Select Luxury Items Tax Act (S.C. 2022, c. 10, s. 135)

Marginal note:Definition of transaction

• 150 (1) In this section, transaction has the meaning assigned by subsection 68(1).

• Marginal note:Tax liability — transfers not at arm’s length

  (2) If at any time a person transfers property, either directly or indirectly, by means of a trust or by any other means, to

  • (a) the transferor’s spouse or common-law partner or an individual that has since become the transferor’s spouse or common-law partner,

  • (b) an individual that was under 18 years of age, or

  • (c) another person with whom the transferor was not dealing at arm’s length,

  the transferee and transferor are jointly and severally, or solidarily, liable to pay under this Act an amount equal to the lesser of

  • (d) the amount determined by the formula

    A – B

    where

    A

    is the amount, if any, by which the fair market value of the property at that time exceeds the fair market value at that time of the consideration given by the transferee for the transfer of the property, and

    B

    is the amount, if any, by which the amount assessed the transferee under subsection 325(2) of the Excise Tax Act, paragraph 97.44(1)(b) of the Customs Act, subsection 160(2) of the Income Tax Act, subsection 297(3) of the Excise Act, 2001, subsection 161(3) of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act or subsection 80(3) of the Underused Housing Tax Act in respect of the property exceeds the amount paid by the transferor in respect of the amount so assessed, and

  • (e) the total of all amounts each of which is

    • (i) an amount that the transferor is liable to pay under this Act for the reporting period of the transferor that includes that time or any preceding reporting period of the transferor, or

    • (ii) interest or penalty for which the transferor is liable as of that time,

  but nothing in this subsection limits the liability of the transferor under this Act.

• Marginal note:Fair market value of undivided interest

  (3) For the purpose of this section, the fair market value at any time of an undivided interest in a property, expressed as a proportionate interest in that property, is, subject to subsection (6), deemed to be equal to the same proportion of the fair market value of that property at that time.

• Marginal note:Assessment

  (4) The Minister may at any time assess a transferee in respect of any amount payable by reason of this section, and the provisions of sections 72 and 92 to 106 apply, with any modifications that the circumstances require.

• Marginal note:Rules applicable

  (5) If a transferor and transferee have, by reason of subsection (2), become jointly and severally, or solidarily, liable in respect of part or all of the liability of the transferor under this Act, the following rules apply:

  • (a) a payment by the transferee on account of the transferee’s liability must, to the extent of the payment, discharge their liability; and

  • (b) a payment by the transferor on account of the transferor’s liability only discharges the transferee’s liability to the extent that the payment operates to reduce the transferor’s liability to an amount less than the amount in respect of which the transferee was, by subsection (2), made jointly and severally, or solidarily, liable.

• Marginal note:Transfers to spouse or common-law partner

  (6) Despite subsection (2), if at any time an individual transfers property to the individual’s spouse or common-law partner under a decree, order or judgment of a competent tribunal or under a written separation agreement and, at that time, the individual and the individual’s spouse or common-law partner were separated and living apart as a result of the breakdown of their marriage or common-law partnership as defined in subsection 248(1) of the Income Tax Act, for the purposes of paragraph (2)(d), the fair market value at that time of the property so transferred is deemed to be nil, but nothing in this subsection limits the liability of the individual under this Act.

• Marginal note:Anti-avoidance rules

  (7) For the purposes of this section, if a person transfers property to another person as part of a transaction or series of transactions, the following rules apply:

  • (a) the transferor is deemed to not be dealing at arm’s length with the transferee at the time of the transfer of the property if

    • (i) the transferor and the transferee do not deal at arm’s length at any time during the period beginning immediately prior to the transaction or series of transactions and ending immediately after the transaction or series of transactions, and

    • (ii) it is reasonable to conclude that one of the purposes of undertaking or arranging the transaction or series of transactions is to avoid joint and several, or solidary, liability of the transferee and the transferor under this section for an amount payable under this Act;

  • (b) an amount that the transferor is liable to pay under this Act (including, for greater certainty, an amount that the transferor is liable to pay under this section, regardless of whether the Minister has made an assessment under subsection (4) in respect of that amount) is deemed to have become payable in the reporting period of the transferor in which the property was transferred, if it is reasonable to conclude that one of the purposes of the transfer of the property is to avoid the payment of a future charge debt by the transferor or transferee; and

  • (c) the amount determined for A in paragraph (2)(d) is deemed to be the greater of

    • (i) the amount otherwise determined for A in paragraph (2)(d) without reference to this paragraph, and

    • (ii) the amount determined by the formula

      A − B

      where

      A

      is the fair market value of the property at the time of the transfer, and

      B

      is the fair market value, at its lowest at any time during the period beginning immediately prior to the transaction or series of transactions and ending immediately after the transaction or series of transactions, of the consideration given by the transferee for the transfer of the property (other than any part of the consideration that is in a form that is cancelled or extinguished during that period) provided that the consideration is held by the transferor at that time.

