Travel Expenses: Home to Work Site
Although it may be possible to deduct travel amounts against employment income, such amounts are often challenged by CRA.
Subsidized Meals: Are They a Taxable Benefit?
Do you have an employee dining room or cafeteria? In a March 21, 2018 Technical Interpretation, CRA stated that they do not consider meals subsidized by the employer to be a taxable benefit provided the employee pays a reasonable charge. This charge should be sufficient to cover the cost of the food, its preparation and service. Where the charge is less than the cost, the difference would be considered a taxable benefit and should be…
Reasonable Vehicle Allowances: GST/HST Claim
A travel allowance paid to an employee for the use of their personal vehicle for business purposes will be non-taxable if it is reasonable. Where such reasonable allowances are paid, an input tax credit (ITC) may be claimed by the employer. The ITC is computed as the imputed GST/HST in the allowance, without adjustment for the fact that some costs likely did not attract GST/HST. In non-harmonized provinces/territories (such as Alberta and BC), the ITC would be 5/105 of the allowance. The ITC in a harmonized province is different.…
Employee Discounts on Merchandise: Change in CRA Policy
Employee Discounts on Merchandise: Change in CRA Policy
Historically, CRA has stated that an employee enjoying a discount on the purchase of merchandise from their employer is only taxable if a limited number of specified situations exist, such as where the employer makes a special arrangement with the employee or group of employees to buy the merchandise at a discount; the employee buys the merchandise for less than the employer's cost; or the employer makes a reciprocal arrangement with another employer so that the employees of one employer can buy merchandise from the other at a discount.