Translation disclaimer
This translation was prepared by Tax Interpretations Inc. The CRA did not issue this document in the language in which it now appears, and is not responsible for any errors in its translation that might impact a reader’s understanding of it or the position(s) taken therein. See also the general Disclaimer below.
15 April 2002 External T.I. 2002-0128145 F - 84.1(2)(a.1) of the Act
Principal Issues: 1) Whether, in a given fact situation, shares would be shares substituted for other shares for the purposes of paragraph 84.1(2)(a.1) of the Act.
2) Whether the application of subsection 84.1(1) to the transfers of shares would result in a dividend being deemed to be paid to a particular taxpayer pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 84.1(1)(b).
Position: 1) If a taxpayer would in fact dispose of all of the common shares on the exchange, the new common shares acquired afterwards by the son of the taxpayer would be shares substituted for other shares for the purposes of paragraph 84.1(2)(a.1) of the Act.
2) No. In the particular situation, the son should be able to establish a "nil" amount, pursuant to subparagraph 84.1(2)(a.1)(ii) of the Act, as being the amount in respect of which a deduction under section 110.6 was claimed.
Reasons: Wording of paragraph 84.1(2)(a.1) of the Act and previous positions.
2002-012814
XXXXXXXXXX S. Prud'Homme
(613) 957-8975
April 15, 2002
Dear Sir,
Subject: Request for a Technical Interpretation of Paragraph 84.1(2)(a.1) of the Income Tax Act
This is in response to your letter of March 6, 2002, in which you requested our opinion regarding the application of paragraph 84.1(2)(a.1) of the Income Tax Act (the "Act") in a particular situation.
It appears to us that the situation described in your letter and summarized below could constitute an actual situation involving taxpayers. As explained in Information Circular 70-6R4, it is the practice of our Directorate not to issue written views regarding proposed transactions otherwise than by way of advance income tax rulings. If your situation involved one or more specific taxpayers and completed transactions, you should submit all relevant facts and documentation to the appropriate Tax Services Office for its opinion. However, we are able to offer the following general comments which may be of assistance to you. It should be noted that the application of one or more provisions of the Act generally requires an analysis of all the facts relating to a particular situation. Consequently, and given that your letter only briefly describes a given hypothetical situation, the comments we make below may not fully apply in a given particular situation.
(1) Particular Situation
You have presented us with the situation described below (the "Particular Situation") as part of your request for a technical interpretation.
(a) An individual resident in Canada ("Mr. X") holds all of the issued and outstanding common shares (the "Old Common Shares") of the capital stock of a corporation ("Aco"). These Old Common Shares in the capital stock of Aco are "qualified small business corporation shares" within the meaning of subsection 110.6(1). The fair market value ("FMV") of those shares is $900,000, while their adjusted cost base ("ACB") and paid-up capital ("PUC") is nominal. We have assumed for the purposes hereof that the Old Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco constitute "capital property" to Mr. X within the meaning of the definition set out in section 54. Furthermore, Aco was incorporated after 1972.
(b) Mr. X will "exchange" in favour of Aco all of the Old Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco that he owns in consideration for the issuance by Aco of preferred shares (the "Preferred Shares") and new common shares (the "New Common Shares") having a FMV of $500,000 and $400,000, respectively. Mr. X and Aco will make an election pursuant to subsection 85(1) in the prescribed form and within the time period set out in subsection 85(6) of the Act. The agreed amount in this respect will be $500,000. Under the terms of this transaction, Mr. X will realize a capital gain of approximately $500,000, in respect of which he will claim a capital gains deduction pursuant to subsection 110.6(2.1). By applying paragraph 85(1)(g), the cost and ACB of the Preferred Shares of the capital stock of Aco received by Mr. X would be $500,000. We have assumed for the purposes hereof that the ACB of those Preferred Shares would be nominal. By application of paragraph 85(1)(h), the cost and ACB of the New Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco received by Mr. X would be nominal. We have assumed that the PUC of those New Common Shares would be nominal.
(c) Mr. X will then dispose of all the New Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco to his son ("Son X") for a price corresponding to the FMV of such New Common Shares, i.e. $400,000. We have assumed for the purposes hereof that Mr. X would not claim a deduction pursuant to subparagraph 40(1)(a)(iii) Act in respect of that disposition of shares. Under the terms of this transaction, Mr. X would therefore realize a capital gain of approximately $400,000, in respect of which no capital gains deduction pursuant to subsection 110.6(2.1) would be claimed. The ACB to Son X of the New Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco would be $400,000 and their PUC would be nominal. We have assumed for the purposes hereof that those New Common Shares would constitute "capital property" to Son X within the meaning of the definition set out in section 54 of the Act.
