Moving expenses



Moving expenses

• 62 (1) There may be deducted in computing a taxpayer’s income for a taxation year amounts paid by the taxpayer as or on account of moving expenses incurred in respect of an eligible relocation, to the extent that

  • (a) they were not paid on the taxpayer’s behalf in respect of, in the course of or because of, the taxpayer’s office or employment;

  • (b) they were not deductible because of this section in computing the taxpayer’s income for the preceding taxation year;

  • (c) the total of those amounts does not exceed

    • (i) in any case described in subparagraph (a)(i) of the definition eligible relocation in subsection 248(1), the total of all amounts, each of which is an amount included in computing the taxpayer’s income for the taxation year from the taxpayer’s employment at a new work location or from carrying on the business at the new work location, or because of subparagraph 56(1)(r)(v) in respect of the taxpayer’s employment at the new work location, and

    • (ii) in any case described in subparagraph (a)(ii) of the definition eligible relocation in subsection 248(1), the total of amounts included in computing the taxpayer’s income for the year because of paragraphs 56(1)(n) and (o); and

  • (d) all reimbursements and allowances received by the taxpayer in respect of those expenses are included in computing the taxpayer’s income.

• Moving expenses of students

  (2) There may be deducted in computing a taxpayer’s income for a taxation year the amount, if any, that the taxpayer would be entitled to deduct under subsection (1) if the definition eligible relocation in subsection 248(1) were read without reference to subparagraph (a)(i) of that definition and if the word “both” in paragraph (b) of that definition were read as “either or both”.

• Definition of moving expenses

  (3) In subsection 62(1), moving expenses includes any expense incurred as or on account of

  • (a) travel costs (including a reasonable amount expended for meals and lodging), in the course of moving the taxpayer and members of the taxpayer’s household from the old residence to the new residence,

  • (b) the cost to the taxpayer of transporting or storing household effects in the course of moving from the old residence to the new residence,

  • (c) the cost to the taxpayer of meals and lodging near the old residence or the new residence for the taxpayer and members of the taxpayer’s household for a period not exceeding 15 days,

  • (d) the cost to the taxpayer of cancelling the lease by virtue of which the taxpayer was the lessee of the old residence,

  • (e) the taxpayer’s selling costs in respect of the sale of the old residence,

  • (f) where the old residence is sold by the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s spouse or common-law partner as a result of the move, the cost to the taxpayer of legal services in respect of the purchase of the new residence and of any tax, fee or duty (other than any goods and services tax or value-added tax) imposed on the transfer or registration of title to the new residence,

  • (g) interest, property taxes, insurance premiums and the cost of heating and utilities in respect of the old residence, to the extent of the lesser of $5,000 and the total of such expenses of the taxpayer for the period

    • (i) throughout which the old residence is neither ordinarily occupied by the taxpayer or by any other person who ordinarily resided with the taxpayer at the old residence immediately before the move nor rented by the taxpayer to any other person, and

    • (ii) in which reasonable efforts are made to sell the old residence, and

  • (h) the cost of revising legal documents to reflect the address of the taxpayer’s new residence, of replacing drivers’ licenses and non-commercial vehicle permits (excluding any cost for vehicle insurance) and of connecting or disconnecting utilities,

  but, for greater certainty, does not include costs (other than costs referred to in paragraph 62(3)(f)) incurred by the taxpayer in respect of the acquisition of the new residence.