Federal Budget 2024: Business Measures

Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance (CCA)

Productivity-Enhancing Assets

Budget 2024 proposed to provide immediate 100% CCA expensing for new additions of property in respect of the following three classes, provided that the property is acquired on or after April 16, 2024 and becomes available for use before January 1, 2027:

  • class 44 (patents or the rights to use patented information for a limited or unlimited period);
  • class 46 (data network infrastructure equipment and related systems software); and
  • class 50 (general-purpose electronic data-processing equipment, such as computers and systems software).

This expensing would only be available for the year in which the property becomes available for use. The claim would be prorated when the taxation year is less than 12 months.

Purpose-Built Rental Housing

Budget 2024 proposed to provide an accelerated CCA of 10% for new eligible purpose-built rental projects that begin construction on or after April 16, 2024 and before January 1, 2031. The property must be available for use before January 1, 2036. Eligible property would be residential complexes with at least four private apartment units or 10 private rooms or suites. At least 90% of the units must be held for long-term rental. Conversions of non-residential real estate, such as an office building, into a residential complex would be eligible. While renovations of existing residential complexes would not be eligible, the cost of a new addition to an existing structure would be. All the normal rules applicable to CCA would apply.

Restrictions

Property that has been acquired on a tax-deferred “rollover” basis, or from a non-arm’s length person, would not qualify for this acceleration of CCA.

Interest Deductibility Limits – Purpose-Built Rental Housing

Rules were previously proposed that would limit the amount of net interest and financing expenses that may be deducted by certain taxpayers in computing taxable income (the EIFEL rules). These proposed rules are currently before Parliament in Bill C-59.

The EIFEL rules provide an exemption for interest and financing expenses incurred in respect of arm’s length financing for certain public-private partnership infrastructure projects. Budget 2024 proposed expanding this exemption to also include situations in which arm’s length financing is used to build or acquire eligible purpose-built rental housing in Canada.

Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses

In general, the federal government has intended to return 90% or more of the fuel charge collected in a province to individuals in that province through the Canada carbon rebate. A portion of the remainder is returned to farmers via a refundable tax credit. The government has committed to return the remainder of fuel charge proceeds to Indigenous governments and small and medium-sized businesses. The participating provinces include Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Budget 2024 proposed an accelerated and automated process to provide direct carbon rebates (a refundable tax credit) to Canadian-controlled private corporations (CCPCs) in provinces where the federal fuel charge applies. The rebate will be calculated by multiplying the number of persons employed in the province during the calendar year in which the fuel charge year begins, by a payment rate to be specified by the Minister of Finance. For example, the number of persons employed in the 2022 calendar year would be used to calculate the rebate in respect of the 2022-23 fuel charge year. To be eligible for the rebate, the corporation would need to have had no more than 499 employees throughout Canada in the calendar year. The payment rates for each applicable province for the 2019-20 to 2023-24 fuel charge years will be determined once sufficient information is available from the 2023 taxation year.

The tax credit would be paid automatically, with no application required. CRA would automatically determine the tax credit amount for an eligible corporation and pay the amount. It appears as if the number of employees would be determined by reference to the number of T4s filed.

With respect to the 2019-20 to 2023-24 fuel charge years, the rebate would be available where a tax return for the 2023 taxation year is filed by July 15, 2024. Budget 2024 indicated that this would deliver over $2.5 billion directly to 600,000 small- and medium-sized businesses.

Clean Economy Investment Tax Credits

Budget 2024 included a new 10% electric vehicle supply chain investment tax credit on the cost of buildings used in key segments of the electric vehicle supply chain, for businesses that invest in Canada across three supply chain segments:

  • electric vehicle assembly;
  • electric vehicle battery production; and
  • cathode active material production.

The credit would apply to property that is acquired and becomes available for use on or after January 1, 2024 (it would be fully eliminated by the end of 2034).

Budget 2024 also proposed that the clean technology manufacturing investment tax credit would be adjusted to incorporate polymetallic projects (projects engaged in the production of multiple metals; draft legislation will be released for consultation in summer 2024 and the government targets introducing legislation in fall 2024).

More details on the clean electricity investment tax credit were also provided (draft legislation was not included).

Mutual Fund Corporations

Budget 2024 proposed to preclude a corporation from qualifying as a mutual fund corporation where it is controlled by or for the benefit of a corporate group (including a corporate group that consists of any combination of corporations, individuals, trusts, and partnerships that do not deal with each other at arm’s length). This measure would apply to taxation years that begin after 2024.

Non-Compliance with Information Requests

Budget 2024 proposed several amendments to expand CRA’s ability to gather information. They are intended to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of tax audits of uncooperative taxpayers and facilitate the collection of tax revenues on a timelier basis. The proposed measures included the following:

  • CRA would be permitted to issue a “notice of non-compliance” to a taxpayer that fails to comply with a requirement or notice to provide information;
  • where a notice of non-compliance is issued, a penalty of $50 per day ($25,000 maximum) would apply until the request is complied with;
  • CRA would be permitted to require that information (oral or written) or documents included in a requirement or notice be provided under oath or affirmation;
  • when CRA obtains a compliance order against a taxpayer from a court, the taxpayer would be subject to a penalty equal to 10% of the aggregate tax payable by the taxpayer for each related taxation year for which aggregate tax payable exceeds $50,000; and
  • various extensions of the time limit for reassessments would apply, generally providing CRA with additional time equal to the period of non-compliance, or of any legal dispute related to a requirement or notice.