SUBDIVISION LEvidence and Procedure

Marginal note:Service

• 151 (1) If the Minister is authorized or required to serve, issue or send a notice or other document on or to a person that

  • (a) is a partnership, the notice or document may be addressed to the name of the partnership;

  • (b) is a joint venture, the notice or document may be addressed to the name of the joint venture;

  • (c) is a union, the notice or document may be addressed to the name of the union;

  • (d) is a society, club, association, organization or other body, the notice or document may be addressed to the name of the body; and

  • (e) carries on business under a name or style other than the name of the person, the notice or document may be addressed to the name or style under which the person carries on business.

• Marginal note:Personal service

  (2) If the Minister is authorized or required to serve, issue or send a notice or other document on or to a person that carries on a business, the notice or document is deemed to have been validly served, issued or sent if it is

  • (a) if the person is a partnership, served personally on one of the partners or left with an adult person employed at the place of business of the partnership;

  • (b) if the person is a joint venture, served personally on one of the participants in, or operators of, the joint venture or left with an adult person employed at the place of business of the joint venture; or

  • (c) left with an adult person employed at the place of business of the person.

Marginal note:Timing of receipt

• 152 (1) For the purposes of this Act and subject to subsection (2), anything sent by confirmed delivery service or first class mail is deemed to have been received by the person to which it was sent on the day it was mailed or sent.

• Marginal note:Timing of payment

  (2) A person that is required under this Act to pay an amount is deemed not to have paid it until it is received by the Receiver General.

Marginal note:Proof of service

• 153 (1) If, under this Act, provision is made for sending by confirmed delivery service a request for information, a notice or a demand, an affidavit of an officer of the Canada Revenue Agency, sworn before a commissioner or other person authorized to take affidavits, is evidence of the sending and of the request, notice or demand if the affidavit sets out that

  • (a) the officer has knowledge of the facts in the particular case;

  • (b) the request, notice or demand was sent by confirmed delivery service on a specified day to a specified person and address; and

  • (c) the officer identifies as exhibits attached to the affidavit a true copy of the request, notice or demand and

    • (i) if the request, notice, or demand was sent by registered or certified mail, the post office certificate of registration of the letter or a true copy of the relevant portion of the certificate, and

    • (ii) in any other case, the record that the document has been sent or a true copy of the relevant portion of the record.

• Marginal note:Proof of personal service

  (2) If, under this Act, provision is made for personal service of a request for information, a notice or a demand, an affidavit of an officer of the Canada Revenue Agency, sworn before a commissioner or other person authorized to take affidavits, is evidence of the personal service and of the request, notice or demand if the affidavit sets out that

  • (a) the officer has knowledge of the facts in the particular case;

  • (b) the request, notice or demand was served personally on a named day on the person to whom it was directed; and

  • (c) the officer identifies as an exhibit attached to the affidavit a true copy of the request, notice or demand.

• Marginal note:Proof of electronic delivery

  (3) If, under this Act, provision is made for sending a notice to a person electronically, an affidavit of an officer of the Canada Revenue Agency, sworn before a commissioner or other person authorized to take affidavits, is evidence of the sending and of the notice if the affidavit sets out that

  • (a) the officer has knowledge of the facts in the particular case;

  • (b) the notice was sent electronically to the person on a named day; and

  • (c) the officer identifies as exhibits attached to the affidavit copies of

    • (i) an electronic message confirming that the notice has been sent to the person, and

    • (ii) the notice.

• Marginal note:Proof — failure to comply

  (4) If, under this Act, a person is required to make a return, an application, a statement, an answer or a certificate, an affidavit of an officer of the Canada Revenue Agency, sworn before a commissioner or other person authorized to take affidavits, setting out that the officer has charge of the appropriate records and that, after a careful examination and search of the records, the officer has been unable to find in a given case that the return, application, statement, answer or certificate has been made by that person, is evidence that in that case the person did not make the return, application, statement, answer or certificate.

• Marginal note:Proof — time of compliance

  (5) If, under this Act, a person is required to make a return, an application, a statement, an answer or a certificate, an affidavit of an officer of the Canada Revenue Agency, sworn before a commissioner or other person authorized to take affidavits, setting out that the officer has charge of the appropriate records and that, after a careful examination of the records, the officer has found that the return, application, statement, answer or certificate was filed or made on a particular day, is evidence that it was filed or made on that day.

• Marginal note:Proof of documents

  (6) An affidavit of an officer of the Canada Revenue Agency, sworn before a commissioner or other person authorized to take affidavits, setting out that the officer has charge of the appropriate records and that a document attached to the affidavit is a document or true copy of a document, or a printout of an electronic document, made by or on behalf of the Minister or a person exercising the powers of the Minister or by or on behalf of a person, is evidence of the nature and contents of the document.

• Marginal note:Proof of documents

  (7) An affidavit of an officer of the Canada Border Services Agency, sworn before a commissioner or other person authorized to take affidavits, setting out that the officer has charge of the appropriate records and that a document attached to the affidavit is a document or true copy of a document, or a printout of an electronic document, made by or on behalf of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness or a person exercising the powers of that Minister or by or on behalf of a person, is evidence of the nature and contents of the document.

