Bill s-217, Text of Bill

1st Session, 40th Parliament,
57 Elizabeth II, 2008

THE SENATE OF CANADA

BILL S-217

An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (carbon offset tax credit)

1985, c. 1 (5th Supp.)

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

1. (1) The Income Tax Act is amended by adding the following after section 118.03:

Definitions

118.04 (1) The following definitions apply in this section.

"approved offset project"
« projet de compensation approuvé »

"approved offset project" means an offset project that is approved, or that is of a type approved, by the Minister under subsection (3).

"carbon offset provider"
« fournisseur de titres de compensation de carbone »

"carbon offset provider" means a person or entity designated by the Minister under subsection (3) as a carbon offset provider.

"eligible carbon offset purchase expense"
« dépense admissible pour l'achat de titres de compensation de carbone »

"eligible carbon offset purchase expense" in respect of an individual means the amount that is paid to a carbon offset provider (other than a carbon offset provider with whom the individual does not deal at arm's length) for the purpose of investing in one or more approved offset projects (other than an approved offset project that is managed, operated or owned by a person with whom the individual does not deal at arm's length), but does not include an amount required to be paid under any enactment of Canada or of a province.

"offset project"
« projet de compensation »

"offset project" means a project, program or enterprise that avoids, reduces, sequesters or displaces, or mitigates the effects of, carbon dioxide emissions.

Carbon offset tax credit

(2) For the purpose of computing the tax payable under this Part by an individual for a taxation year, there may be deducted the amount determined by the formula

A X B

where

A	is the appropriate percentage for the taxation year; and

B	is the total of all amounts each of which is an amount that is an eligible carbon offset purchase expense paid in the taxation year by the individual and that is evidenced by a receipt filed with the Minister.

Approval or designation by Minister

(3) The Minister may, for the purposes of this section,

(a) approve an offset project or a type of offset project, taking into account the prescribed criteria; and

(b) designate as a carbon offset provider any person or entity that, in the opinion of the Minister, is suitable to be so designated.

Revocation of approval or designation

(4) The Minister may, in writing, revoke the approval of an offset project or type of offset project or the designation of a carbon offset provider.

(2) Section 118.04 of the Act, as enacted by subsection (1), applies to the 2009 and subsequent taxation years.

2. (1) The description of C in subsection 118.61(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:

C	is the lesser of the value of B and the amount that would be the individual's tax payable under this Part for the year if no amount were deductible under this Division (other than an amount deductible under this section and any of sections 118, 118.01, 118.02, 118.03, 118.04, 118.3 and 118.7);

(2) Paragraph 118.61(2)(b) of the Act is replaced by the following:

(b) the amount that would be the individual's tax payable under this Part for the year if no amount were deductible under this Division (other than an amount deductible under this section and any of sections 118, 118.01, 118.02, 118.03, 118.04, 118.3 and 118.7).

3. Subparagraph (b)(ii) of the description of C in section 118.8 of the Act is replaced by the following:

(ii) the amount that would be the spouse's or common-law partner's tax payable under this Part for the year if no amount were deductible under this Division (other than an amount deductible under section 118, 118.01, 118.02, 118.03, 118.04, 118.3, 118.61 or 118.7).

4. The description of B in paragraph 118.81(a) of the Act is replaced by the following:

B	is the amount that would be the person's tax payable under this Part for the year if no amount were deductible under this Division (other than an amount deductible under any of sections 118, 118.01, 118.02, 118.03, 118.04, 118.3, 118.61 and 118.7), and

5. Subparagraph 118.91(b)(i) of the Act is replaced by the following:

(i) such of the deductions permitted under subsections 118(3), (10) and 118.6(2.1) and sections 118.01, 118.02, 118.03, 118.04, 118.1, 118.2, 118.5, 118.6, 118.62 and 118.7 as can reasonably be considered wholly applicable, and

6. Section 118.92 of the Act is replaced by the following:

Ordering of credits

118.92 In computing an individual's tax payable under this Part, the following provisions shall be applied in the following order: subsections 118(1) and (2), section 118.7, subsections 118(3) and (10) and sections 118.01, 118.02, 118.03, 118.04, 118.3, 118.61, 118.5, 118.6, 118.9, 118.8, 118.2, 118.1, 118.62 and 121.

7. Section 118.94 of the Act is replaced by the following:

Tax payable by non-residents (credits restricted)

118.94 Sections 118, 118.01, 118.02, 118.03, 118.04 and 118.2, subsections 118.3(2) and (3) and sections 118.6, 118.8 and 118.9 do not apply for the purpose of computing the tax payable under this Part for a taxation year by an individual who at no time in the year is resident in Canada unless all or substantially all of the individual's income for the year is included in computing the individual's taxable income earned in Canada for the year.

8. Paragraph 118.95(a) of the Act is replaced by the following:

(a) such of the deductions as the individual is entitled to under subsections 118(3) and (10) and sections 118.01, 118.02, 118.03, 118.04, 118.1, 118.2, 118.5, 118.6, 118.62 and 118.7 as can reasonably be considered wholly applicable to the taxation year, and

9. Paragraph 127.531(a) of the Act is replaced by the following:

(a) an amount deducted under subsection 118(1), (2) or (10), 118.01(2), 118.02(2), 118.03(2), 118.04(2) or 118.3(1) or any of sections 118.5 to 118.7 in computing the individual's tax payable for the year under this Part; or

10. Clause 128(2)(e)(iii)(A) of the Act is replaced by the following:

(A) under section 118, 118.01, 118.02, 118.03, 118.04, 118.2, 118.3, 118.5, 118.6, 118.8 or 118.9,

11. Sections 2 to 10 apply to the 2009 and subsequent taxation years.