The taxpayer lived in a house in Kelowna from 2005 to 2011, except for a period in 2007 and 2008 where she stayed 20 out of every 28 days in Fort McMurray for work at a job site there (she spent most of the balance in Kelowna). The Minister assessed her for an employee benefit on her housing allowance for Fort McMurray, on the basis that she had not satisfied the conditions of s. 6(6) - in particular, that her Kelowna accommodation:
- was not a self-contained domestic establishment;
- was not her principal place of residence; and
- was not maintained by her.
Graham J. found that the conditions had been satisfied and granted the taxpayer's appeal.
The Minister's arguments relating to the first two points were based chiefly on the eight days spent at the taxpayer's alleged principal residence to her 20 days spent near her job site. In rejecting these arguments, Graham J. stated (at para. 24):
The purpose of subsection 6(6) is to ensure that taxpayers who are forced to incur expenses because of temporary work away from their homes are not taxed on a reasonable allowance provided by their employer to cover such expenses. Taxation on such an allowance would leave the taxpayer worse off for having traveled for work as they would have to pay for their temporary accommodations with after tax dollars.
He found that the purpose of s. 6(6) would be frustrated if the taxpayer's appeal were denied.
Regarding the third point, Graham J. stated (at para. 43):
I find that in the context of subsection 6(6), "maintain" means "preserve for use" or "keep available". ... The intention of the subsection is that the relief is only available to taxpayers who keep a residence available for their use while they are away on work. A taxpayer who does not keep such a residence available has, in essence, moved to the remote work site.
Under that interpretation, it was clear that the taxpayer had maintained her Kelowna accommodations for the purpose of s. 6(6), notwithstanding that the house belonged to a family friend and she stayed there free of charge.