UHT AND SHORT-TERM RENTAL CHANGES
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On November 21, 2023, the Canadian Federal Government released their 2023 Fall Economic Statement aimed to address their action plans for inflation, affordability, and housing. This newsletter seeks to share key highlights on the new proposals for the Underused Housing Tax (UHT) and short-term rental deduction limits.
Underused Housing Tax (UHT)
You can find our original UHT announcement here. Canada’s fall economic statement has provided the following proposed changes to the Underused Housing Tax (UHT):
Elimination of filing requirements for the following owners (for 2023 and subsequent calendar years):
Specified Canadian corporations – corporations with ownership that is greater than 90% owned by Canadian citizens, permanent residents or specified Canadian corporations.
Specified Canadian trusts – trusts with beneficiaries that are exclusively Canadian citizens, permanent residents or specified Canadian corporations.
Specified Canadian partnerships – a partnership whose partners are exclusively Canadian citizens, permanent residents or specified Canadian corporations.
Reduction of UHT Penalties (effective 2022 and subsequent calendar years):
$5,000 for individuals reduced to $1,000; and
$10,000 for non-individuals (corporation) reduced to $2,000
Employee Accommodations (effective 2023 and subsequent calendar years) – Residential lodgings held for employees in areas with less than 30,000 residents will be exempt from paying UHT.
Vacation properties (effective 2024 and subsequent calendar years) – individual/couples will only be able to claim the UHT “vacation property” exemption for one residential property per calendar year.
Short-term Rental Restrictions
The federal government also intends to deny income tax deductions for short-term rental operators (e.g. Airbnb) if you meet any of the following criteria:
Non-compliance with applicable provincial or municipal license, permit, or registration requirements.
Your city or municipality does not allow for short-term rentals
Please check with your city, municipality, or province to ensure that you are in compliance (see Appendix for select list of GTA municipalities).
Draft legislative proposals on the above changes have been released for consultation to be enacted in early 2024.
As always, we are here to assist with your filing and tax compliance needs. If you have any uncertainties regarding your filing obligations or require assistance, feel free to reach out to our office for further details.
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Appendix
A select list of Greater Toronto Area municipalities and their short-term rentals regulations for reference:
Municipalities | Allowed | License | Reference |
Aurora | Yes | Yes | |
Blue Mountain | Yes | Yes | |
Brampton | Yes | Yes | |
Burlington | Yes | No | Not Applicable |
Collingwood | Yes | No | |
Markham | No | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Mississauga | Yes | Yes | |
Newmarket | Yes | Yes | |
Oakville | Yes | Yes | |
Richmond Hill | Yes | No | Not Applicable |
Toronto | Yes | Yes | |
Vaughan | Yes | Yes |
Note: These short-term rentals regulations are for reference only and are subject to changes or amendments by the respective municipalities. Please check with your own municipality to ensure that you are in compliance.