Self-employed Business, Professional, Commission, Farming, and Fishing Income: Chapter 4 – Capital cost allowance
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What is capital cost allowance
You might acquire a depreciable property, such as a building, furniture or equipment, to use in your self-employment activities.
You cannot deduct the cost of the property when you calculate your net farming or fishing income for the year.
However, since these properties may wear out or become obsolete over time, you can deduct their cost over a period of several years. The deduction is called capital cost allowance (CCA).
You can usually claim CCA on a property when it becomes available for use.
Available-for-use rules
Property other than a building usually becomes available for use on the earlier of:
- the date you first use it to earn income
- the second tax year after the year you acquire the property
- the time just before you dispose of the property
- the time the property is delivered or made available to you and is capable of producing a saleable product or service
the time the property is delivered and is capable of performing the function for which it was acquired only in respect of property acquired by you in the course of carrying on your farming or fishing business
Note for fishers
In the case of a vessel, available for use means the date when all permits, certificates or licences needed by law are obtained.
Example for fishers
If you buy an electric motor for your fishing boat and the seller delivers it to you in your 2023 fiscal period, but it was not in working order until your 2024 fiscal period, you cannot claim CCA on it until 2024. However, if you buy an electric motor and the seller delivers it to you in working order in your 2023 fiscal period, but you did not use it until your 2024 fiscal period; you can still claim CCA in 2023 because it was available for use.
A building or part of a building usually becomes available for use on the earlier of the following dates:
- the date you start using 90% or more of the building in your business
- the second tax year after the year you acquire the building
- the time just before you dispose of the building
A building or part of a building you are constructing, renovating or altering usually becomes available for use on the earlier of the following dates:
- the date you complete the construction, renovation or alteration
- the date you start using 90% or more of the building in your business
- the second tax year after the year you acquire the building
- the time just before you dispose of the building
How much CCA you can claim
The CCA you can claim depends on the type of property you own and the date you acquired it. Group the depreciable property you own into classes. A specific rate of CCA generally applies to each class.
We explain the most common classes of property in Classes of depreciable property. We list most of the classes and their rates in the Capital cost allowance (CCA) rates.
Base your CCA claim on your fiscal period ending in 2023, and not the calendar year.
Basic information about CCA
To decide whether an amount is a current expense or a capital expense, see the Current or capital expenses.
For the most part, use the declining balance method to calculate your CCA, as it is the most common one. This means that you apply the CCA rate to the capital cost. Over the life of the property, the rate is applied against the remaining balance. The remaining balance declines each year that you claim CCA.
Example
Last year Abeer bought a building for $60,000 to use in her business. On her income tax return for last year, she claimed CCA of $1,200 on the building. This year, Abeer bases her CCA claim on her balance of $58,800 ($60,000 − $1,200).
You do not have to claim the maximum amount of CCA in any given year. You can claim any amount you like, from zero to the maximum allowed for the year. If you do not have to pay income tax for the year, you may not want to claim CCA. Claiming CCA reduces the balance of the class by the amount of CCA claimed. As a result, the amount of CCA available for you to claim in future years will be reduced.
In the year you acquire a depreciable property, you can usually claim CCA only on one-half of your net additions to a class. We explain this half-year rule in Column 15 – Adjustment for current-year additions subject to the half-year rule. The available-for-use rules discussed earlier in this chapter may also affect the amount of CCA you can claim.
You cannot claim CCA on land or on living things such as trees, shrubs or animals. However, you can claim CCA on timber limits, cutting rights and wood assets. For more information, see interpretation bulletins IT-481, Timber Resource Property and Timber Limits, and IT-501, Capital Cost Allowance – Logging Assets, and its Special Release IT-501SR.
If you claim CCA and you later dispose of the property, you may have to add an amount to your income as a recapture of CCA. Alternatively, you may be able to deduct an additional amount from your income as a terminal loss. For more information, see Column 7 – UCC after additions and dispositions.
If you receive income from a quarry, sand or gravel pit, or a woodlot, you can claim a type of allowance known as a depletion allowance. For more information, see Income Tax Folio S4-F11-C1, Meaning of Farming and Farming Business, and Interpretation Bulletin IT-492, Capital Cost Allowance – Industrial Mineral Mines.
Note for farmers
If you used depreciable property in 2023 you used in your farming business before January 1, 1972, fill in " Part XVII properties (acquired before 1972)" on Form T2042.
If you are a member of a partnership, you cannot separately claim CCA for depreciable property owned by the partnership. Instead, the partnership can deduct CCA when calculating its net income or loss for the year. The partnership's net income or loss is then allocated to the partners and the partner's share is shown on the partner's T5013 slip, Statement of Partnership Income. If the partnership does not need to file a partnership information return, you will not get a T5013. If this is the case, complete Area A of your form to report the CCA claim for the partnership.
Q. How do I calculate my CCA claim if I start a business and my first fiscal period is from June 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023?
A. Since your fiscal period is less than 365 days, you have to prorate your CCA claim. Calculate your CCA using the rules discussed in this chapter. However, base your CCA claim on the number of days in your fiscal period compared to 365 days.
In this case, your fiscal period is 214 days. Suppose you calculate your CCA to be $3,500. The amount of CCA you can claim is $2,052 ($3,500 × 214 ÷ 365).
For more information, see Income Tax Folio S3-F4-C1, General Discussion of Capital Cost Allowance.
Immediate expensing incentive
The immediate expensing incentive has the following characteristics:
- An eligible person or partnership (EPOP) may deduct the full cost of designated immediate expensing properties (DIEPs) up to $1.5 million per tax year, subject to specific limitations
- The deduction applies only to immediate expensing property that you designated as a DIEP on the prescribed form you must file with the minister by the due date
- The deduction is available only for the year when the property becomes available for use
- The deduction is limited to $1.5 million per tax year:
- The $1.5 million may be shared among associated members of a group. Each member must file an agreement on the prescribed form assigning a percentage to one or more of them for the year
- The limit is also prorated for tax years shorter than 365 days
- If the capital cost of the DIEP is more than $1.5 million and is included in more than one CCA class, the EPOP can decide which CCA class the immediate expensing deduction is attributed to
- The deduction is limited to the amount of income earned (before deducting CCA) from the business or property for which the DIEP is used
EPOPs with less than $1.5 million of eligible capital costs can't carry forward any unused annual immediate expensing limit.
As a result of this new CCA incentive, columns 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 have been added to Area A of your form. For more information on how this could affect your CCA calculations, go to Expansion of the Eligibility for Tax Support for Business Investments.
How to calculate your CCA
To calculate your current-year deduction for CCA, and any recaptured CCA and terminal losses, use Area A of your form. Include only the business part.
If you want to claim CCA under the immediate expensing rules and you are part of an associated group of EPOPs, fill in Area G before completing Area A to calculate the immediate expensing limit allocated to your business.
You may have acquired or disposed of buildings or equipment during your fiscal period. If so, fill in the applicable Area B, C, D or E, whichever applies, before completing Area A.
Note
Even if you are not claiming a deduction for CCA for 2023, fill in the appropriate areas of the form to show any additions or disposals during the year. For more information on how to fill in all these areas, see the following section.
Area A – Calculation of CCA claim
Column 1 – Class number
Enter in this column the class numbers of your properties. If this is the first year you are claiming CCA, see Column 3 – Cost of additions in the year below before completing column 1. If you claimed CCA last year, you can get the class numbers of your properties from last year's form.
We discuss the more common types of depreciable properties in Classes of depreciable property, and we list most of the classes and their rates in the Capital cost allowance (CCA) rates.
Column 2 – Undepreciated capital cost (UCC) at the start of the year
If this is the first year you are claiming CCA, skip this column. Otherwise, enter in this column the UCC for each class at the end of last year. Enter these amounts from column 19 from your 2022 form.
From your UCC at the start of 2023, subtract any investment tax credit (ITC) you claimed or were refunded in 2022. Also, subtract any 2022 ITC you carried back to a year before 2022.
In 2022, you may have received a GST/HST input tax credit for a passenger vehicle you used less than 90% of the time for your business. In this case, subtract the amount of the credit you got from your 2023 opening UCC. See Grants, subsidies and rebates.