(d) Son X, who resides in Canada, will dispose of all of the New Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco to another corporation of which he is the sole shareholder ("Bco") for a price equal to the FMV of such New Common Shares, i.e., $400,000. Bco will pay this sale price by giving Son X consideration (other than shares of its capital stock) having an FMV of $400,000. We understand that, immediately after this disposition of shares, Aco will be connected to Bco. Under subparagraph 84.1(2)(a.1)(ii), Son X would report an amount of nil as the amount in respect of which a deduction was claimed pursuant to section 110.6.
(e) Finally, Mr. X will dispose of all of the Preferred Shares of the capital stock of Aco to another non-arm's length corporation ("Cco") for a price equal to the FMV of such Preferred Shares, i.e., $500,000. Cco would pay this sale price by giving Mr. X consideration (other than shares of its capital stock) having an FMV of $500,000. We understand that, immediately after this disposition of shares, Aco would be connected to Cco.
(2) Your Questions regarding the Particular Situation
You have formulated the following questions with respect to the Particular Situation:
(a) For the purposes, inter alia, of the application of paragraph 84.1(2)(a.1), you asked us whether it is possible to consider that only the Preferred Shares of the capital stock of Aco held by Mr. X (and not the New Common Shares in Aco) would be shares substituted for the Old Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco.
(b) To the extent that the answer to question (a) is in the negative, you asked us whether a dividend is deemed to have been paid by Bco to Son X and received by him pursuant to paragraph 84.1(1)(b) upon the disposition by Son X to Bco of the New Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco.
(c) Finally, you asked us whether a dividend is deemed to have been paid by Cco to Mr. X and received by him pursuant to paragraph 84.1(1)(b) upon the disposition by Mr. X to Cco of the New Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco.
(3) Our Comments regarding the Particular Situation
It should first be noted that, with respect to the transaction described in (1)(b) above, the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (the "CCRA") would generally examine the characteristics of the Old Common Shares and the New Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco in order to determine whether there is in fact a disposition by Mr. X of all of the Old Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco. If there were essentially no difference between the rights, privileges, conditions and restrictions attaching to the Old Common Shares and those attaching to the New Common Shares, the CCRA could conclude that there has been no disposition of the Old Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco which were "exchanged" for New Common Shares.
Comments regarding the Particular Situation on the assumption that there would not be a disposition of all the Old Common Shares by Mr X.
To the extent that Mr. X disposes of only a portion of the Old Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco pursuant to the transaction described in (1)(b) above, Mr. X would, in effect, dispose of Old Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco with an FMV of $400,000 and a nominal ACB to Son X pursuant to the transaction described in (1)(c) above.
In this case, for the purposes of subparagraph 84.1(2)(a.1)(ii), there would be no shares for which any of the Old Common Shares sold to Son X would have been substituted. On the other hand, the Preferred Shares of the capital stock of Aco would constitute shares substituted for the Old Common Shares of Aco "exchanged" by Mr. X.
In light of the foregoing, we are of the view that, for the purposes of paragraph 84.1(1)(b), the ACB to Son X of the Old Common Shares of Aco acquired from Mr. X would be deemed to be equal to $400,000 since Son X should be able to establish, pursuant to subparagraph 84.1(2)(a.1)(ii), an amount of nil as being the amount in respect of which a deduction would have been claimed pursuant to section 110.6. Indeed, it should be possible to consider in the circumstances that no part of the ACB to Son X of the shares of the capital stock of Aco that he acquired would be attributable to a capital gains deduction claimed by Mr. X in respect of the capital gain realized on the "exchange" of a portion of the Old Common Shares of Aco for Preferred Shares of Aco. Consequently, the transaction described in (1)(d) above should not result in a deemed dividend being paid by Bco and received by Son X pursuant to paragraph 84.1(1)(b).
