Monday, March 02, 2009

Save on Tax - Buy Computers and writeoff 100%

To help stimulate the economy, the Federal Government has accelerated the CCA on Computer (anything covered by class 50, schedule 2)

CCA Class 50 (Computers)
Computer equipment is described in Class 50 of Schedule II to the Income Tax Regulations as general-purpose electronic data processing equipment and systems software for that equipment, including ancillary data processing equipment but not including property that is principally or is used principally as:
(i) Electronic process control or monitor equipment;
(ii) Electronic communications control equipment;
(iii) Systems software for a property referred to in subparagraph (i) or (ii); or
(iv) Data handling equipment unless it is ancillary to general-purpose electronic data processing equipment.

Budget 2009 proposes a temporary 100-per-cent CCA rate for eligible computers and software acquired after January 27, 2009 and before February 2011. This 100-per-cent CCA rate will not be subject to the half-year rule, which generally allows half the CCA write-off otherwise available in the year the asset is first available for use by the taxpayer. As a result of this measure, a business will be able to fully deduct the cost of an eligible computer (including the systems software for that computer) in the first year that CCA deductions are available.

Beware that if you use an operating lease, this provision will not apply, but it will for a capital lease, since that is interpreted as a purchase with debt financing not a lease by the tax rules. So you could take this entire tax write off in the first year, even if you are paying for it over three to five years.