Note
In 2023, you may be claiming, carrying back or getting a refund of an ITC. If you still have depreciable property in the class, you have to adjust, in 2024, the UCC of the class to which the property belongs. To do this, subtract the amount of the credit from the UCC at the start of 2024. When there is no property left in the class, report the amount of the ITC as income in 2024.
Column 3 – Cost of additions in the year
If you acquire or make improvements to depreciable property in the year, we consider them to be additions to the class in which the property belongs. You should:
- fill in Areas B and C on your form, if applicable, as explained below
- for each class, enter in column 3 of Area A's calculation table the amounts from column 5 for each class in Areas B and C
If a chart asks for the personal part of a property, this refers to the part you use personally, separate from the part you use for business. For example, if you use 25% of the building you live in for your business, your personal part is the remaining 75%.
Do not include the value of your labour in the cost of a property you build or improve. Include the cost of surveying or valuing a property you acquire. Remember that a property usually has to be available for use in the year before you can claim CCA.
If you received insurance proceeds to reimburse you for the loss or destruction of depreciable property, enter the amount you spent to replace the property in column 3 of Area A, as well as in Area B or C, whichever applies.
Include the amount of insurance proceeds considered as proceeds of disposition in column 5 of Area A, as well as in Area D or E, whichever applies.
Note for farmers
For more information, see Line 9604 – Insurance proceeds.
If you replaced lost or destroyed property, special rules for replacement property may apply. The replacement property must be acquired within two years of the end of the tax year in which it was lost or destroyed. For more information, see Income Tax Folio S3-F3-C1, Replacement Property.
To find out if any of these special situations apply, see Special situations.
Note
If you acquired a Class 14.1 property through a non-arm's length transfer, enter only 75% of the capital cost of the property if the following conditions apply:
- the property or a similar property was previously an eligible capital property owned by you or by a person or partnership not dealing at arm's length with you
- the UCC was increased in respect of an earlier disposition of the property or similar property by yourself or the non-arm's length person or partnership
Area B – Equipment additions in the year
List the details of all equipment (including motor vehicles) you acquired or improved in 2023. Group the equipment into the applicable classes and put each class on a separate line.
Equipment you acquire to use in your business to earn income can include:
- cement mixer, snow blower and lawn mower, machinery, motor vehicles
- material for fishing
Enter on line 9925 the total business part of the cost of the equipment.
Area C – Building additions in the year
List the details of all buildings you acquired or improved in 2023. Group the buildings into the applicable classes and put each class on a separate line.
Enter on line 9927 the total business part of the cost of the buildings. The cost includes the purchase price of the building, and any related expenses you should add to the capital cost of the building, such as legal fees, land transfer taxes and mortgage fees.
Land
Generally, land is not a depreciable property. Therefore, you cannot claim CCA on its cost. If you acquire a property that includes both land and a building, enter in column 3 of Area C only the cost that relates to the building. To calculate the building's capital cost, you have to split any fees that relate to buying the property between the land and the building. Related fees may include legal and accounting fees.
Calculate the part of the related fees you can include in the capital cost of the building as follows:
(building value ÷ total purchase price) × legal, accounting or other fees = the part of the fees you can include in the building's cost
You do not have to split a fee if it relates only to the land, or only to the building. In this case, you would add the amount of the fee to the cost to which it relates; either the land or the building.
Area F – Land additions and dispositions in the year
Enter on line 9923 the total cost of acquiring land in 2023. The cost includes the purchase price of the land plus any related expenses you should add to the capital cost of the land, such as legal fees, land transfer taxes and mortgage fees.
You cannot claim CCA on land. Do not enter this amount in column 3 of Area A.
Area H – Quota additions and dispositions in the year
Enter on line 9929 the total cost of acquiring quotas in 2023.
Column 4 – Cost of additions from column 3 that are DIEPs
For each class, enter in column 4 the amount that you designate as immediate expensing property from the total cost included in column 3. The cost of DIEPs is included in column 3 in the total cost of additions in the year and shown separately in column 4. If you are part of an associated group of EPOPs, fill in Area G of your form as explained below.
Remember that property has to be available for use in the year before you can claim CCA.
Area G – Agreement between associated eligible persons or partnerships (EPOPs)
Fill in this area if you are associated in the tax year with one or more EPOPs and you entered into an agreement with them under subsection 1104(3.3) of the Income Tax Regulations. The agreement assigns a percentage to one or more of you in the tax year so you can share the immediate expensing limit. For this agreement, individuals and partnerships are considered to be corporations.
List in the table the names of the associated EPOPs, including your business, their identification number and the percentage the agreement assigned to each of them.
Calculate the immediate expensing limit allocated to you by multiplying $1.5 million by the percentage assigned to your business in column 3. Enter the result at amount iv of Form T2042 or at amount iii of Form T2121 or T2125.
If the total percentage assigned in column 3 exceeds 100%, the immediate expensing limit of the associated group is zero.
Column 5 – Proceeds of dispositions in the year
Enter the details of your 2023 dispositions on your form, as explained below.
If you disposed of depreciable property in the current tax year, you should:
- complete, for each class, Areas D and E, if applicable
- enter in column 5 of the calculation table in Area A the amounts for each class from column 5 of Areas D and E
When completing the tables in Areas D and E, enter in column 3 of the table the lesser of:
- your proceeds of disposition minus any related expenses
- the capital cost of the property
Note
If you dispose of Class 14.1 property and that property was eligible capital property before January 1, 2017, include only 75% of the lesser of the proceeds of disposition and the capital cost of the property. For more information on transitional rules for former eligible capital property, go to Explanatory Notes – Eligible Capital Property.
If a chart asks for the personal part of a property, this refers to the part you use personally, separate from the part you use for business. For example, if you use 25% of the building you live in for business, your personal part is the other 75%.
If you received insurance proceeds to reimburse you for the loss or destruction of depreciable property, enter the amount you paid to replace the property in column 3 of Area A, as well as in Area B or C, whichever area applies.
Include the amount of insurance proceeds considered as proceeds of disposition in column 5 of Area A, as well as in column 4 of Area D or E, whichever applies. This could include compensation you receive for property that someone destroys, expropriates, steals or damages.
Note for farmers
For more information, see Line 9604 – Insurance proceeds.
If you dispose of a property for proceeds that are more than it cost you to acquire it (or you receive insurance proceeds for a property that was lost or destroyed that exceed the cost of the property), you will have a capital gain and possibly a recapture of CCA. You may be able to postpone or defer recognition of a capital gain or recapture of CCA in computing income if, among other things, the property disposed of is replaced within certain specified time limits. For more information, see Replacement property and Income Tax Folio S3-F3-C1, Replacement Property.
Special rules may apply if you dispose of a building for less than both its UCC and your capital cost. If this is the case, see Special rules for disposing of a building in the year. If you dispose of a depreciable property for more than its cost, you will have a capital gain. For more information on capital gains, see Chapter 6. You cannot have a capital loss when you sell depreciable property. However, you may have a terminal loss. For an explanation of terminal losses, see Column 7 – UCC after additions and dispositions.
For more information on proceeds of disposition, see Income Tax Folio S3-F4-C1, General Discussion of Capital Cost Allowance.
Area D – Equipment dispositions in the year
List the details of all equipment (including motor vehicles) you disposed of in your 2023 fiscal period. Group the equipment into the applicable classes and put each class on a separate line. Enter on line 9926 the total business part of the proceeds of disposition of the equipment.
Area E – Building dispositions in the year
List all buildings and leasehold interests you disposed of in the current tax year. Group the buildings and leasehold interests into the applicable classes, and put each class on a separate line. Enter at line 9928 the total amount for the rental portion from the proceeds of disposition of the buildings and leasehold interests.
Area F – Land additions and dispositions in the year
Enter on line 9924 the total of all amounts you received or will receive for disposing of land in the fiscal period.
Area H – Quota additions and dispositions in the year
Enter on line 9930 the total of all amounts you received or will receive for disposing of quotas in the fiscal period.
Column 6 – Proceeds of dispositions of DIEP
Enter in column 6 the total proceeds of disposition from column 5 of any DIEP that was acquired in the year.
