Hello Mr Custeau,
I am thinking of buying a vehicle for my business. Is there a better time to buy it, for tax purposes? Thanks in advance.
Mrs S.
Hello Mrs S.,
Usually the right time is when you need to use the vehicle for business. It must be based on criteria other than tax, the tax deduction only makes sense if the use of the vehicle is necessary. In other words, it should be based on the needs of the business and not on possible tax deductions.
That said, with the half-rate rule, you will take half of the vehicle’s tax depreciation in the first year, regardless of the date of purchase. If we are thinking of buying at the end of the year or at the beginning of the following year, it is really better to buy at the end of the year, because we will have half the year in depreciation right away for a few days of detention, whereas at the beginning of the following year, we will have half of the depreciation for almost a year, while we will claim the depreciation a year later.
Hope this helps you in your decision.
Olivier Custeau, B.A.A., M. Fisc., EA