Archive for Canada

Canada: Capital Cost Allowance For Real Estate

Capital cost allowance (CCA) is the tax term in Canada for the deduction of amortization on capital assets. There are separate classes of CCA for property, plant and equipment and different rates that apply to each class. There are some specific rules for claiming capital cost allowance related to real estate.
Discussion:

Once construction is complete, a building can be sold as inventory and earn business income, used to earn property income, or used to operate an active business. If the building is not being sold, then it will generally become depreciable property for the corporation. In order to be classified as depreciable property, the building must meet the following conditions:

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Written by | Posted in Canada • International • Real Estate

Tax Treatment Of Leasehold Improvements

In real estate, property and building leases are common signed agreements between two corporations. Leasehold improvements are generally building additions for the lease space paid for by the tenant (lessee). These costs are considered capital and amortized over the length of the lease.
Discussion:

Common lease periods for real property are 5 to 10 years.

The lease rates are negotiated by the lessor and the lessee at fair market value. The periodic lease payments are a deduction for the corporation. Upon termination of the lease, the leasehold improvements usually revert back to the lessor unless the lessee can remove them. Read More

Written by | Posted in Canada • International • Real Estate

Canada Tax: Qualifying Non-Resident Employer And Withholding Tax

A qualifying non-resident employer can be certified and thus will have to withhold tax from the salary or other compensation paid to qualifying non-resident employees in Canada (to be covered in a future FAQ). This eliminates withholding taxes. Which can be a big cash flow savings. The certification will be valid for up to two calendar years.

To be eligible to be a qualifying non-resident employer, the employer must be a resident in a country that has a tax treaty with Canada. Read More

Written by | Posted in Canada • Canada Tax • International • Withheld Tax

Ownership Structures In Real Estate

The common types of ownership structures in real estate are owned as an individual, in a corporation, in a partnership or in a joint venture. The type of structure generally depends on the purpose of the use.

Individual Ownership

  • Less complexity but income is taxed at personal tax rates which can be the highest rates.
  • Any losses incurred can be offset against any income.
  • There is no liability protection for the individual besides the insurance policy on the property.

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Written by | Posted in Canada • International • Real Estate

Canada Tax: Capitalization Of Development Cost Under The Income Tax Act

During the development phase or period of construction, there are many costs that are incurred. The majority of these expenditures are added to the capital cost of property or to the cost of inventory.

Soft costs do not have to be capitalized once the construction is complete or on the day that the building is substantially (at least 90%) used for its intended purpose. An occupancy certificate or completion certificate issued by the municipal building department is sufficient evidence that construction is complete. Read More

Written by | Posted in Canada • International • Real Estate

Is Cancelling NAFTA Bad For Canada?

The spectre of NAFTA being cancelled is on many people’s minds since the election of President Donald Trump. Washington has pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and wants a better deal for the U.S. in the NAFTA agreement. The recent possible tariffs coming from the Trump administration is also heightening trade concerns. Is cancelling NAFTA a bad thing for Canada? There are 2 ways to examine this question.

The Current State

The first approach is looking at how things currently are and what is likely to happen using this assumption. Canada is the U.S.’s second largest trading partner and the U.S. is Canada’s largest trading partner by a large margin; the U.S. is Canada’s closest trading partner by physical location. Read More

Written by | Posted in Canada • NAFTA • TPP • Trade

Real Estate Expenses After Acquisition Of Property For Tax Purposes

After a property is purchased, there is generally a time period that a property is held before it is developed. Common expenses that are incurred are property taxes and interest. Other expenses incurred can be classified as an operating expense, added to inventory cost or capitalized for tax purposes.

Property taxes and interest on vacant land are generally capitalized or added to the cost of inventory for real estate. These expenses on vacant land can only be deducted in the same tax year if there is property income received and the corporation is not in the business of development. Read More

Written by | Posted in Canada • International • Property Tax • Real Estate

Missed The March 15 1042-S Filing Due Date? Better Hurry Up!

The following penalties apply to the person required to file Form 1042-S. The penalties apply to both paper filers and electronic filers. Late filing of correct Form 1042-S. A penalty may be imposed for failure to file each correct and complete Form 1042-S when due (including extensions).

The penalty, based on when you file a correct Form 1042-S, is: $50 per Form 1042-S if you correctly file within 30 days after the required filing date; the maximum penalty is $545,500 per year; if you file after August 1 or you do not file correct Forms 1042-S; the maximum penalty is $3,275,500 per year. If you intentionally disregard the requirement to report correct information, the penalty per Form 1042-S is increased.
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Written by | Posted in Canada • Form 1042-S • TaxConnections

Tax Consequences For Corporate Entry Into Canada

A company is considered to have immigrated to Canada if the corporation’s central management and control has moved to Canada, regardless if initially incorporated in Canada or not. Therefore, when a business owner moves to Canada, so does the business.

When the company enters Canada, the company is deemed to have disposed of and reacquired all of the company’s assets and liabilities at their fair market value (FMV) right before coming to Canada. As the assets and liabilities of the company are being re-valued at the FMV, this is considered to be the company’s valuation date. Read More

Written by | Posted in Canada • International

Non-Active Canadian Corporations Are Not Required To File A Corporate Tax Return…Or Are They?

Non-resident corporations that have no activity in Canada during its fiscal year are not required to file a Canadian corporate tax return. However, without filing a Canadian corporate tax return, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will not know that you did not have activity in Canada. Therefore, CRA may send you a letter requesting that a return is required to be filed.

If CRA requests that a return be filed, even though your company had no activity in Canada, you may be tempted to file a return in order to be in compliance. Read More

Written by | Posted in Canada • International • Tax Refund

FBAR Must Be Filed Electronically Through FinCEN’s BSA E-Filing System, Not With The Federal Tax Return

FBAR must be filed electronically through FinCEN’s BSA E-Filing System. The FBAR is not filed with a federal tax return.

Public Law 114-41 mandates a maximum six-month extension of the filing deadline. To implement the statute with minimal burden to the public and FinCEN, FinCEN will grant filers failing to meet the FBAR annual due date of April 15 an automatic extension to October 15 each year. Accordingly, specific requests for this extension are not required.

Thus, before the FBAR extended due date of October 15, file streamlined FBARs for each of the most recent 6 years for which the FBAR due date has passed (i.e., is delinquent, and of course timely file the current year FBAR too). Read More

Written by | Posted in Canada • FBAR • Federal • Tax Return

Unintended Consequences Of Tax Jobs And Cuts Act On Canadian Citizens And Others Abroad

“This legislation is being interpreted by a number of tax professionals to mean that individual U.S. citizens living outside the United States are required to simply “fork over” a percentage of the value of their small business corporations to the IRS. Although technically “CFCs” these companies are certainly NOT foreign to the people who use them to run businesses that are local to their country of residence. Furthermore, the “culture” of Canadian Controlled Private Corporations is that they are actually used as “private pension plans”. So, an unintended consequence of the Tax Cuts Jobs Act would be that individuals living in Canada are somehow required to collapse their pension plans and turn the proceeds over to the U.S. government” -John Richardson Read More

Written by | Posted in British Columbia • Canada • Tax Cuts Jobs Act
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