Proceeds of dispositions of DIEP are included in column 5 in the total proceeds of dispositions in the year and shown separately in column 6.
Column 7 – UCC after additions and dispositions
The UCC amount for column 7 is the initial UCC amount at the start of the year in column 2 plus the cost of additions in column 3 minus the proceeds of dispositions in column 5.
You cannot claim CCA when the amount in column 7 is:
- negative (see Recapture of CCA)
- positive and you do not have any property left in that class at the end of your 2023 fiscal period (see Terminal loss)
In either case, enter "0" in column 19.
Recapture of CCA
If the amount in column 7 is negative, you have a recapture of CCA. Enter your recapture on:
- line 8230 for business or professional income
- line 9600 for farming income
- line 9600 for fishing income
A recapture of CCA can happen if the proceeds from the sale of depreciable property are more than the total of the following amounts:
- the UCC of the class at the start of the period
- the capital cost of any new additions during the period
A recapture of CCA can also occur, for example, when you get a government grant or claim an investment tax credit.
In some cases, you may be able to postpone a recapture of CCA. For example, you may sell a property and replace it with a similar one, someone may expropriate your property or you may transfer property to a corporation, a partnership or your child.
Terminal loss
If the amount in column 7 is positive and you no longer own any property in that class, you may have a terminal loss. More precisely, you may have a terminal loss when, at the end of a fiscal period, there is no longer any property in the class, but there is still an amount you have not deducted as CCA. You can usually subtract this terminal loss from your gross income in the year you disposed of the depreciable property. Enter your terminal loss on:
- line 9270 for business or professional expenses
- line 9790 for farming expenses
- line 9270 for fishing expenses
For more information on recapture of CCA and terminal loss, see Income Tax Folio S3-F4-C1, General Discussion of Capital Cost Allowance.
Note
The rules for recapture of CCA and terminal loss do not apply to passenger vehicles in Class 10.1 unless they are DIEPs. To calculate your CCA claim, see the comments in Column 16 – Base amount for CCA.
Column 8 – UCC of DIEP
Enter in column 8 the cost of DIEP additions from column 4 minus the proceeds of dispositions of DIEP from column 6. If the result of column 4 minus column 6 exceeds the amount from column 7, enter in column 8 the amount from column 7. If the amount from column 7 is negative, enter "0."
Since immediate expensing is only available for DIEP that becomes available in the year, there can be no UCC of DIEP from the previous year.
Column 9 – Immediate expensing amount for DIEPs
Enter the immediate expensing amount you choose to apply to each class.
The total immediate expensing amount must be equal to or less than the least of the following amounts:
- $1.5 million, if you are not associated with any other EPOP in the year
- the UCC of the DIEP before any CCA deductions in the year
- the amount of income, if any, before any CCA deductions, earned from the source of income that is a business or property for which the relevant DIEP is used for the tax year
Column 10 – Cost of remaining additions after immediate expensing
Column 10 represents the cost of additions after applying the immediate expensing deduction to DIEP. It includes the cost of properties that are not immediate expensing property, are immediate expensing property not designated, or are DIEPs that exceed the immediate expensing deduction for the fiscal period for each class.
To calculate this amount, subtract the immediate expensing amount in column 9 from the total cost of additions in column 3.
Column 11 – Cost of remaining additions from column 10 that are AIIPs or ZEVs
For each class, enter from column 10 the total cost of properties that are accelerated investment incentive properties (AIIPs) or properties included in Classes 54 to 56 that you acquired during the year. They are included in column 10 and shown separately in column 11.
An AIIP generally means a property, other than zero-emission vehicles and automotive equipment included in Classes 54 to 56, acquired after November 20, 2018, and that becomes available for use before 2028.
If you did not acquire any AIIPs, ZEVs or Class 56 properties, enter "0" in this column.
For more details, see Class 54 (30%) and Class 55 (40%) – Zero-emission vehicles, Class 56 (30%) and Accelerated investment incentive property.
Column 12 – Remaining UCC after immediate expensing
Column 12 represents the remaining portion of UCC after applying the immediate expensing deduction. The remaining portion of UCC will be used to calculate the regular CCA deduction.
Subtract the amount in column 9 from the amount in column 7 and enter the difference.
Column 13 – Proceeds of dispositions available to reduce additions of AIIPs and ZEVs
This column calculates the adjustments under certain circumstances to the additions for the year where there is also a disposition in the year.
When an AIIP and a non-AIIP of the same class are purchased during the year and a disposition occurs, the disposition first reduces the UCC of the non-AIIP before reducing the UCC of the AIIP.
To determine which part of your proceeds of dispositions, if any, will reduce the cost of your AIIP, ZEV or Class 56 additions, take the proceeds of disposition in column 5 minus the cost of remaining additions in the year in column 10 plus the cost of remaining additions of AIIPs, ZEVs or Class 56 properties in column 11. If the result is negative, enter "0."
If you did not acquire any AIIPs, ZEVs or Class 56 properties, you do not need to use this column.
Column 14 – UCC adjustment for current-year additions of AIIPs and ZEVs
This column calculates the enhanced UCC amount used to determine the additional CCA for AIIPs, ZEVs or Class 56 properties.
For this column, reduce the cost of AIIP, ZEV or Class 56 additions in column 11 by the proceeds of disposition available to reduce the AIIP, ZEV or Class 56 additions as calculated in column 13. Multiply the result by the following factor:
- 1 for Classes 43.2 and 53
- 1 1/2 for Class 55
- 2 1/3 for Classes 43.1, 54 and 56
- 0 for property in Classes 12, 13, 14 and 15, as well as properties that are Canadian vessels included in paragraph 1100(1)(v) of the Income Tax Regulations
- 1/2 for the remaining AIIPs
These factors will change for properties that become available for use after 2023 and the incentive is completely phased out for properties that become available for use after 2027.
If you did not acquire any AIIPs, ZEVs or Class 56 properties, enter "0" in this column.
Column 15 – Adjustment for current-year additions subject to the half-year rule
Generally, in the year you acquire or make additions to a property, you can usually claim CCA on half of your net additions. We call this the half-year rule. You calculate your CCA only on the net adjusted amount. For example, if before November 20, 2018, you acquired a property for $30,000, you would base your CCA claim on $15,000 ($30,000 × 50%) in the year you acquired the property. However, the half-year rule does not apply to AIIPs, ZEVs or Class 56 properties.
Calculate the net first-year additions that are subject to the half-year rule by taking the cost of remaining additions in column 10, minus AIIP, ZEV and Class 56 additions in column 11, minus proceeds of dispositions in column 5. Enter 50% of the result in column 15. If the result is negative, enter "0."
There are circumstances where the half-year rule does not apply. For example, in a non-arm's length transaction you may buy depreciable property that the seller continuously owned from the day that is at least 364 days before the end of your 2023 fiscal period to the day the property was acquired. However, if you transfer personal property, such as a car or a personal computer, into your business, the half-year rule applies to the particular property transferred.
Also, some properties are not subject to the half-year rule. Some examples are those in Classes 13, 14, 23, 24, 27, 34 and 52, as well as most of those in Class 12, such as small tools. The half-year rule does not apply when the available for use rules denies a CCA claim until the second tax year after you acquire the property.
For more information on the special rules that apply to Class 13, see Interpretation Bulletin IT-464, Capital Cost Allowance – Leasehold Interests. For more information on the half-year rule, see Income Tax Folio S3-F4-C1, General Discussion of Capital Cost Allowance.
Column 16 – Base amount for CCA
The base amount for CCA is the remaining UCC amount after additions, dispositions and the current-year adjustments. This is the amount in column 12 plus the amount in column 14 minus the amount in column 15. The CCA rate is applied to this amount.
For a Class 10.1 vehicle you disposed of in your 2023 fiscal period, you may be able to claim 50% of the CCA that would be allowed if you still owned the vehicle at the end of your 2023 fiscal period. This is known as the half-year rule on sale.
You can use the half-year rule on sale if, at the end of your 2022 fiscal period, you owned the Class 10.1 vehicle you disposed of in 2023. If this applies to you, enter 50% of the amount from column 2 (for Class 10.1 vehicles) in column 16.
