Example 4
Mr. A and his family lived in a house for a number of years until September 30, 2003. From October 1, 2003 until March 31, 2008 they lived elsewhere and Mr. A rented the house to a third party. On April 1, 2008, they moved back into the house and lived in it until it was sold in 2011. When he filed his 2011 income tax return, Mr. A designated the house as his principal residence for the 2004 to 2007 tax years inclusive (that is, the maximum four years) by virtue of a subsection 45(2) election (which he had already filed with his 2003 income tax return) having been in force for those years. (He was able to make this designation because no other property had been designated as a principal residence by him or a member of his family unit for those years.) He designated the house as his principal residence for all the other years in which he owned it by virtue of his having ordinarily inhabited it during those years, including the 2003 and 2008 years. Having been resident in Canada at all times, Mr. A’s gain otherwise determined on the disposition of the house in 2011 was, therefore, completely eliminated by the principal residence exemption