Obviously, you don't read
my blog.
Most items qualify for only half the allowed depreciation in the year of purchase. This is the so-called "half-year" rule. This means that most things bought in 2013 qualify for half the allowable deduction in your 2013 tax return.
The purpose of this rule is to prevent people like you
from rushing out and buying stuff at the end of the year and then claiming a full year's deduction for something you've owned for only a few days. In the good old days, camera stores always expected a rush of pro photographers in the last week of December.
The exception to the half-year rule is "small tools" under $500 which qualify for 100% deduction in the year of purchase. To make things interesting, the government does not define what a small tool is. The last time the government talked about small tools was in 1978. One wonders if they know that times have changed. It took the federal government over 35 years to increase the small tool deduction limit from $200 to $500.
A camera bag probably qualifies as a small tool. In reality,
anything under $500 should be a 100% write off, and/or the limit should be increased to at least $1000.
It may also be somewhat beneficial to time purchases to suit your GST/HST period. Buying near the end of a tax period means the sales tax you paid will be refunded to you in weeks and not months.
Topic: Year-End Tax Deductible Purchases (Read 1749 times)