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Tax Tips
| Designation of Eligible Dividends - 2006/2007 |
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| CRA gives guidance on 2006 and 2007 eligible dividend designations |
The CRA recently released some guidance for the 2006 and subsequent taxation years
for eligible dividends. The key points are as follows:
- In 2006, the CRA will accept eligible dividend designations based
only on the identification of eligible dividends on T3 and T5 slips
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For 2007, and subsequent taxation years, appropriate notification includes
identifying eligible dividends through letters to shareholders, dividend cheque stubs
or a notation in the minutes where all the shareholders are directors of corporations.
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For 2006, an eligible dividend can be designated as part of a dividend paid.
That is, if $10,000 of dividends are paid, a corporation can designate $6,000 of those
dividends to be eligible dividends. For 2007 and subsequent years, a designation will
not be accepted in respect of a portion of dividends
paid. Instead, all of a dividend payment must be designated as an eligible dividend.
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The CRA acknowledges that for 2006, a trust may not be aware of the exact
amount of eligible dividends received as a trust may be waiting for mutual funds slips
which are issued at the same time as the trust must complete its trust return. The
CRA has said that the trust can make “reasonable assumptions” in determining whether
to identify dividends as eligible dividends. However, the CRA goes on to say that
the trust must amend the T3 slips and return if the assumption is inaccurate except
for amounts that are less than $100.
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Any dividends paid to a class of shares must all be designated as eligible
dividends. That is, a corporation cannot designate eligible dividends to certain
shareholders and ineligible dividends to other shareholders where they all own the
same class of shares.
TAX TIP OF THE WEEK is provided as a free service to clients and friends of the Tax Specialist Group member firms. The Tax Specialist Group is a national affiliation of firms who specialize in providing tax consulting services to other professionals, businesses and high net worth individuals on Canadian and international tax matters and tax disputes.
The material provided in Tax Tip of the Week is believed to be accurate and reliable as of the date it is written. Tax laws are complex and are subject to frequent change. Professional advice should always be sought before implementing any tax planning arrangements. Neither the Tax Specialist Group nor any member firm can accept any liability for the tax consequences that may result from acting based on the contents hereof.
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