• Marginal note:Proof of no appeal

  (8) An affidavit of an officer of the Canada Revenue Agency or the Canada Border Services Agency, sworn before a commissioner or other person authorized to take affidavits, setting out that the officer has charge of the appropriate records and has knowledge of the practice of the Canada Revenue Agency or the Canada Border Services Agency, as the case may be, and that an examination of the records shows that a notice of assessment was mailed or otherwise sent to a person on a particular day under this Act and that, after a careful examination and search of the records, the officer has been unable to find that a notice of objection or of appeal from the assessment, as the case may be, was received within the time allowed, is evidence of the statements contained in the affidavit.

• Marginal note:Presumption

  (9) If evidence is offered under this section by an affidavit from which it appears that the person making the affidavit is an officer of the Canada Revenue Agency or the Canada Border Services Agency, it is not necessary to prove the signature of the person or that the person is such an officer, nor is it necessary to prove the signature or official character of the person before whom the affidavit was sworn.

• Marginal note:Proof of documents

  (10) Every document purporting to have been executed under or in the course of the administration or enforcement of this Act over the name in writing of the Minister, the Commissioner or an officer authorized to exercise the powers or perform the duties of the Minister under this Act is deemed to be a document signed, made and issued by the Minister, the Commissioner or the officer, unless it has been called into question by the Minister or a person acting for the Minister or for Her Majesty in right of Canada.

• Marginal note:Proof of documents

  (11) Every document purporting to have been executed under or in the course of the administration or enforcement of this Act over the name in writing of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the President of the Canada Border Services Agency or an officer authorized to exercise the powers or perform the duties of that Minister under this Act is deemed to be a document signed, made and issued by that Minister, the President or the officer, unless it has been called into question by that Minister or a person acting for that Minister or for Her Majesty in right of Canada.

• Marginal note:Mailing or sending date

  (12) For the purposes of this Act, if a notice or demand that the Minister is required or authorized under this Act to send to a person is mailed, or sent electronically, to the person, the day of mailing or sending, as the case may be, is presumed to be the date of the notice or demand.

• Marginal note:Date electronic notice sent

  (13) For the purposes of this Act, if a notice or other communication in respect of a person, other than a notice or other communication that refers to the business number of a person, is made available in electronic format such that it can be read or perceived by a person or a computer system or other similar device, the notice or other communication is presumed to be sent to the person and received by the person on the date that an electronic message is sent, to the electronic address most recently provided before that date by the person to the Minister for the purposes of this subsection, informing the person that a notice or other communication requiring the person’s immediate attention is available in the person’s secure electronic account. A notice or other communication is considered to be made available if it is posted by the Minister in the person’s secure electronic account and the person has authorized that notices or other communications may be made available in this manner and has not before that date revoked that authorization in a manner specified by the Minister.

• Marginal note:Date electronic notice sent — business account

  (14) For the purposes of this Act, a notice or other communication in respect of a person that is made available in electronic format such that it can be read or perceived by a person or computer system or other similar device and that refers to the business number of a person is presumed to be sent to the person and received by the person on the date that it is posted by the Minister in the secure electronic account in respect of the business number of the person, unless the person has requested at least 30 days before that date, in a manner specified by the Minister, that such notices or other communications be sent by mail.

• Marginal note:Date assessment made

  (15) If a notice of assessment has been sent by the Minister as required under this Act, the assessment is deemed to have been made on the day of sending of the notice of assessment.

• Marginal note:Proof of return

  (16) In a prosecution for an offence under this Act, the production of a return, an application, a certificate, a statement or an answer required under this Act, purporting to have been filed or delivered by or on behalf of the person charged with the offence or to have been made or signed by or on behalf of that person, is evidence that the return, application, certificate, statement or answer was filed or delivered by or on behalf of that person or was made or signed by or on behalf of that person.

• Marginal note:Proof of return — printouts

  (17) For the purposes of this Act, a document presented by the Minister purporting to be a printout of the information in respect of a person received under section 74 by the Minister is to be received as evidence and, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, is proof of the return filed by the person under that section.

• Marginal note:Proof of return — production of returns, etc.

  (18) In a proceeding under this Act, the production of a return, an application, a certificate, a statement or an answer required under this Act, purporting to have been filed, delivered, made or signed by or on behalf of a person, is evidence that the return, application, certificate, statement or answer was filed, delivered, made or signed by or on behalf of that person.

• Marginal note:Evidence

  (19) In a prosecution for an offence under this Act, an affidavit of an officer of the Canada Revenue Agency, sworn before a commissioner or other person authorized to take affidavits, setting out that the officer has charge of the appropriate records and that an examination of the records shows that an amount required under this Act to be paid to the Receiver General has not been received by the Receiver General, is evidence of the statements contained in the affidavit.