Column 17 – CCA rate (%)
Enter the prescribed CCA rate (percentage) for each property class you have listed in column 1.
For more information on certain kinds of property, see Classes of depreciable property. For a list of rates, see Capital cost allowance (CCA) rates.
Column 18 – CCA for the year
In column 18, enter the CCA you want to deduct for 2023. You can claim the CCA for the year up to the maximum amount allowed. In Area A, you calculate the maximum amount for column 18 by multiplying the amount in column 16 by the amount in column 17, then adding the amount in column 9.
In your first year of business, you may have to prorate your CCA claim. See You were asking?
To get your CCA yearly total, add up all amounts in column 18. Enter this result on line 9936, "Capital cost allowance (CCA)." If you are a co-owner, enter only your share of the CCA. To find out how to calculate your CCA claim if you are using the property for both business and personal use, see Personal use of property.
Column 19 – UCC at the end of the year
The final result in column 19 is the UCC at the end of the year. This is the result of the UCC after additions and dispositions in column 7, minus the amount for CCA claimed for the year in column 18. The amount in column 19 is the starting UCC balance you will use when you calculate your CCA claim next year. Next year, enter this amount in column 2. If you have a terminal loss or a recapture of CCA, enter "0" in column 19.
The example at the end of this chapter sums up CCA.
Classes of depreciable property
In this part, we discuss the more common classes of depreciable property. We list most of the classes and their rates in the Capital cost allowance (CCA) rates.
Class 1 (4%)
A building may belong to Class 1, 3 or 6, depending on what the building is made of and the date you acquired it. You also include in these classes the parts that make up the building, such as:
- electrical wiring
- lighting fixtures
- plumbing
- sprinkler systems
- heating equipment
- air-conditioning equipment (other than window units)
- elevators
- escalators
Note
Land is not depreciable property. Therefore, when you acquire property, only include the cost related to the building in Area A and Area C. Enter on line 9923 in Area F the cost of all land additions in 2023. For more information, see Area F – Land additions and dispositions in the year and Column 3 – Cost of additions in the year.
For more information, see Interpretation Bulletin IT-79, Capital Cost Allowance – Buildings or Other Structures.
Class 1 includes most buildings acquired after 1987, unless they specifically belong in another class. Class 1 also includes the cost of certain additions or alterations you made to a Class 1 building or certain buildings of another class after 1987.
The CCA rate for eligible non-residential buildings acquired by a taxpayer after March 18, 2007, and used in Canada to manufacture or process goods for sale or lease includes an additional allowance of 6% for a total rate of 10%. The CCA rate for other eligible non-residential buildings includes an additional allowance of 2% for a total rate of 6%.
To be eligible for one of the additional allowances, you must elect to put a building in a separate class. To make the election, attach a letter to your return for the tax year in which you acquired the building. If you do not file an election to put it in a separate class, the 4% rate will apply.
The additional allowance applies to buildings acquired after March 18, 2007, (including a new building, if any part of it is acquired after March 18, 2007, when the building was under construction on March 19, 2007) that have not been used or acquired for use before March 19, 2007.
To be eligible for the 6% additional allowance, at least 90% of a building (measured by square footage) must be used in Canada for the designated purpose at the end of the tax year. Manufacturing and processing buildings that do not meet the 90% use test will be eligible for the additional 2% allowance if at least 90% of the building is used in Canada for non-residential purposes at the end of the tax year.
Class 3 (5%)
Most buildings acquired before 1988 are included in Class 3 or Class 6.
If you acquired a building before 1990 that does not fall into Class 6, you can include it in Class 3 with a CCA rate of 5% if one of the following applies:
- you acquired the building under the terms of a written agreement entered into before June 18, 1987
- the building was under construction by you, or for you, on June 18, 1987
Include in Class 3 the cost of any additions or alterations made after 1987 to a Class 3 building that does not exceed the lesser of the following two amounts:
- $500,000
- 25% of the building's capital cost (including the cost of additions or alterations to the building included in Class 3, Class 6 or Class 20 before 1988)
Any amount that exceeds the lesser amount above is included in Class 1.
Class 6 (10%)
Include a building in Class 6 with a CCA rate of 10% if it is made of frame, log, stucco on frame, galvanized iron or corrugated metal. In addition, one of the following conditions has to apply:
- you acquired the building before 1979
- the building is used to gain or produce income from farming or fishing
- the building has no footings or other base supports below ground level
If any of the above conditions apply, you also add the full cost of all additions and alterations to the building to Class 6.
If none of the above conditions apply, include the building in Class 6 if one of the following conditions applies:
- you entered into a written agreement before 1979 to acquire the building, and the footings or other base supports of the building were started before 1979
- you started construction of the building before 1979 (or it was started under the terms of a written agreement you entered into before 1979), and the footings or other base supports of the building were started before 1979
Also include in Class 6 certain greenhouses and fences.
For additions or alterations to such a building:
- add to Class 6 the first $100,000 of additions or alterations made after 1978
- add to Class 3:
- the part of the cost of all additions or alterations over $100,000 made after 1978 and before 1988
- the part of the cost of additions or alterations over $100,000 made after 1987, but only up to $500,000 or 25% of the cost of the building, whichever is less
- add to Class 1 any additions or alterations over these limits
For more information, see Interpretation Bulletin IT-79, Capital Cost Allowance – Buildings or Other Structures.
Class 8 (20%)
Class 8 with a CCA rate of 20% includes certain property that is not included in another class. Examples are furniture, appliances and tools costing $500 or more per tool, some fixtures, machinery, outdoor advertising signs, refrigeration equipment and other equipment you use in the business.
Photocopiers and electronic communications equipment, such as fax machines and electronic telephone equipment are also included in Class 8.
Note
If this equipment costs $1,000 or more, you can elect to have it included in a separate class. The CCA rate will not change but a separate CCA deduction can now be calculated for a five-year period. When all the property in the class is disposed of, the UCC is fully deductible as a terminal loss. Any UCC balance remaining in the separate class at the end of the fifth year has to be transferred back to the general class in which it would otherwise belong. To make an election, attach a letter to your income tax return for the tax year in which you acquired the property.
Include data network infrastructure equipment and systems software for that equipment acquired before March 23, 2004, in Class 8. If acquired after March 22, 2004, include it in Class 46. See Class 46 (30%).
Include buildings you use to store fresh fruit or vegetables at a controlled temperature, by or for the persons by whom they were grown, in Class 8 instead of Class 1, Class 3 or Class 6. Also include in Class 8 any buildings you use to store silage.
Class 10 (30%)
Class 10 with a CCA rate of 30% includes general-purpose electronic data processing equipment (commonly called computer hardware) and systems software for that equipment, including ancillary data processing equipment, if you acquired them either:
- before March 23, 2004
- after March 22, 2004, and before 2005, and you made an election
Class 10 also includes motor vehicles, as well as some passenger vehicles. See the definitions of motor vehicle and passenger vehicle.
Include passenger vehicles in Class 10 unless they meet the Class 10.1 conditions.
Eligible zero-emission vehicles are included in Class 54.
Class 10.1 (30%)
Your passenger vehicle can belong in either Class 10 or Class 10.1.
To determine the class your passenger vehicle belongs in, you have to use the cost of the vehicle before you add the GST/HST or the PST.
Include your passenger vehicle in Class 10.1 if you bought it in 2023 and it cost more than $36,000 before tax. List each Class 10.1 vehicle separately.
The capital cost limits of a Class 10.1 passenger vehicle are as follows: $30,000 for vehicles acquired before 2022, $34,000 for vehicles acquired in 2022 and $36,000 for vehicles acquired in 2023, plus the GST/HST, or PST.
Note
Use the GST rate of 5% and the appropriate PST rate for your province or territory. If your province is a participating province, use the appropriate HST rate. For more information on the GST and the HST, see Guide RC4022, General Information for GST/HST Registrants.
