canada.

You can view your direct deposit information and online transactions at My Business Account.

To enrol for direct deposit or to update your banking information, go to Direct deposit.

Forms and publications

To get our forms and publications, go to Forms and publications or call 1-800-959-5525.

Electronic mailing lists

We can notify you by email when new information on a subject of interest to you is available on our website. To subscribe to our electronic mailing lists, go to Electronic mailing lists.

Tax Information Phone Service (TIPS)

For personal and general tax information by telephone, use our automated service, TIPS, by calling 1-800-267-6999.

Teletypewriter (TTY) users

If you have a hearing or speech impairment and use a TTY call 1-800-665-0354 during regular business hours.

Service complaints

You can expect to be treated fairly under clear and established rules, and get a high level of service each time you deal with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA); see the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

If you are not satisfied with the service you received, try to resolve the matter with the CRA employee you have been dealing with or call the telephone number provided in the CRA’s correspondence. If you do not have contact information, go to Contact Information.

If you still disagree with the way your concerns were addressed, you can ask to discuss the matter with the employee’s supervisor.

If you are still not satisfied, you can file a service complaint by filling out Form RC193, Service-Related Complaint. For more information, go to Make a service complaint

If the CRA has not resolved your service–related complaint, you can submit a complaint with the Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsman.

Reprisal complaint

If you believe that you have experienced reprisal, fill out Form RC459, Reprisal Complaint.

For more information about reprisal complaints, go to Reprisal Complaints.

Tax information videos

We have a number of tax information videos for individuals on topics such as the income tax and benefit return, the Canadian tax system, and tax measures for persons with disabilities. To watch our videos, go to Video gallery.

Cancellation of penalties or interest

The CRA administers legislation, commonly called the taxpayer relief provisions, that gives the CRA discretion to cancel or waive penalties or interest when taxpayers are unable to meet their tax obligations due to circumstances beyond their control.

The CRA’s discretion to grant relief is limited to any period that ended within 10 calendar years before the year in which a request is made.

For penalties, the CRA will consider your request only if it relates to a tax year or fiscal period ending in any of the 10 calendar years before the year in which you make your request. For example, your request made in 2017 must relate to a penalty for a tax year or fiscal period ending in 2007 or later.

For interest on a balance owing for any tax year or fiscal period, the CRA will consider only the amounts that accrued during the 10 calendar years before the year in which you make your request. For example, your request made in 2017 must relate to interest that accrued in 2007 or later.

To make a request, fill out Form RC4288, Request for Taxpayer Relief – Cancel or Waive Penalties or Interest. For more information about relief from penalties or interest and how to submit your request, go to Taxpayer relief provisions.