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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.
Principal Issues: In a given situation, can the CRA confirm the tax treatment of the profit by a taxpayer upon the sale of a share of a right of ownership representing 50% in a property to a third party, when the taxpayer had acquired a share of the right of ownership representing 50 % interest in that property from his/her co-owner less that 265 days prior?
Position: In the given situation, the rules on flipped property outlined in subsections 12(12) to 12(14) of the ITA do not apply to this taxpayer. Therefore since the taxpayer owns only one property and the share of the right of ownership in the property is considered a capital property, the taxpayer must include the full amount of the profit realized from the sale of the share of the right of ownership in the cottage to the third party as a capital gain in the calculation of his/her income.
Reasons: The law.
FINANCIAL PLANNING ROUNDTABLE OCTOBER 9, 2025
2025 APFF CONFERENCE
7. Partial sale and flipped property
Particular Situation
Mr. A and Mr. B (two friends) were equal co-owners of a cottage located in Quebec. The cottage was a single-unit property. Each co-owner’s interest in the cottage was capital property.
The adjusted cost base ("ACB") of each co-owner was $100,000 (the purchase cost of the cottage in 2019 was $200,000).
In 2025, Mr. B sold his interest in the cottage to Mr. A for a sale price of $150,000 (the fair market value ("FMV") of the cottage at that time was $300,000).
Mr. A became the sole owner of the cottage:
- 50% acquired in 2019 (ACB of $100,000)
- 50% acquired in 2025 (ACB of $150,000)
Less than 12 months after that purchase, Mr. A sold a 50% co-ownership interest in the cottage to Mr. C (another friend) for a price equal to 50% of the cottage's FMV at that time (i.e., for a sale price of $175,000, the cottage having an FMV of $350,000).
Since Mr. A has held a 50% co-ownership interest in the cottage for less than 365 consecutive days prior to the disposition of a co-ownership interest in the cottage to Mr. C, we think that the rules set out in subsections 12(12) to 12(14) on flipped property could apply if all other conditions are satisfied. In this case, the possible scenarios are as follows:
(a) Mr. A owned a single property (the cottage), with a total ACB of $250,000. When he sold a 50% co-ownership interest in the cottage to Mr. C (whose ACB was $125,000), Mr. A realized a profit of $50,000 ($175,000 - $125,000):
- since half of the 50% co-ownership interest sold to Mr. C was acquired less than 12 months before the sale to Mr. C, 50% of the $50,000 profit was business income of $25,000 and the other 50% of the profit was a capital gain of $25,000.
(b) Mr. A owned two identical properties (two undivided 50% co-ownership interests), each with an ACB of $125,000 (($100,000 + $150,000) / 2). When he sold his 50% co-ownership interest in the cottage to Mr. C (with an ACB of $125,000), Mr. A realized a profit of $50,000 ($175,000 - $125,000):
- either Mr. A sold the 50% interest he acquired in 2019 (first-in, first-out ("FIFO") method). Since that interest was sold more than 12 months after its purchase, the $50,000 profit was a capital gain ($175,000 - $125,000).
- or Mr. A sold the 50% interest he acquired in 2025 (last-in, first-out ("LIFO") method). Since that co-ownership interest was sold less than 12 months after purchase, the $50,000 profit is business income ($175,000 - $125,000).
(c) Mr. A owned two totally distinct properties, i.e. a 50% co-ownership interest with an ACB of $100,000 and another 50% co-ownership interest with an ACB of $150,000:
- either Mr. A sold the 50% co-ownership interest he acquired in 2019 (FIFO). Since that co-ownership interest was sold more than 12 months after its purchase, the $75,000 profit was a capital gain ($175,000 - $100,000).
- or Mr. A sold the 50% co-ownership interest he acquired in 2025 (LIFO). Since that co-ownership interest was sold less than 12 months after its purchase, the $25,000 profit was business income ($175,000 - $150,000).
In our opinion, Scenario (a) is the correct tax treatment.
Question to the CRA
Can the CRA confirm that the tax treatment of the particular situation is that described in scenario (a)?
CRA Response
Generally, the rules set out in subsection 12(12) on flipped property apply when a taxpayer realizes a gain on the disposition of "flipped property". The term "flipped property" is defined in subsection 12(13) and essentially refers to property that is a housing unit located in Canada (or a right to acquire such a housing unit) and owned or, in the case of a right to acquire, held, by the taxpayer for less than 365 consecutive days prior to its disposition, other than a disposition that can reasonably be considered to occur due to, or in anticipation of, one of the exemptions provided for in paragraph 12(13)(b).
In the particular situation, in order to determine whether or not the property satisfies the parameters of the definition of "flipped property", as set out in the preceding paragraph, we have assumed that the disposition of the co-ownership interest of the cottage to Mr. C did not occur because of or in contemplation of one of the exemptions provided for in paragraph 12(13)(b).
The term "housing unit" is not defined in the Income Tax Act. We must therefore rely on the ordinary meaning of that term and take into account the overall context of the text in which it is used, so that the interpretation adopted is in harmony with the spirit of the Income Tax Act and the intent of Parliament.
Thus, for the purposes of the application of the flipped property rules, CRA is of the view that a property that is, prior to its disposition, a housing unit under subparagraph 12(13)(a)(i) also includes a co-ownership interest in that property.
Consequently, in the particular situation, the principal issue is to determine whether Mr. A held a property that was a housing unit for less than 365 consecutive days before disposing of a co-ownership interest in the cottage to Mr. C.
In the particular situation, since Mr. A held a co-ownership interest in the cottage since 2019, the CRA is of the view that Mr. A had held a property that was a housing unit under subparagraph 12(13)(a)(i) for more than 365 consecutive days prior to the disposition of a co-ownership interest in the cottage to Mr. C for the purposes of subsection 12(13). Thus, the flipped property rules in subsections 12(12) to 12(14) did not apply to Mr. A upon the sale of a co-ownership interest in the cottage to Mr. C.
In conclusion, as stated in Scenario (a), the CRA agrees that Mr. A owned a single property (the cottage), with a total ACB of $250,000. However, since the flipped property rules in subsections 12(12) to 12(14) did not apply, and since Mr. A's co-ownership interest in the cottage was capital property, Mr. A must include the entire $50,000 profit realized on the sale of his co-ownership interest of the cottage to Mr. C as a capital gain in computing his income.
Lucie Allaire
October 9, 2025
2025-106247
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