Canada Revenue Agency Issues Ruling that ITCs Available If Retailer's Goods Stolen

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Cyndee Todgham Cherniak

On April 28, 2010, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) issued Headquarter Letter (Ruling) No: 120360 in which it ruled that the taxpayer should be entitled to claim an input tax credit (ITC) for the amount of goods and services tax (GST) (can substitute HST here too) paid on the purchase of the goods for resale that were subsequently stolen from the taxpayer's store.  The taxpayer would be required to meet the other ITC documentary requirements.

In this case, the taxpayer filed a claim for recovery against its insurance and the insurance company denied that portion of the claim that was GST because the insured taxpayer could recover those amounts by other means.  This did not bother the CRA.

This is a fair ruling in the circumstances. 

Other taxpayers should rely on CRA rulings at their own risk as their factual circumstances may be different.  A taxpayer should seek a binding ruling from the CRA if they wish certainty.

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Communication of Zero-Rating, HST Point of Sale Rebates and HST on Sales Receipts is Problematic

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Cyndee Todgham Cherniak

Retailers are having difficulty communicating information to consumers on a single invoice.  Both large and small retailers are having to communicate a single blended HST charge and, at the same time, communicate when goods are zero-rated (HST is charged at 0%), exempt (no HST) and when they are offering an HST point of sale rebate (charging GST at 5%). 

The retailers have to segregate the information for consumers on the single piece of paper they provide at the time of sale (the sales receipt).  As a result, different lines of information may be shown on a sales receipt that may be confusing.  To a consumer that does not bring along a calculator, it may appear that the retailer is charging 13% + 5% tax or undercharged the 13% HST (in Ontario).

The more important problem is for the small retailers who may not be charging the HST correctly and may not be communicating the information correctly.  The smaller retailers may not have realized the extent of the systems changes that were required to implement HST.

Small retailers should know that some of the large retailers have been struggling with this issue --- you are not alone. However, both are expected to get it right.  Auditors will visit small retailers too.

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