The registrant, who had a quarterly GST reporting period, had acquired a property for personal use, but converted it to commercial use (for short-term rentals) in the second quarter of 2005. The Minister denied his claim at the end of 2009 for an input tax credit on the basis that the four-year limitations period in s. 225(4)(b) had commenced on 1 July 2005.
VA Miller J dismissed the registrant's appeal. She stated (at para. 15):
According to paragraph 225(4)(b) of the ETA, ITCs must be claimed by a registrant in a return filed by the registrant on or before the due date of the return for the last reporting period that ends within four years after the end of the reporting period in which the ITC could have first been claimed. Mr. Chew filed his GST returns on a quarterly basis. Therefore he was required to claim an ITC with respect to the first significant change in use of the Unit before July 1, 2009. This he failed to do.