Example
Vivienne owns a business. On June 21, 2023, she bought two passenger vehicles to use in her business. The PST rate for her province is 8%. Vivienne kept the following records for 2023:
Cost | GST | PST | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Vehicle 1 | $37,000 | $1,850 | $2,960 | $41,810 |
Vehicle 2 | $28,000 | $1,400 | $2,240 | $31,640 |
Vivienne puts vehicle 1 in Class 10.1, since she bought it in 2023 and it cost her more than $36,000. Before Vivienne enters an amount in column 3 of Area B, she has to calculate the GST and PST on $36,000. She does this as follows:
- GST at 5% of $36,000 = $1,800
- PST at 8% of $36,000 = $2,880
Therefore, Vivienne's capital cost is $40,680 ($36,000 + $1,800 + $2,880). She enters this amount in column 3 of Area B.
Vivienne puts vehicle 2 into Class 10, since she bought it in 2023 and it did not cost her more than $36,000. Vivienne's capital cost is $31,640 ($28,000 + $1,400 + $2,240). She enters this amount in column 3 of Area B.
Under the immediate expensing rules, if you dispose of a passenger vehicle acquired after April 18, 2021, to a person or partnership with whom you deal at arm's length, and its cost exceeds the prescribed amount ($30,000 for vehicles acquired after 2000 and before January 1, 2022; $34,000 for vehicles acquired after December 31, 2021, and before January 1, 2023; or $36,000 for vehicles acquired after December 31, 2022); the proceeds of disposition will be adjusted based on a factor equal to the prescribed amount as a proportion of the actual cost of the vehicle.
Eligible zero-emission vehicles are included in Class 54.
Class 12 (100%)
Class 12 includes property such as tools, medical or dental instruments, and kitchen utensils that cost less than $500 and were acquired on or after May 2, 2006.
Class 12 includes china, cutlery, linen and uniforms. It also includes video-cassettes, video laser discs and digital video disks that you rent and do not expect to rent to any one person for more than seven days in a 30-day period.
Most small tools in Class 12 are not subject to the half-year rule. They are fully deductible in the year of purchase. If the tool costs $500 or more, include it in Class 8 with a CCA rate of 20%.
Class 12 tools that are subject to the half-year rule include dies, jigs, patterns, moulds and lasts, as well as the cutting or shaping part of a machine. For more information, see Income Tax Folio S3-F4-C1, General Discussion of Capital Cost Allowance.
Include in Class 12 with a CCA rate of 100% computer software that is not systems software. Software in Class 12 is subject to the half-year rule.
Class 12 specifically excludes electronic communication devices and electronic data processing equipment.
Class 14
Class 14 includes patents, franchises, concessions or licences for a limited period. Your CCA is whichever of the following amounts is less:
- the total of the capital cost of each property spread out over the life of the property
- the undepreciated capital cost to the taxpayer as of the end of the tax year of property of that class
Class 14.1 (5%)
Starting January 1, 2017, include in Class 14.1 property that:
- is goodwill
- was eligible capital property immediately before January 1, 2017, and is owned at the beginning of that day
- is acquired after 2016, other than:
- property that is tangible or corporeal property
- property that is not acquired for the purpose of gaining or producing income from business
- property in respect of which any amount is deductible (otherwise than as a result of being included in Class 14.1) in computing the income from the business
- an interest in a trust
- an interest in a partnership
- a share, bond, debenture, mortgage, hypothecary claim, note, bill or other similar property
- property that is an interest in, or for civil law a right in, or a right to acquire, a property described in any of the above sub-bullets
Examples for farming are milk and egg quotas.
Examples for business, professions and fishing are franchises, concessions or licences for an unlimited period.
Properties that are included in Class 14.1 and acquired after 2016 will be included in this class at a 100% inclusion rate with a 5% CCA rate on a declining-balance basis and the existing CCA rules will normally apply.
For tax years that end prior to 2027, properties included in Class 14.1 that were acquired before January 1, 2017, will be depreciable at a CCA rate of 7% instead of 5%. Transitional rules will apply.
For more information about Class 14.1 and the transitional rules, see Explanatory Notes – Eligible Capital Property.
Note
Property in Class 14.1 is excluded from the definition of capital property for GST/HST purposes.
Class 16 (40%)
Class 16 includes:
- taxis, acquired after May 25, 1976,
- vehicles acquired after November 12, 1981, which you use in a daily car rental business,
- coin operated video games or pinball machines acquired after February 15, 1984,
- freight trucks acquired after December 6, 1991, that are rated above 11,788 kg.
Eligible zero-emission vehicles are included in Class 55.
Class 43 (30%)
Include in Class 43 with a CCA rate of 30% eligible machinery and equipment used in Canada primarily to manufacture and process goods for sale or lease that are not included in Class 29 or 53.
You can list this property in a separate class if you file an election by submitting a letter when you file your tax return for the year in which you acquired the property. For information on separate class elections, see Class 8 (20%).
Class 43.1 (30%) and Class 43.2 (50%) – Clean energy equipment
To support investment in clean technologies, the CCA Classes 43.1 and 43.2 are expanded by:
- including new types of property (for example, pumped hydroelectric storage equipment)
- broadening the eligibility for certain existing property types (for example, ground source heat pump systems)
This applies to property that is acquired and that becomes available for use after April 18, 2021, where it has not been used or acquired for use for any purpose before April 19, 2021.
Also, for property that becomes available for use after 2024, access to Classes 43.1 and 43.2 for certain fossil-fuelled and low efficiency waste-fuelled electrical generation equipment is restricted by:
- removing some property that are currently included in these classes (for example, fossil-fuelled cogeneration systems)
- narrowing the eligibility by imposing heat rate thresholds for others (for example, producer gas generating equipment)
Classes 43.1 and 43.2 include air-source heat pumps primarily used for space and water heating. This applies to property you acquired after April 6, 2022, and that has not been used or acquired for use before April 7, 2022.
These properties may benefit from the enhanced first-year CCA that currently provides full expensing of the property in the year of acquisition, subject to a gradual phase-out for property that becomes available for use after 2023 and before 2028.
For more information, see Income Tax Folio S3-F8-C2, Tax Incentives for Clean Energy Equipment.
For more information on the enhanced first year CCA, go to Accelerated investment incentive.
Class 43.1 (30%)
Include in Class 43.1 with a CCA rate of 30% electrical vehicle charging stations (EVCSs) set up to supply more than 10 kilowatts but less than 90 kilowatts of continuous power. This is for property acquired for use after March 21, 2016, that has not been used or acquired for use before March 22, 2016.
Class 43.1 also includes geothermal heat recovery equipment acquired for use after March 21, 2017, that is used primarily for extracting heat for sale. Geothermal equipment may be eligible for accelerated capital cost allowance.
Class 43.2 (50%)
Include in Class 43.2 with a CCA rate of 50% EVCSs set up to supply 90 kilowatts and more of continuous power. This is for property acquired for use after March 21, 2016, that has not been used or acquired for use before March 22, 2016.
Class 44 (25%)
Include in Class 44 patents or a licence to use patents for a limited or unlimited period that was acquired after April 26, 1993. However, you can elect not to include such property in Class 44 by attaching a letter to the return for the year you acquired the property. In the letter, indicate the property you do not want to include in Class 44. The property you elect not to include in Class 44 will be included in Class 14 instead, if it has a limited life. If it has an unlimited life, it may qualify as an eligible capital property (before 2017) or as a Class 14.1 property (after 2016).
Class 45 (45%)
Include general-purpose electronic data processing equipment (commonly called computer hardware) and systems software for that equipment, including ancillary data processing equipment, in Class 45 with a CCA rate of 45% if you acquired them after March 22, 2004, and before March 19, 2007.
Note
If you acquired the equipment or software before 2005 and made the separate Class 8 election, as discussed in the Class 8 note, the property does not qualify for the 45% rate.
Class 46 (30%)
Include in Class 46 with a CCA rate of 30% data network infrastructure equipment and systems software for that equipment if they were acquired after March 22, 2004. If they were acquired before March 23, 2004, include them in Class 8. See Class 8 (20%).
Class 50 (55%)
Include in Class 50 with a CCA rate of 55% property acquired after March 18, 2007, that is general-purpose electronic data processing equipment and systems software for that equipment, including ancillary data processing equipment.
