Should you claim the principal residence exemption on a property you bought your child? May 16th

Ask MoneySense
I bought a condo in 2006 in another province for my daughter to live in. It’s registered in my name. I also have a house in another province. I am planning to sell the condo my daughter lives in very soon. Can I claim capital gain exemption in the condo she lived in all these years? 

—Bill

Capital gains tax when selling a home your child lives in

Canadian taxpayers may be eligible to claim the principal residence exemption when they sell real estate. Since 2016, real estate transactions have been under more scrutiny with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) since taxpayers now need to report all sales on their tax returns, even if the sale is of a tax-free principal residence.  

The definition of principal residence for tax purposes

According to the CRA, in order for a property to qualify as a principal residence, it must be:

A housing unit, which can include a house, a condo, a cottage, a mobile home, a trailer, a houseboat, a leasehold interest in a housing unit, or a share of the capital stock of a co-operative housing corporation;

Owned by the taxpayer, jointly or otherwise, legally or beneficially;

Ordinarily inhabited in the year by the taxpayer, their spouse or common-law partner, their former spouse or former common-law partner, or child…