Filing a T5013 Partnership Information Return
Frequently asked questions
Definitions
- An agent or a nominee
- A partnership
- Differences between partnership businesses and other types of businesses or corporations
Filing requirements
- Requirements to file a partnership information return
- Financial details that should be used to determine whether a partnership meets the "absolute value of revenues and expenses of more than $2 million" criteria
- CRA's determination of a partnership that has "more than $5 million in assets"
Nominees or agents
- Requirements to file the T5013 Partnership Information Return if you're a nominees or an agent
- Requirements of an RZ program account number if you're a nominee or an agent
General
- My partnership has not been required to file a T5013 Partnership Information Return before. The partnership now meets one or more of the filing criteria. How do I register for a partnerhip program account number
- Will the CRA resolve the filing due date conflict for the agents or nominees and the partnerships that are members of another partnership
- Find out more information for businesses
An agent or a nominee
Agent – A person authorized to act for another.
Nominee – A person designated to act for another.
These are not definitions provided by the Income Tax Act or Income Tax Regulations. They give only the common usage of the terms for the benefit of the reader.
For the purposes of filing Form T5013, Statement of Partnership Income and Form T5013SUM, Summary of Partnership Income, a nominee or an agent has to hold an interest in the partnership for another person in order to be considered as a nominee or an agent.
A partnership
The Income Tax Folio S4-F16-C1, What is a Partnership? defines a partnership as the relation that exists between persons carrying on business in common with a view to profit. Taxpayers can determine whether they are a partner in a partnership by examining the type and extent of their involvement in the business, and checking the laws of their province or territory. A partnership can be formed between individuals, corporations, trusts, or other partnerships, in any combination. Partnerships can be formed verbally or by a written contract.
Difference between partnership businesses and other types of businesses or corporations
A corporation has a separate and distinct legal existence from its shareholders. However, a partnership does not have this type of separate and distinct legal existence from its partners. A partnership is not treated or taxed as a separate person (as with a corporation). All income and losses are flowed out to the partners who report their share of the partnership's income on their income tax return (whether it is a T1, T2, or T3 return). As a result, a partnership does not file an income tax return and is not taxed at the partnership level. However, the CRA, through an administrative policy, requires certain partnerships to file the partnership information return (T5013).
Requirements to file a partnership information return
Under subsection 229(1) of the regulations, all partnerships that carry on business in Canada or are Canadian partnerships or specified investment flow‑through (SIFT) partnerships must file a partnership information return. However, under CRA administrative policy, certain partnerships that carry on business in Canada or are Canadian partnerships are not required to file a partnership information return. For more information on SIFT partnerships, see Specified investment flow-through partnerships.
Partnerships that carry on business in Canada and Canadian partnerships – A partnership that carries on a business in Canada, or a Canadian partnership with Canadian or foreign operations or investments, must file a return if either of the following occur:
- at the end of the fiscal period, the combined absolute value of the partnership's revenues and expenses exceeds $2 million or has more than $5 million in assets
- at any time during the fiscal period:
- the partnership is a tiered partnership (has another partnership as a partner or is itself a partner in another partnership)
- the partnership has a corporation or a trust as a partner
- the partnership invested in flow-through shares of a principal-business corporation that incurred Canadian resource expenses and renounced those expenses to the partnership
- the minister of National Revenue requests one in writing
Notes
The absolute value of a number refers to the numerical value of the number without regard to its positive or negative sign. To determine if a partnership exceeds the $2 million threshold, add total worldwide expenses to total worldwide revenues rather than subtract expenses from revenues as you would to determine net income.
The cost figure of all assets worldwide, both tangible and intangible, without taking into account the depreciated amount should be used to determine whether a partnership meets the criterion of "more than $5 million in assets."
Financial details that should be used to determine whether a partnership meets the "absolute value of revenues plus an absolute value of expenses of more than $2 million" criterea
The revenues and expenses details come from the financial statement amounts. "Revenues" refers to revenues that have not been netted. For example, you would not use gross profit to represent "revenues" since gross profit is revenues minus the cost of goods sold. Expenses include both current costs and capital costs (for example, depreciation). Revenues from all sources (revenues that have not been netted) are added to the total of all expenses (expenses are expressed as a positive number) and the total is used to determine whether or not the criterion has been met.
Example
| Revenues | $1,500,000 |
| Minus: Cost of goods sold | – $850,000 |
| Gross profit | = $650,000 |
| Minus: Expenses | – $400,000 |
| Net profit | = $250,000 |
The absolute value of expenses is $1,250,000, which includes the cost of goods sold ($850,000) and expenses ($400,000).
| Absolute value of revenues | $1,500,000 |
| Plus: Absolute value of expenses | + $1,250,000 |
| Absolute value of revenues plus expenses | = $2,750,000 |
This partnership would have to file a return since the absolute value of revenues plus the absolute value of expenses is more than $2,000,000.
CRA's determination of a partnership that has "more than $5 million in assets"
The cost figure of all assets worldwide, both tangible and intangible, without taking into account the depreciated amount, should be used to determine whether a partnership meets the "more than $5 million in assets" criterion.
Requirements to file the T5013 Partnership Informtion Return if you're a nominees or an agent
Every person who holds an interest in a partnership as a nominee or an agent for another person has to fill out and file with the CRA a separate Form T5013SUM, Summary of Partnership Income, and the related T5013, Statement of Partnership Income slips for each partnership in which an interest is held for another person. Nominees are only required to file T5013 slips and Form T5013SUM, for each partnership in which they hold an interest.
The information required on slips T5013, that the nominee or agent issues to their investors must reconcile with the information provided on the T5013 slips the partnership issued to the nominee or agent.
Requirements of an RZ program account number if you're a nominee or an agent
Yes, you require a valid 15-character RZ account number. The account number used can be an existing T5 group account number, an existing T5 group number with a new extension (last 4 digits of the 15-character RZ) or a new business number.
You do not have to register for an RZ account number for each partnership in which you are holding an interest.
If you don't have a business number, go to How to register for a business number or Canada Revenue Agency program accounts to apply for one.
For more information about the requirements for nominees and agents, see Nominees and agents who hold an interest in a partnership for another person.
My partnership has not been required to file a T5013 Partnership Information Return before. The partnership now meets one or more of the filing criteria. How do I register for partnerhip account number
If you are required to file the partnership information return, you must do so using your business number (BN) with an RZ program identifier. The RZ program account number has three parts and 15 characters: the 9-digit BN; the 2-letter program identifier "RZ", and a 4-digit reference number to identify each account a business may have. Each business or legal entity should have only one BN. A partnership account number looks like this: 123456789RZ0001.
| Business number (BN) | Program Identifier | Reference Number |
|---|---|---|
| 123456789 | RZ | 0001 |
If you do not already have a BN, go to Business number registration or contact the CRA for more information.
Will the CRA resolve the filing due date conflict for the agents or nominees and the partnerships that are members of another partnership
The current filing due dates are designed to ensure that T5013 slips are prepared and provided to partners early enough to complete their income tax returns. The CRA is aware that partnerships who are themselves partners and nominees may have difficulty obtaining slips from partnerships prior to completing their own information return. Filing the return with estimated amounts on time and then filing an amended return with the exact figures may be necessary for these instances. The CRA does not intend to impose penalties on T5013 Partnership Information Returns filed that have been completed, to the best knowledge and abilities of the partnerships and preparers, by the filing due date. We continue to search for feasible options to resolve this challenge and welcome any suggestions.
Find out more for information businesses
For more information, contact the Business Enquiries line at 1-800-959-5525.
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