Canada: CRA expresses views on 97(2) planning

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Canada: CRA expresses views on 97(2) planning

diep.jpg

maccarthy.jpg

Nancy Diep


Corinne MacCarthy

At the annual Canadian Tax Foundation conference on December 2 2014, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) was asked whether it would apply the general anti-avoidance rule (GAAR) to the application of a tax-deferred transfer of assets to a partnership under subsection 97(2) of the Income Tax Act (ITA) where taxpayers initially formed a partnership with only Canadian resident partners in order to meet the requirements under the rule but, shortly after the transfer, admitted non-resident partners. Subsection 97(2) is an elective provision and generally requires that the transferor immediately after the transfer be a member of the partnership and that the partnership be a Canadian partnership, which is defined as a partnership all of whose members are resident in Canada. This is a point-in-time test so the subsequent admission of non-resident partners technically should not impact the application of the rule.

The CRA provided an example where Corp A (a Canadian resident) forms a partnership with its wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary. Corp A transfers, under subsection 97(2), property to the partnership with a cost of $100,000, fair market value of $100,000 and an undepreciated capital cost balance of $50,000 in exchange for 50,000 partnership units worth $50,000 and a $50,000 promissory note. The next day, a non-resident contributes $50,000 for 50,000 partnership units, which cash is used by the partnership to repay the promissory note. The non-resident has a 49.95% interest in the partnership while Corp A's interest is diluted to 50.04%.

The CRA indicated that it would seek to apply the GAAR to this type of arrangement. According to the CRA, the application of the GAAR in the circumstances is based not only on the policy behind subsection 97(2) but also subsection 100(1) and certain related anti-avoidance provisions in subsections 100(1.4) and (1.5). These rules generally prevent taxpayers from directly or indirectly selling partnership interests to non-residents in order to convert what would otherwise be income into a capital gain and avoid future taxation in Canada altogether where the interest is not taxable Canadian property to the non-resident.

If Corp A had disposed of a portion of its partnership interest directly to the non-resident, subsection 100(1) would have applied, resulting in a fully taxable gain. In terms of the anti-avoidance provisions, although there has been a dilution of Corp A's interest in the partnership, the fair market value of Corp A's interest itself has not been diluted so the arrangement would not have been caught by subsections 100 (1.4) and (1.5).

Given the particular circumstances of the example considered, it is not clear how broadly CRA would take this approach where a non-resident has become a partner after property has been contributed to the partnership under section 97(2). Furthermore, the role of subsection 100(1) in the context of subsection 97(2) for the purposes of any GAAR determination requires a careful review of the relevant facts of any particular transaction(s), as how transaction(s) come about and why they take place necessarily affect conclusions about how the GAAR may apply, even to a transaction that appears structurally similar to that considered by the CRA.

Nancy Diep (nancy.diep@blakes.com) and Corinne MacCarthy (corinne.mccarthy@blakes.com), Calgary

Blake, Cassels & Graydon

Tel: +1 403 260 9779 and +1 403 260 9758

Website: www.blakes.com

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

Whether it be due to a fragmented advisory market or a rise in M&A, Italy’s frenetic hiring has not gone unnoticed by ITR’s Talent Tracker
The deal gives Azets 14 new partners and boosts its Swedish revenues to over $100 million; in other news, Svalner Atlas launched in Copenhagen
The tax technology company will be providing a free demonstration of its OTP software and offering best practice advice on whether to ‘buy or build’ on September 8
Johanes Glorinus Saragih of Indonesia’s Directorate General of Taxes outlines the nation’s delicate geopolitical situation, as it sits between a rock and a hard place with the US and pillar two
The law firm’s head of tax, trade and wealth management likens tax legislation to a complex puzzle, recommends a sturdy coffee mug, and explains why acronyms make tax cool
The global tax and accounting firm has appointed two experienced TP advisers from a New Jersey-based boutique
A lack of commitment from major jurisdictions and the associated compliance burden are obstacles facing the OECD initiative
Richard Gregg is no longer fit and proper to be a tax agent, said the TPB; in other news, MHA completed its acquisition of Baker Tilly South-East Europe
Recent Indian case law emphasises the importance of economic substance over mere legal form in evaluating tax implications, say authors from Khaitan & Co
PepsiCo was represented by PwC, while the ATO was advised by MinterEllison, an Australian-headquartered law firm
Gift this article