Do not include property that is included in Class 29 or Class 52 or that is mainly or is used mainly as:
- electronic process control or monitor equipment
- electronic communications control equipment
- systems software for equipment referred to in a) or b)
- data handling equipment (other than data handling equipment that is ancillary to general-purpose electronic data processing equipment)
Class 52 (100%)
Include in Class 52 with a CCA rate of 100% (with no half-year rule) general-purpose electronic data processing equipment (commonly called computer hardware) and systems software for that equipment, including ancillary data processing equipment if they were acquired after January 27, 2009, and before February 2011.
Do not include property that is mainly or is used mainly as:
- electronic process control or monitor equipment
- electronic communications control equipment
- systems software for equipment referred to in a) or b) or
- data handling equipment (other than equipment that is ancillary to general-purpose electronic data processing equipment)
To qualify for this rate, the asset must also meet the following conditions:
- be located in Canada
- not have been used, or acquired for use, for any purpose before it was acquired by the taxpayer
- be acquired by the taxpayer either:
- for use in a business carried on by the taxpayer in Canada or to earn income from property located in Canada
- for lease by the taxpayer to a lessee for the lessee to use in a business the lessee carried on in Canada or to earn income from property located in Canada
Class 53 (50%)
Include in Class 53 with a CCA rate of 50% eligible machinery and equipment that is acquired after 2015 and before 2026 (that would generally otherwise be included in Class 29) to be used in Canada primarily in the manufacturing or processing of goods for sale or lease.
Class 54 (30%) and Class 55 (40%) – Zero-emission vehicles
There are two CCA classes for zero-emission vehicles acquired after March 18, 2019. Class 54 was created for zero-emission vehicles that would otherwise be included in Class 10 or 10.1, with the same CCA rate of 30%. Class 55 was created for zero-emission vehicles otherwise included in Class 16, with the same CCA rate of 40%. The CCA still applies on a declining-balance basis.
An enhanced first-year CCA deduction with the following phase-out period is available:
- 100% after March 18, 2019, and before 2024
- 75% after 2023 and before 2026
- 55% after 2025 and before 2028
For the enhanced first-year allowance, the following steps should be taken before calculating the CCA:
- increase the net capital cost addition to the new class for property that becomes available for use before 2028 as follows:
- For Class 54, increase the capital cost addition by an amount equal to:
- 2 1/3 times the net addition to the class for property that becomes available for use before 2024
- 1 1/2 times the net addition to the class for property that becomes available for use in 2024 or 2025
- 5/6 times the net addition to the class for property that becomes available for use after 2025 and before 2028
- For Class 55, increase the capital cost addition by an amount equal to:
- 1 1/2 times the net addition to the class for property that becomes available for use before 2024
- 7/8 times the net addition to the class for property that becomes available for use in 2024 or 2025
- 3/8 times the net addition to the class for property that becomes available for use after 2025 and before 2028
- For Class 54, increase the capital cost addition by an amount equal to:
- suspend the existing CCA half-year rule
Multiply the result by the prescribed CCA rate of 30% for Class 54 and 40% for Class 55.
The CCA will be applicable on any remaining balance in these classes using the specific rate for the class.
A taxpayer may elect to not include in Class 54 or 55 a vehicle that would otherwise be a zero-emission vehicle or a zero-emission passenger vehicle. When such an election is filed, the vehicle will no longer be considered to be a zero-emission vehicle or a zero-emission passenger vehicle. As a result, the vehicle will be included in its usual CCA Class 10, 10.1 or 16 as the case may be. Such vehicles will not qualify for the enhanced first-year CCA under the ZEV rules. However those vehicles, that will be included in Class 10, 10.1 or 16, may be eligible for the immediate expensing incentive or enhanced CCA under the AIIP rules.
The election must be filed with the minister of national revenue in your income tax and benefit return for the tax year in which the vehicle is acquired. There is no provision for late-filing or amended elections.
Class 54 (30%)
Include in Class 54 zero-emission vehicles that are not included in Class 16 or 55 and would normally be included in Class 10 or 10.1.
There is a limit of $61,000 (plus federal and provincial sales taxes) on the capital cost for each zero-emission passenger vehicle in Class 54. Class 54 may include both zero-emission passenger vehicles that do and do not exceed the prescribed threshold. However, unlike Class 10.1, Class 54 does not establish a separate class for each vehicle whose cost exceeds the threshold.
If a zero-emission passenger vehicle is disposed of to a person or partnership with whom you deal at arm's length, and its cost exceeds the prescribed amount, ($55,000 for vehicles acquired after March 18, 2019, and before January 1, 2022; $59,000 for vehicles acquired after December 31, 2021, and before January 1, 2023; or $61,000 for vehicles acquired after December 31, 2022), the proceeds of disposition will be adjusted based on a factor equal to the prescribed amount as a proportion of the actual cost of the vehicle. For dispositions made after July 29, 2019, the actual cost of the vehicle will also be adjusted for the payment or repayment of government assistance.
Example
First-year enhanced allowance | |
---|---|
Acquisition cost | $65,000 |
First-year CCA | $61,000 × 100% = $61,000 |
Undepreciated capital cost (UCC) | $61,000 − $61,000 = $0 |
Proceeds of disposition | $30,000 |
Part of proceeds of disposition to be deducted from the UCC | $30,000 × ($61,000 ÷ $65,000) = $28,154 |
Class 55 (40%)
Include in Class 55 zero-emission vehicles that would normally be included in Class 16.
Class 56 (30%)
Include in Class 56 (CCA rate of 30%) zero-emission automotive equipment and vehicles (other than motor vehicles) that do not currently benefit from the accelerated rate provided by Classes 54 and 55. To be included in this class, such property needs to be acquired after March 1, 2020, and become available for use before 2028.
The enhanced first-year CCA deduction for this class applies only for the tax year in which the equipment or vehicle first becomes available for use. The deduction is subject to the following phase-out period:
- 100% on or after March 2, 2020, and before 2024
- 75% after 2023 and before 2026
- 55% after 2025 and before 2028
To be eligible for the enhanced first-year allowance, a vehicle or equipment must be automotive (that is, self-propelled) and fully electric or powered by hydrogen. Vehicles or equipment that are powered partially by electricity or hydrogen (which includes hybrid vehicles and vehicles that require human or animal power for propulsion) are not eligible.
Class 56 captures automotive equipment that is not designed for use on highways or streets such as zero-emission aircraft, watercraft, trolley buses and railway locomotives. Additions or alterations may qualify if they convert automotive equipment (other than a motor vehicle) into a zero-emission property.
The CCA is deductible on any remaining balance in the class on a declining-balance basis, at the CCA rate of 30%.
You may elect to not include the vehicle or equipment in Class 56. As a result, the property is then included in the class for which it would otherwise be eligible.
Class 56 excludes property in respect of which CCA or a terminal loss has previously been claimed by another person or partnership where the equipment was acquired by the taxpayer on a tax-deferred "rollover" basis or it was previously owned or acquired by the taxpayer or a non-arm's length person or partnership.
Special rates for certain fishing boats
In most cases, a fishing boat belongs to Class 7. Therefore, you can claim CCA at a maximum rate of 15%. However, there are some exceptions to this rule.
A fishing boat, or the cost to convert it, is eligible for a special rate of CCA as follows:
- If you bought the boat between November 13, 1981, and December 31, 1982, you can claim CCA at a yearly rate of 33 1/3%. You can do this only in certain cases
- If you bought the boat after December 31, 1982, you can claim CCA at a rate of 16 2/3% for the year you bought the boat. You can claim 33 1/3% for the years after you bought the boat
You can claim this special rate on the following:
- a boat that was built and registered in Canada and was not used for any purpose before you bought it
- the cost to convert or alter a boat in Canada
- a boat, or the cost to convert it, established as a separate prescribed class under the now repealed Canadian Vessel Construction Assistance Act
An enhanced first-year CCA deduction is available for fishing boats in Class 7 that are AIIP. The first-year CCA deduction is calculated by both:
- applying the prescribed CCA rate of 15% to 0.5 times the net addition to the class for property that becomes available for use before 2024
- suspending the existing CCA half-year rule
For boats that are eligible for the special rate of 33 1/3% (16 2/3% in the year of acquisition) that are AIIP, the enhanced first-year CCA rate is:
- 50% for boats acquired before 2024
- 33 1/3% for boats acquired after 2023 and before 2028
Special situations
Personal use of property
If you buy property for business and personal use, you can show the business part of the property in Area B or C in one of two ways:
- If your business use stays the same from year to year, enter the total cost of the property in column 3, the personal part in column 4 and the business part in column 5. To calculate the CCA you can claim, enter the amount from column 5 in column 3 of Area A
- If your business use changes from year to year, enter the total cost of the property in column 3 and column 5, and enter "0" in column 4
Enter in column 3 of Area A the amount from column 5 of Area B or Area C and calculate the CCA amount (business and personal) in column 18. The amount in column 19 (UCC at the end of the year) of Area A is equal to the amount in column 7 minus the amount in column 18.
