Capital gains deferral for investment in small business

Individuals (other than trusts) may defer capital gains incurred on certain small business investments disposed of in 2023. This deferral applies to dispositions where you use the proceeds to acquire another small business investment. The adjusted cost base (ACB) of the new investment is reduced by the capital gain deferred from the initial investment.

You may acquire shares from a spouse, common-law partner, or parent due to circumstances such as a death or the breakdown of a marriage or common-law partnership. For the purposes of the capital gains deferral, the CRA considers you to have acquired such shares at the time and under the same circumstances that the related individual originally acquired them.

The capital gains deferral is also available to individuals involved in pooling their investments with another person or partnership. If you are part of such a qualifying pooling arrangement, contact the CRA for more information.

To qualify for the capital gains deferral for investment in small business, the investment must be in an eligible small business corporation.

For information on calculating the deferral and ACB reduction, and reporting the gain and deferral on Schedule 3, see Calculating the capital gains deferral.

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