Deml Investments Limited v. Canada

Deml Investments Limited v. Canada

The GAAR applies to deny the portion of DEML's claimed capital loss that is attributable to the paragraph 88(1)(d) bump because using the bump to preserve ACB while also retaining CCOGPE for the same Canadian resource properties frustrates the rationale of the bump provisions; however, the portion of the loss...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
2025 FCA 204
Parties
Appellant: DEML Investments Limited; Respondent: His Majesty the King
Court
Federal Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction
Canada
Judgment Date
10 November 2025
Procedural Posture
Income Tax Appeal (gaar) / Federal Court of Appeal Judgment on Appeal From Tax Court of Canada
Outcome
Appeal allowed in part; Tax Court judgment set aside; Minister directed to reassess reducing DEML's claimed capital loss by $39,402,330
Legal Topics
General Anti Avoidance Rule (gaar), Paragraph 88(1)(d) Bump, Capital Loss and Adjusted Cost Base, Cumulative Canadian Oil and Gas Property Expense (ccogpe), Abuse Analysis (object, Spirit and Purpose), Double Taxation Concern
Source Language
en
Tax Law Income Tax Corporate Tax Partnership Law Resource Property Taxation Administrative Law General Anti Avoidance Rule (gaar) Paragraph 88(1)(d) Bump +4 more

Source-derived case record

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Parties

DEML Investments Limited

Appellant

His Majesty the King

Respondent

Procedural Posture

Income Tax Appeal (gaar) / Federal Court of Appeal Judgment on Appeal From Tax Court of Canada

  1. 1 Whether GAAR applies to deny the capital loss claimed on sale of a partnership interest
  2. 2 Whether paragraphs 88(1)(c) and (d) bump was abused to create an artificial capital loss
  3. 3 Whether GAAR application should be limited to the portion of the capital loss attributable to the paragraph 88(1)(d) bump versus partnership income allocation

Ratio Decidendi

The GAAR applies to deny the portion of DEML's claimed capital loss that is attributable to the paragraph 88(1)(d) bump because using the bump to preserve ACB while also retaining CCOGPE for the same Canadian resource properties frustrates the rationale of the bump provisions; however, the portion of the loss attributable to the partnership income allocation (which increased ACB by $9,084,659) is not abusive and should not be denied because denying it would cause double taxation. Accordingly the capital loss is reduced by $39,402,330 and the matter is remitted to the Minister for reassessment.

Court Disposition

Appeal allowed in part; Tax Court judgment set aside; Minister directed to reassess reducing DEML's claimed capital loss by $39,402,330

Orders

  • Allow appeal in part
  • Set aside Tax Court of Canada judgment (2024 TCC 27) to the extent it denied the entire capital loss