# Reimbursements

Registered employers, partnerships, charities and public institutions that reimburse expenses incurred by an employee, partner or volunteer are entitled to an input tax credit (ITC) and an input tax refund (ITR) equal to the GST and QST paid on the expenses.

They can choose either of the methods described below to determine the ITC and ITR to which they are entitled with respect to a reimbursement of expenses incurred in Canada, for GST purposes, or in Québec, for QST purposes.

The chosen method must be applied to both taxes. In most cases, registrants must also take into account the restrictions on meal and entertainment expenses.

Large businesses must take the ITR restrictions into account until December 31, 2017. With the phasing out of the restrictions, they can claim ITRs for expenses reimbursed to employees on or after January 1, 2018, at the following rates: 25% for 2018, 50% for 2019, 75% for 2020 and 100% for 2021 onward.

Registrants that opt for the second method below must have the documents and information necessary to claim the ITC or ITR. For those that opt for the first method below, the requirements for documents and information are less strict; however, they must keep adequate registers and books of account and retain certain information on each reimbursement to employees, partners or volunteers.

Either of the methods of calculation described on the Meal and Entertainment Expenses page can be used to calculate ITCs and ITRs for meals and entertainment.

HST

Please note that the HST rates may apply if:

• all or substantially all of the transactions for which you paid a reimbursement were carried out in a participating province; or
• the transactions were carried out in order to use a motor vehicle in a participating province.

## First method

Registrants can claim an ITC equal to 4/104 of the total amount reimbursed and an ITR equal to 9/109 of that amount. This method, referred to as the “factor method,” can be used only if at least 90% of the expenses reimbursed are taxable (excluding zero-rated expenses) and the expenses were incurred in Canada (or in Québec, for QST purposes).

## Second method

Registrants can calculate the actual amount of GST and QST paid on expenses that they reimbursed and that were incurred in Canada (or in Québec, for QST purposes) during the reporting period in question. Under this method, the GST or QST paid by the employee, partner or volunteer is multiplied by the lesser of the following amounts:

• the percentage of the cost that is reimbursed (that is, the reimbursement divided by the cost)
• the proportion in which the good or service is used in the commercial activities of the employer, partnership, charity or public institution
Example using the second method

Daniel incurs expenses of \$574.88 exclusively in the course of his commercial activities (\$500 plus \$25 GST and \$49.88 QST). His employer reimburses him for the expenses incurred.

The employer can claim an ITC equal to the lesser of the following amounts: $\text{}25×\frac{\text{}574.88}{\text{}574.88}=\text{}25$or
The employer can therefore claim an ITC of \$25.
The employer can also claim an ITR equal to the lesser of the following amounts: $\text{}49.88×\frac{\text{}574.88}{\text{}574.88}=\text{}49.88$or
The employer can therefore claim an ITR of \$49.88.

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