However, we are of the view that, pursuant to paragraph 84.1(1)(b), a dividend of $500,000 would be deemed to have been paid by Cco to Mr. X and received by him upon the transaction described in (1)(e) above since, pursuant to subparagraph 84.1(2)(a.1)(ii), the ACB to Mr. X of the Preferred Shares would be reduced by $500,000. In the circumstances, it appears that the entire ACB to Mr. X of the Preferred Shares of the capital stock of Aco would be attributable to the capital gains deduction that he would have previously claimed in respect of the capital gain realized on the "exchange" of a portion of the Old Common Shares of Aco for Preferred Shares of Aco.
Comments on the Situation Assuming a Disposition of All of the Old Common Shares by Mr. X
To the extent that Mr. X disposes of all of the Old Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco pursuant to the transaction described in (1)(b) above, Mr. X would effectively dispose of New Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco with a FMV of $400,000 and a nominal ACB to Son X pursuant to the transaction described in (1)(c) above. Mr. X would therefore realize a capital gain of approximately $400,000 on this last transaction, in respect of which no capital gains deduction pursuant to subsection 110.6(2.1) would be claimed.
In those circumstances, we are of the view that the New Common Shares of Aco acquired by Son X would constitute shares substituted for the Old Common Shares of Aco "exchanged" by Mr. X with Aco. The Preferred Shares of the capital stock of Aco would also constitute shares substituted for the Old Common Shares of Aco "exchanged" by Mr. X.
We are nevertheless of the view that, for the purposes of paragraph 84.1(1)(b), the ACB to Son X of the New Common Shares of Aco acquired from Mr. X would be deemed to be equal to $400,000 since Son X should be able to establish, pursuant to subparagraph 84.1(2)(a.1)(ii), an amount of zero as being the amount in respect of which a deduction had been claimed pursuant to section 110.6. Indeed, it should be possible to consider in the circumstances that no part of the ACB to Son X of the New Common Shares of the capital stock of Aco would be attributable to the capital gains deduction claimed by Mr. X in respect of the capital gain realized on the "exchange" of the Old Common Shares of Aco for Preferred Shares of Aco. Our position in this regard is based, among other things, on the fact that, by the application of paragraph 85(1)(g), the entire amount corresponding to the capital gain realized by Mr. X and in respect of which he claimed a capital gains deduction pursuant to section 110.6 would have been allocated to the Preferred Shares of Aco. Consequently, the transaction described in (1)(d) above should not result in a deemed dividend being paid by Bco and received by Son X pursuant to paragraph 84.1(1)(b).
However, we are of the view that, pursuant to paragraph 84.1(1)(b), a dividend of $500,000 would be deemed to have been paid by Cco to Mr. X and received by him upon the transaction described in (1)(e) above since, pursuant to subparagraph 84.1(2)(a.1)(ii), the ACB to Mr. X of the Preferred Shares would be reduced by $500,000. In fact, it appears in the circumstances that the entire ACB to Mr. X of the Preferred Shares of the capital stock of Aco would be attributable to the capital gains deduction which he previously had claimed in respect of the capital gain realized on the "exchange" of the Old Common Shares of Aco for Preferred Shares of Aco. As indicated above, our position in this regard is based, among other things, on the fact that by the application of paragraph 85(1)(g), the entire amount corresponding to the capital gain realized by Mr. X and in respect of which he claimed a capital gains deduction pursuant to section 110.6 would have been allocated to the Preferred Shares of Aco.
In closing, please note that this view is not an advance income tax ruling and, as stated in paragraph 22 of Information Circular 70-6R4 dated January 29, 2001, is not binding on the CCRA with respect to any particular factual situation.
We hope that our comments will be of assistance to you.
Best regards,
Maurice Bisson, CGA
for the Director
Corporate Reorganizations and
and Resource Industries Division
Income Tax Rulings Directorate
Policy and Legislation Branch
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to electronically copy and to print in hard copy for internal use only. No part of this information may be reproduced, modified, transmitted or redistributed in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system for any purpose other than noted above (including sales), without prior written permission of Canada Revenue Agency, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0L5
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2002
Tous droits réservés. Il est permis de copier sous forme électronique ou d'imprimer pour un usage interne seulement. Toutefois, il est interdit de reproduire, de modifier, de transmettre ou de redistributer de l'information, sous quelque forme ou par quelque moyen que ce soit, de facon électronique, méchanique, photocopies ou autre, ou par stockage dans des systèmes d'extraction ou pour tout usage autre que ceux susmentionnés (incluant pour fin commerciale), sans l'autorisation écrite préalable de l'Agence du revenu du Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0L5.
© Sa Majesté la Reine du Chef du Canada, 2002