Tax and Revenue Administration Alberta Corporate Tax Act Information Circular CT-1R1

CT-1R1 / April 1999

ALBERTA CORPORATE TAX ACT INFORMATION CIRCULAR:
INTRODUCING TAX AND REVENUE ADMINISTRATION

This Information Circular provides an introduction to the various divisions of Alberta Finance and Enterprise, Tax and Revenue Administration ("TRA") and outlines information services provided by the various areas within TRA. The topics discussed include:

• Tax and Revenue Administration Responsibilities and Functions (on main Taxes/Rebates Publications & Forms index)
• Information Services
  • General Information
  • Enquiries Relating to a Specific Account
  • Interpretations, Rulings, Opinions
• Publications, Forms and Guides
• General
  • Third Party Authorization
  • Client Group Meetings
  • Tolerances
• To Contact TRA

INFORMATION SERVICES

1. TRA invites enquiries about the legislation it administers and about administrative policies and procedures. The discussion following outlines the information services available from TRA.

   General Information

2. General information concerning the acts administered by TRA is provided by the Tax Services division. The following services are provided to individuals, corporate representatives, tax professionals and other interested parties on request:
   
   
   • providing information about the nature of, and eligibility requirements for, the various tax and tax incentive programs under the acts;
   • providing information on procedural matters such as the completion and filing of returns and other forms;
   • arranging for TRA staff to conduct seminars or address groups interested in the acts and their administration; and
   • forwarding specific forms and publications to interested parties.

   Enquiries Relating to a Specific Account

3. Questions on a particular tax account, or about an assessment or reassessment issued under one of the acts, should be directed to Tax Services. Frequently these questions can be answered immediately over the telephone as Tax Services has on-line access to information on assessments, reassessments, refunds and interest and penalty calculations. However, information about the status of a particular account will not be released unless Tax Services is satisfied that the caller is the individual in question or a bona fide representative of the client.
   
   
4. Tax Services will assist in reconciling any discrepancies between the taxpayer's record of its tax account and the statement of account provided by TRA. Upon request, the unit will provide:
   
   
   • a detailed statement of account, listing in chronological order, all transactions in a client's account over a specified time period;
   • a detailed statement of the calculation of interest credited or charged to an account.

   Interpretations, Rulings, Opinions

5. Parties who have questions of a technical nature or who wish to obtain TRA's interpretation of a provision of any of the acts may contact Tax Services.
   
   
6. A corporation proposing specific transactions with income tax implications may request an advance ruling concerning the tax consequences under the Corporate Tax Act of such transactions. Subject to limitations contained therein, an advance ruling will be regarded as binding on TRA. An application for an advance ruling should be made following the procedures contained in Information Circular CT-12, "Advance Alberta Corporate Income Tax Rulings."

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PUBLICATIONS, FORMS AND GUIDES

7. TRA publishes various Information Circulars and Interpretation Bulletins which may be obtained from Tax Services. Information Circulars discuss procedural matters, programs under the acts and administrative policies. Interpretation Bulletins advise the reader of TRA's interpretation of various sections of the acts.
   
   
8. TRA periodically publishes "Tax Notes" which provides the reader with up-to-date changes, made or proposed, relating to the acts and administrative policies or procedures.
   
   
9. A corporation may indicate on its information return (which is required to be filed at the commencement of its first taxation year under the Corporate Tax Act) that it wishes to receive corporate income tax information publications. Other persons who wish to receive updated versions of these publications may be placed on a mailing list by writing or telephoning Tax Services.
   
   
10. Certain pre-printed forms, such as remittance advices, bearing client identification data are mailed directly to the client. The use of these pre-printed forms by clients expedites the processing of tax payments.

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GENERAL

Third Party Authorization

11. When an enquiry is made to TRA regarding a specific account, TRA will release the related information:
    
    
    • regarding an individual's account, to the individual;
    • regarding a specific corporate account, to persons authorized by the corporation to receive such information; and
    • regarding a specific corporate or individual account, to a third party only if TRA has received proper authorization from the corporation or individual, as applicable, to release the information to the third party.
      
      
12. A corporation may authorize TRA to release information by completing either the contact or alternate address section on the AT1 return. The authorization will remain valid until superseded by a subsequent AT1. If a corporation wishes to change authorization during the year, a letter of authorization must be sent to TRA.
    
    Authorizations other than those on an AT1 must be in writing and signed by the individual or an authorized signing officer of the corporation, as applicable. The authorization will remain valid until it is either superseded by an AT1 or by a new authorization letter.
    
    Letters of authorization may be mailed or faxed to TRA.

    Client Group Meetings

13. TRA is a client-driven organization; that is, the needs of its clients will determine its processes. TRA will meet periodically with various private sector client groups in order to establish how TRA can better serve their needs.

    Tolerances

14. In the interest of efficient and economic administration, TRA has instituted tolerance levels where the administrative costs of collecting or paying small amounts would exceed the amount in question. Unless specifically requested, TRA will neither collect nor pay assessed balances of less than $20.00. However, amounts of less than $20.00 which have been eliminated from a client's account will be reinstated in the event of a subsequent reassessment to the same taxation year.