(1)

Article 8ac(7), first subparagraph of Directive 2011/16/EU provides that the Commission is, following a reasoned request by a Member State or on its own initiative, to determine whether the information that is to be automatically exchanged by the competent authorities of a Member State and a non-Union jurisdiction under an agreement between those authorities and that jurisdiction is equivalent to that specified in Section III, paragraph B, of Annex V to that Directive. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/823 (2) lays down rules for implementing that provision of Directive 2011/16/EU.

(2)

Following a request by the competent authority of Canada on 30 June 2023, the Commission decided to determine whether the information that is required to be automatically exchanged pursuant to the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement on automatic exchange of information on income derived through digital platforms (3) (‘DPI-MCAA’) currently signed by the competent authorities of Canada and Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden (‘the signatory Member States’) relates to the activities within the scope of Directive 2011/16/EU and whether it is equivalent to the information required under the reporting rules set out in that Directive.

(3)

For the purposes of the determination, the Commission assessed the relevant provisions of Canada’s Income Tax Act (4), in particular Section 162 and Part XX (‘Reporting Rules for Digital Platform Operators’) thereof, which was added by Section 78(1) of Canada’s Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No 1 (5), and which, according to Section 78(2) of that Act, will enter into force on 1 January 2024, and the DPI-MCAA currently signed by the competent authorities of Canada and the signatory Member States.

(4)

The Income Tax Act, as amended by the Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No 1, applies provisions of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 2020 Model Rules for Reporting by Platform Operators with respect to Sellers in the Sharing and Gig Economy (6), supplemented by the OECD 2021 Model Reporting Rules for Digital Platforms: International Exchange Framework and Optional Module for sale of goods (7).

(5)

The DPI-MCAA is an international legal framework developed by the OECD to support the annual automatic exchange of information collected under the OECD Model Rules by the residence jurisdiction of the platform operator with the jurisdictions of residence of the sellers and, with respect to transactions involving the rental of immovable property, the jurisdictions in which such immovable property is located, as determined on the basis of the due diligence procedures.

(6)

The DPI-MCAA signed by Canada and the signatory Member States requires the activation of the exchange relationship between Canada and each of the signatory Member States in accordance with Section 7 of the DPI-MCAA.

(7)

In accordance with Article 2 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/823, the Commission has determined that the definitions regarding the reporting platform operator set out in the Income Tax Act, as amended by the Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No 1, and pursuant to the DPI-MCAA signed by the competent authorities of Canada and the signatory Member States are equivalent to the definitions set out in Section I, subparagraphs A(1) to A(4), of Annex V to Directive 2011/16/EU.

(8)

In accordance with Article 3 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/823, the Commission has determined that the definitions regarding reportable sellers set out in the Income Tax Act, as amended by the Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No 1, and pursuant to the DPI-MCAA signed by the competent authorities of Canada and the signatory Member States are equivalent to the definitions set out in Section I, subparagraphs B(1) to B(4), C(1) and C(2), of Annex V to Directive 2011/16/EU.

(9)

In accordance with Article 4 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/823, the Commission has determined that the definitions of relevant activity set out in the Income Tax Act, as amended by the Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No 1, and pursuant to the DPI-MCAA signed by the competent authorities of Canada and the signatory Member States are equivalent to the definitions set out in Section I, subparagraphs A(8), A(10), A(11) and C(9) of Annex V to Directive 2011/16/EU.

(10)

In accordance with Article 5 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/823, the Commission has determined that the due diligence procedures set out in the Income Tax Act, as amended by the Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No 1, and pursuant to the DPI-MCAA signed by the competent authorities of Canada and the signatory Member States are equivalent to the due diligence procedures set out in Section II of Annex V to Directive 2011/16/EU and the definitions set out in Section I, subparagraphs C(3) to C(7), of Annex V to Directive 2011/16/EU.

(11)

In accordance with Article 6 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/823, the Commission has determined that the reporting requirements set out in the Income Tax Act, as amended by the Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No 1, and pursuant to the DPI-MCAA signed by the competent authorities of Canada and the signatory Member States are equivalent to the reporting requirements set out in Section III, subparagraphs A(1), A(2), A(5), A(6) and A(7) and paragraph B of Annex V to Directive 2011/16/EU, and the definitions set out in Section I, subparagraphs C(3) to C(8), of Annex V to Directive 2011/16/EU.

(12)

In accordance with Article 7 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/823, the Commission has determined that the rules and administrative procedures laid down in the Income Tax Act, as amended by the Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No 1, and pursuant to the DPI-MCAA signed by the competent authorities of Canada and the signatory Member States, to ensure the effective implementation of, and compliance with, the due diligence procedures and reporting requirements are equivalent to the provisions set out in Section IV, paragraphs A to D of Annex V to Directive 2011/16/EU.

(13)

Therefore, the information that is required to be automatically exchanged between the competent authorities of Canada and the signatory Member States pursuant to the DPI-MCAA should be deemed to be equivalent to that specified in Section III, paragraph B, of Annex V to Directive 2011/16/EU. In accordance with Article 8 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/823, this determination of equivalence applies to the same agreement between the competent authorities of any other Member State and Canada.

(14)

Since Part XX of the Income Tax Act, as added by Section 78(1) of the Act, has not yet entered into force, the determination of equivalence should only apply from the date of entry into force of Part XX of the Income Tax Act.

(15)

Furthermore, the determination of equivalence should only apply provided that the exchange relationship between Canada and each of the signatory Member States is activated in accordance with Section 7 of the DPI-MCAA.

(16)

As required by Article 25(1) of Directive 2011/16/EU, all exchange of information between the competent authorities of Member States and non-Union jurisdictions pursuant to the DPI-MCAA should comply with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8).

(17)

The European Data Protection Supervisor was consulted in accordance with Article 42(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (9).

(18)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on administrative cooperation for taxation,

(a)

Part XX of Canada’s Income Tax Act, as added by Section 78(1) of Canada’s Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No 1, and as assessed by the Commission, has entered into force;

(b)

the exchange relationship between the competent authorities of Canada and each signatory Member State has been activated in accordance with Section 7 of the DPI-MCAA.