The CCA calculated for the business use of a work space in your home in Area A of your form must be reported on the chart "Calculating business-use-of-home expenses" of the form. This CCA must be subtracted from the total amount of the CCA for the year calculated in Area A and must not be included on line 9936, "Capital cost allowance (CCA)," of the form.
When you claim CCA, you will have to calculate the allowable part you can claim for business use.
Example
Jennifer owns a business. She bought a car in 2023 that she uses for both personal and business use. The car cost $20,000, including all charges and taxes. Therefore, she includes the car in Class 10. Her business use this year was 12,000 kilometres of the total 18,000 kilometres driven. She calculates her CCA on the car for 2023 as follows:
She enters $20,000 in column 3 and column 5 of Area B. She also enters $20,000 in column 3 of Area A. By completing the other columns in the chart, she calculates a CCA claim of $3,000. Because Jennifer used her car partly for personal use, she calculates her CCA claim as follows:
12,000 (business kilometres) ÷ 18,000 (total kilometres) × $3,000 = $2,000
Jennifer enters $2,000 on line 9936.
To claim CCA for business use of a workspace in your home, on the form, use "Part 7 – Calculating of business-use-of-home expenses." Subtract the CCA portion for business-use-of-home expenses from amount ii, "Total CCA claim for the year." Enter the result in Part 4 at line 9936. In Part 7, enter at amount 7K the amount of CCA you are claiming for business-use-of-home.
Note
The capital cost limits on a Class 10.1 vehicle (a passenger vehicle) still apply when you split the capital cost between business and personal use. For more information, see Class 10.1 (30%).
Claiming CCA for a workspace in the home can have a negative effect for purposes of the principal residence exemption. For more information, see the Income Tax Folio S1-F3-C2, Principal Residence.
Restrictions apply on the deduction of the expenses related to the workspace. For more information, see Income Tax Folio S4-F2-C2, Business Use of Home Expenses.
Changing from personal to business use
If you bought a property for personal use and started using it in your business in your current tax year, there is a change in use. You need to determine the capital cost for business purposes at the moment of this change in use.
If the fair market value (FMV) of a depreciable property (such as equipment or a building) is less than its original cost when you change its use, the amount you enter in column 3 of Area B or C is the FMV of the property (excluding the land value if the property is land and a building). If the FMV is more than the original cost of the property (excluding the land value if the property is land and a building) when you change its use, use the following chart to determine the amount to enter in column 3 of Area B or Area C.
Enter the FMV of the property in column 3 of Area B or C, whichever applies, if, at the time of change in use, the FMV of the depreciable property is less than its original cost.
When you start using your property for business use, you are considered to have disposed of it. If the FMV of the property is more than its cost, you may have a capital gain unless you file an election. For more information on capital gains, see Chapter 6 or see Guide T4037, Capital Gains. Use the following chart to determine the amount to enter in column 3 when the FMV is more than its original cost.
Capital cost calculation – Change in use
Actual cost of the property
FMV of the property
Amount from line 1
Line 2 minus line 3 (if negative, enter "0"))
Enter all capital gains deductions claimed for the amount from line 4Footnote 1
Line 4 minus line 5 (if negative, enter "0"))
Capital cost (Line 1 plus line 6)
Enter the capital cost of the property from line 7 in column 3 of Area B or C.
Note
We consider you to acquire the land for an amount equal to its FMV when you change its use. Include this amount on line 9923, "Total cost of all land additions in the year," in Area F.
Grants, subsidies and rebates
You should subtract from the applicable expense any rebate, grant or assistance you received. Enter the net expense on the appropriate line of your form.
When you receive a grant, subsidy or rebate from a government or a government agency to buy depreciable property, subtract the amount of the grant, subsidy or rebate from the property's capital cost. Do this before you enter the capital cost in column 3 of Area B or C. If you receive a grant, subsidy or rebate for a property after the year you disposed of the property, subtract the amount of the grant, subsidy or rebate from the UCC of the class in which the property was included.
If you made a repayment of a grant, subsidy or rebate received for a property that you were legally required to make, add the amount you repaid to the property's capital cost. Do this before you enter the capital cost in column 3 of Area B or C. If you repaid this amount after the year you disposed of the property, add the amount to the UCC of the class in which the property was included.
You may have paid GST or HST on some of the depreciable property you acquired for your business. If so, you may have also received an input tax credit from us. Subtract the input tax credit from the property's capital cost. Do this before you enter the capital cost in column 3 of Area B or C, whichever applies. If you get an input tax credit for a passenger vehicle you use in your business, use one of these methods:
- For a passenger vehicle you used 90% or more of the time for your business, subtract the amount of the credit from the vehicle's cost before you enter its capital cost in column 3 of Area B
- For a passenger vehicle you used less than 90% of the time for your business, do not make an adjustment in 2023. Instead, subtract the amount of the credit from your beginning UCC in 2024
For information on claiming input tax credits for the GST/HST you paid to buy a passenger vehicle, see GST/HST Memorandum 8.2, General Restrictions and Limitations.
If you cannot apply the grant, credit or rebate you received to reduce a particular expense or to reduce an asset's capital cost, include the total on the line "Grants, credits and rebates" in the income area on Form T2121.
Input tax credits are considered government assistance. Include the amount you claimed on line 108 of your GST/HST return only if you cannot apply the rebate, grant or assistance you received to reduce a particular expense or an asset's capital cost. For more information, see GST/HST input tax credits and exempt goods and services.
You may get an incentive from a non-government agency to buy depreciable property. For example, you may receive a tax credit that you can use to reduce your income tax payable.
You can include the amount in income or you can subtract the amount from the capital cost of the property. If the incentive is more than the remaining UCC in the particular class, add the excess to income:
- on line 8230 of Form T2125 for business and professional
- on line 9570 of Form T2042 for farming
- on line "Grants, credits and rebates" of Form T2121 for fishing
For more information about government assistance, see Interpretation Bulletin IT-273, Government Assistance – General Comments.
Non-arm's length transaction
When you acquire depreciable property in a non-arm's length transaction, there are special rules for determining the property's cost. These special rules do not apply if you acquire the property because of someone's death.
You can acquire depreciable property in a non-arm's length transaction from:
- an individual resident in Canada
- a partnership with at least one partner who is an individual resident in Canada
- a partnership with at least one partner who is another partnership
If you pay more for the property than the seller paid for it, calculate the capital cost as follows:
Capital cost calculation
Non-arm's length transaction – Resident of Canada
The seller's cost or capital cost
The seller's proceeds of disposition
Amount from line 1
Line 2 minus line 3 (if negative, enter "0"))
Enter any capital gains deduction claimed for the amount from line 4Footnote 1
Line 4 minus line 5 (if negative, enter "0"))
Capital cost
Line 1 plus line 6
You can also acquire depreciable property in a non-arm's length transaction from:
- a corporation
- an individual who is not a resident of Canada
- a partnership with no partners who are individuals resident in Canada or with no partners that are other partnerships
If you pay more for the property than the seller paid for it, calculate the capital cost as follows:
Capital cost calculation
Non-arm's length transaction – Non-resident of Canada
The seller's cost or capital cost
The seller's proceeds of disposition
Amount from line 1
Line 2 minus line 3 (if negative, enter "0"))
Capital cost
Line 1 plus line 4
Enter this amount in column 3 of either Area B or C, whichever applies. Do not include the cost of the related land. Include the cost of the related land on line 9923, "Total cost of all land additions in the year," in Area F of your form.
