Section 58 — Income Tax Act: Government annuities and like annuities

In determining the amount that shall be included in computing the income of a taxpayer in respect of payments received by the taxpayer in a taxation year under contracts entered into before May 26, 1932 with the Government of Canada or annuity contracts like those issued under the Government Annuities Act entered into before that day with the government of a province or a corporation incorporated or licensed to carry on an annuities business in Canada, there may be deducted from the total of the payments received the lesser of the total of the amounts that would have been so received if the contracts had continued in force as they were immediately before June 25, 1940, without the exercise of any option or contractual right to enlarge the annuity by the payment of additional sums or premiums unless those additional sums or premiums had been paid before that day, and $5,000. In determining the amount that shall be included in computing the income of a taxpayer in respect of payments received by the taxpayer in a taxation year under annuity contracts entered into after May 25, 1932, and before June 25, 1940, with the Government of Canada or annuity contracts like those issued under the Government Annuities Act entered into during that period with the government of a province or a corporation incorporated or licensed to carry on an annuities business in Canada, there may be deducted from the total of the payments received the lesser of the total of the amounts that would have been received under the contracts if they had continued in force as they were immediately before June 25, 1940, without the exercise of any option or contractual right to enlarge the annuity by the payment of additional sums or premiums unless such additional sums or premiums had been paid before that day, and $1,200. Where a taxpayer has received annuity payments in respect of which the taxpayer would otherwise be entitled to make deductions under both subsection 58(1) and subsection 58(2), if the amount deductible under subsection 58(1) is $1,200 or more, he may not make a deduction under subsection 58(2);

and if the amount deductible under subsection 58(1) is less than $1,200, the taxpayer may make one deduction computed as though subsection 58(2) applied to all contracts entered into before June 25, 1940. The amount remaining after deducting from the total of the annuity payments to which this section applies received in a taxation year the deductions permitted by subsection 58(1), 58(2) or 58(3) shall be deemed to be the annuity payment in respect of which the capital element is deductible under paragraph 60(a. Where a taxpayer and the taxpayer’s spouse or common-law partner each received annuity payments in respect of which they may deduct amounts under this section, the amount deductible shall be computed as if their annuities belonged to one person and may be deducted by either of them or be apportioned between them in such manner as is agreed to by them or, in case of disagreement, as the Minister determines. This section does not apply to superannuation or pension benefits received out of or under a registered pension plan. For the purpose of this section, an annuity shall be deemed to have been enlarged on or after June 25, 1940, if what is payable under the contract has, at any such time, been increased whether by increasing the amount of each periodic payment, by increasing the number of payments or otherwise.