Personal Tax Handbook - Principal Residence

Calculating the Principal Residence Exemption, Section 45 Elections and other issues

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Refund Policy: If you are unsatisfied with your purchase or if it is not what you were looking for, contact us in the first 14 days and we will give you a full refund, no questions asked.

This is the third module of the Personal Tax Handbook covering tax issues related to principal residences and the Principal Residence Exemption (PRE). This is the second of two modules where we examine the state of taxation in real estate in Canada by looking at the last remaining lucrative tax haven for Canadians, the PRE and their principal residences. Module 2 in this series covers the other area real estate dealing with rental income and deductions. Both of these areas are heavily scrutinized and audited by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

Each course takes an in-depth deep dive into the most frequently encountered situations and frequently asked questions in personal tax preparation. Thee course methodology follows a two-stage teaching approach meant to give practitioners the tools required to file tax returns and advise clients on critical tax reporting and compliance matters . These two stages are:

1. Preparation Tips, Tricks & Traps – Best practices, overviews and methodologies on reporting and completing the tax return covering areas that are often overlooked or misunderstood by many practitioners

2. Tax Advisory & Problem Solving – How to deal with common and tricky situations that do not have easy answers or solutions. CRA guidelines and a number of Court Cases are analyzed and presented to help you formulate a filing position that can be defended at the highest level on any tax return you prepare.

This seminar will cover a number of topics, including the following:

  • An overview of the existing tax landscape and recent changes in the reporting of the sale of principal residences. See how one small reporting requirement is making a huge impact on the reporting and planning behind the application of the Principal Residence Exemption
  • Are you applying the Principal Residence Exemption properly? Are you getting the most bang for your client's buck? In this segment we look at filling out and filing the T2091 accurately and ensuring your client is making full use of all the elements of the PRE formula
  • What qualifies as a principal residence? In this module we look at some details and intricacies with respect to properties that can, and cannot qualify as a principal residence. Also examined are the tax implications of selling a cottage property and the importance of keeping track of the adjusted cost base of all properties to minimize future tax
  • Understanding the challenges and audit issues a taxpayer may encounter when disposing of a property or a number of properties in a short period of time. CRA's auditors are out in full force and reassessing many real estate transactions as business income where the PRE was originally claimed by the taxpayer. This can result in huge reassessments, penalties and headaches for you and your client

Also provided is a unit on practicing safe real estate tax for your practice. Here we will apply all the concepts outlined in this course to provide you with a number of best practices and practical approaches that you can implement in your practice today to deal with both clients and the Canada Revenue Agency. Given the increasing complexity of tax legislation in Canada, coupled with the aggressive nature of CRA auditors, it is extremely important that we formalize procedures and best practices in our businesses to deal with these situations and protect ourselves by lowering tax practice risk.

This seminar is updated frequently with changes in legislation, CRA documents and guidelines and relevant court cases. This seminar series is developed with the tax practitioner in mind and will be a valuable resource in your personal tax preparation practice. With the growing complexity in the Canadian tax landscape, it is more important than ever to understand how the CRA is assessing and applying existing tax laws.

Join us for this in-depth seminar and master the area of rental income and deductions when preparing T1 tax returns for your clients.


Your Instructor


Ian DiNovo, CPA, CGA
Ian DiNovo, CPA, CGA

Ian DINovo is a professional accountant and Director of the Canadian Tax Academy. He has been practicing accounting and offering independent financial and business advice for over 20 years.

He is the creator of a number of courses dealing with business, tax and investment matters that are designed to make difficult topics easy to understand for everyone.


Course Curriculum



Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
Your access depends on whether you purchase this course outright, or whether you are a member of one of your All Access plans. If you directly purchase this course, you have unlimited access to it for the lifetime of the course, including all future updates - across any and all devices you own – at no additional cost. If you are a member of one of our Annual Membership Plans, then you will have access to the most current and up-to-date version of this course for the duration of your membership.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 14 days and we will give you a full refund. No questions asked. However, if a certificate of completion is requested and granted, refunds will not be issued even if it is within the 14 day period. (i.e. you cannot complete the course, be granted professional CPD hours and then request a refund).
What is the structure of the seminar and how is it taught?
The seminar is presented through a series of bite-sized tutorials, similar to the fundamentals courses at Canadian Tax Academy. This allows students to do 2 things. First, they can learn the concepts at their own pace. Second, they can come back and easily find a tutorial when they need a refresher. This also allows the instructor to easily update the course when there are changes.
How often is this module updated?
The modules are reviewed and updated, where necessary regularly throughout the year to keep up with changing tax legislation. I also update the seminar with any new budget information that is important to the specific module where appropriate. Once you sign up for this module, you will have permanent access to all the tutorials, including updates. This course is evergreen, which means that it teaches you tax concepts that are applicable to any personal tax year.
Is this course eligible for PD credits? Do you issue certificates?
Yes, a certificate of completion will be automatically issued to you once you have watched all the videos in this module. This course provides you with 4.5 hours of CPD which are considered verifiable hours for annual CPA CPD purposes.

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