If you acquire depreciable property in a non-arm's length transaction and pay less for it than the seller paid, your capital cost is the same amount as the seller paid. The difference between what you paid and what the seller paid is considered to be deducted as CCA. Enter the amount you paid in column 3 of Area A. Enter the same amount in Area B or C, whichever applies.
Example
Rachel bought a pickup truck for $4,000 from her father, Marcus, in her 2023 fiscal period. Marcus paid $10,000 for the truck in 2014. Since the amount Rachel paid is less than the amount Marcus paid, we consider Rachel's cost to be $10,000. We also consider Rachel to have deducted CCA of $6,000 in the past ($10,000 − $4,000).
Rachel fills in the CCA chart as follows:
- In Area B, she enters $10,000 in column 3, "Total cost"
- In Area A, she enters $4,000 in column 3, "Cost of additions in the year," as the addition for her 2023 fiscal period
There is a limit on the cost of a passenger vehicle you buy in a non-arm's length transaction. The cost is the least of:
- the FMV when you buy it
- $36,000 plus any GST/HST or PST you would pay on $36,000 if you bought it in your 2023 fiscal period
- the seller's cost amount of the vehicle when you buy it
The cost amount can vary depending on what the seller used the vehicle for before you bought it. If the seller used the vehicle to earn income, the cost amount would be the UCC of the vehicle when you buy it. If the seller did not use the vehicle to earn income, the cost amount will usually be the original cost of the vehicle.
For more information on non-arm's length transactions, see the Income Tax Folio S1-F5-C1, Related Persons and Dealing at Arm's Length.
Capital gains
If you sell a property for more than it cost, you may have a capital gain. List the dispositions of all your properties on Schedule 3, Capital Gains (or Losses) in 2023. For information on how to calculate your taxable capital gain, see Chapter 6 or Guide T4037, Capital Gains.
Gains earned from the disposition of a flipped property are fully taxable as business income, not capital gains. For more information, see Flipped property rules.
You may be in a partnership and receive a T5013 slip, Statement of Partnership Income. If the partnership has a capital gain, it will allocate part of that gain to you. The gain will show on the partnership's financial statements or on your T5013 slip.
Note
You cannot have a capital loss when you sell depreciable property. However, you can have a terminal loss; see Column 7 – UCC after additions and dispositions.
Special rules for disposing of a building in the year
If you disposed of a building in the current tax year, special rules may apply, making the proceeds of disposition an amount other than the actual proceeds of disposition. This happens when you meet both of the following conditions:
- you disposed of the building for an amount less than both its cost amount, as calculated below, and its capital cost to you
- you, or a person with whom you do not deal at arm's length, owned the land that the building is on, or the land next to it, which was necessary for the building's use
To calculate the cost amount:
- If the building was the only property in the class, the cost amount is the UCC of the class before you disposed of the building
- If more than one property is in the same class, you have to calculate the cost amount of each building as follows:
(capital cost of the building ÷ capital cost of all property in the class not previously disposed of) × UCC of the class = cost amount of the building
Note
If a building acquired in a non-arm's length transaction was previously used for something other than producing income, the capital cost of the property will need to be recalculated to determine the cost amount of the building.
For more information on proceeds of disposition, see Income Tax Folio S3-F4-C1, General Discussion of Capital Cost Allowance.
If you disposed of a building under these conditions and you or a person with whom you do not deal at arm's length disposed of the land in the same year, calculate your deemed proceeds of disposition as shown in Calculation A.
If you or a person with whom you do not deal at arm's length did not dispose of the land in the same year as the building, calculate your deemed proceeds of disposition as shown in Calculation B.
1. FMV of the building when you disposed of it
2. FMV of the land just before you disposed of it
3. Line 1 plus line 2
4. Seller's adjusted cost base of the land
5. Total capital gains (without reserves) from any disposition of the land (such as a change in use) by you, or by a person not dealing at arm's length with you, in the three-year period before you disposed of the building, to you or to another person not dealing at arm's length with you
6. Line 4 minus line 5
(if negative, enter "0"))
7. Line 2 or line 6, whichever amount is less
8. Line 3 minus line 7
(if negative, enter "0"))
9. Cost amount of the building just before you disposed of it
10. Capital cost of the building just before you disposed of it
11. Line 9 or line 10, whichever amount is less
12. Line 1 or line 11, whichever amount is more
Deemed proceeds of disposition of the building
13. Line 8 or line 12, whichever amount is less (enter the amount from line 13 in column 3 of Area E and include it in column 5 of Area A)
Deemed proceeds of disposition of the land
14. Proceeds of disposition of the land and building
15. Amount from line 13
16. Line 14 minus line 15 (enter this amount on line 9924 of Area F)
If you have a terminal loss on the building, include it on line 9270 of Form T2125 for business and professional, line 9790 of Form T2042 for farming or line 9270 of Form T2121 for fishing.
Calculation B
Land and building disposed of in different years
Cost amount of the building just before you disposed of it
FMV of the building just before you disposed of it
Line 1 or line 2, whichever amount is more
Actual proceeds of disposition, if any
Line 3 minus line 4
Amount from line 5
Amount from line 4
Deemed proceeds of disposition for the building
Line 6 plus line 7 (enter this amount in column 3 of Area E and include it in column 5 of Area A)
If you have a terminal loss on the building, include it on line 9270 of Form T2125 for business and professional, line 9790 of Form T2042 for farming or line 9270 of Form T2121 for fishing.
Usually, you can deduct 100% of a terminal loss, but only 50% of a capital loss. Calculation B makes sure you use the same percentage to calculate both a terminal loss on a building and a capital loss on land. As a result of this calculation, you add 50% of the amount on line 5 to the actual proceeds of disposition from the building. For information, see Terminal loss.
Replacement property
In some cases, you can postpone or defer including a capital gain or recapture of CCA in calculating income. You might sell a business property and replace it with a similar one, or your property might be stolen, destroyed or expropriated, and you replace it with a similar one. To defer reporting the gain or recapture of CCA, you (or a person related to you) must acquire the replacement property within the specified time limits and use the new property for the same or similar purpose.
For more information, see Income Tax Folio S3-F3-C1, Replacement Property.
You can also defer a capital gain or recapture of CCA when you transfer property to a corporation, a partnership or your child. For more information on transferring property to your child, see Transfer of farm or fishing property to a child.
For more information on transfers to a corporation or a partnership, see:
- Information Circular IC76-19, Transfer of Property to a Corporation Under Section 85
- Interpretation Bulletin IT-291, Transfer of Property to a Corporation Under Subsection 85(1)
- Interpretation Bulletin IT-378, Winding-up of a Partnership
- Interpretation Bulletin IT-413, Election by Members of a Partnership Under Subsection 97(2)
The following example summarizes this chapter on CCA.
Example
During the current tax year, D'Arcy bought a building to use for his business. The total cost was $95,000 (the sum of the $90,000 total purchase price and the $5,000 total expenses connected with the purchase). The details are as follows:
Expenses connected with the purchase:
D'Arcy's business has a December 31 year-end. In 2023, D'Arcy's income was $6,000 and his expenses were $4,900. Therefore, his net income before deducting CCA was $1,100 ($6,000 − $4,900). D'Arcy wants to deduct as much CCA as he can.
Before D'Arcy can fill in his CCA table in Area A, he has to calculate the capital cost of the building. Since land is not depreciable property, he has to calculate the part of the expenses connected with the purchase that relates only to the building. To do this, he has to use the following formula:
($75,000 ÷ $90,000) × $5,000 = $4,166.67
This $4,166.67 represents the part of the $5,000 in legal fees and land transfer taxes that relates to the purchase of the building. The remaining $833.33 relates to the purchase of the land. Therefore, the capital cost of the building is:
D'Arcy enters $79,166.67 in column 3 of Area C and $15,833.33 ($15,000 + $833.33) on line 9923 of Area F as the capital cost of the land.
Note
D'Arcy did not own property before the current year. Therefore, he has no UCC to enter in column 2 of Area A.
D'Arcy acquired his property during the current year. Therefore, he is subject to the half-year rule that we explain under the heading Column 15 – Adjustment for current year additions subject to the half-year rule.
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