Tax and Revenue Administration Cross-Program Information Special Notice Vol. 8 No. 2

Vol. 8 No. 2 / June 2011

TAX AND REVENUE ADMINISTRATION SPECIAL NOTICE:
WAIVER OF PENALTIES AND/OR INTEREST - NATURAL DISASTERS

NOTE: This special notice is intended to explain legislation and provide specific information. Every effort has been made to ensure the contents are accurate. However, if a discrepancy should occur in interpretation between this special notice and governing legislation, the legislation takes precedence.

Under the Alberta Corporate Tax, Fuel Tax, Tobacco Tax and Tourism Levy acts, Alberta Finance, Tax and Revenue Administration (TRA) may waive penalties and/or interest where a corporation or business was unable to comply with legislated filing or payment requirements due to circumstances beyond its control.  Examples of such circumstances include natural disasters like flood, fire or storm.  For example, TRA considers the wildfire and mandatory evacuation in Slave Lake to be a natural disaster that would fall under this policy.

If your business was affected by a natural disaster, you are required to submit your Alberta tax return and make your tax payment as soon as you are able to do so. If your business is assessed a penalty and/or interest, you may submit a request for a waiver of penalties and/or interest to the Tax Services Branch of TRA.  Provide reasons for the request including naming the specific natural disaster and duration that prevented you from complying with legislation.

For more information about requesting a waiver of interest and/or penalties, please refer to Information Circulars CT-5, Waiver or Cancellation of Penalties and/or Interest (corporate tax); FT-9, Audits, Objections, and Waivers of Penalties and Interest (fuel tax); TTA-6, Waiver or Cancellation of Penalties or Interest (tobacco tax) or TL-4, Waiver or Cancellation of Penalties or Interest (tourism levy).