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An investor sells a rental property in Alberta for a profit. What federal tax obligation arises from this sale?

Correct Answer

C) They must report a capital gain, partly taxable as income, and may face Capital Cost Allowance recapture

When selling a rental property in Alberta, the investor must report the capital gain (sale price minus adjusted cost base). A portion of the capital gain is included in taxable income. Additionally, if the investor claimed Capital Cost Allowance (CCA/depreciation) on the property, there may be a recapture of that depreciation, which is fully taxable as income.

Answer Options
A
No tax is owed because Alberta has no land transfer tax or provincial sales tax on property sales
B
Only GST is payable on the profit, since selling a rental is treated as a commercial supply of real property
C
They must report a capital gain, partly taxable as income, and may face Capital Cost Allowance recapture
D
The profit is tax-free if the property was held for more than 5 years, because long-term gains are exempt in Canada

Why This Is the Correct Answer

When selling a rental property at a profit, the investor must report the capital gain (sale price minus adjusted cost base and selling expenses). A portion of the gain is included in taxable income. If the investor previously claimed CCA (depreciation) on the property, any recaptured CCA — the amount by which the sale price exceeds the undepreciated capital cost — is fully taxable as income, not at the capital gains rate.

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Key Terms

capital gainsCCA recapturerental propertyadjusted cost base
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