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What Do I Do If I Changed Vehicles in the Year? (For Self-Employed and Work use of personal vehicle)
What Do I Do If I Changed Vehicles in the Year? (For Self-Employed and Work use of personal vehicle)

If you switched vehicles during the year, you’ll need to track each one separately for tax purposes. Here’s how to handle it properly.

Samuel Jones avatar
Written by Samuel Jones
Updated over 2 weeks ago

Step 1: Track Each Vehicle Separately

  • Keep a logbook for each vehicle, recording business and personal kilometers driven

  • Record the odometer reading on the date you switched vehicles

  • Note the purchase or lease date of the new vehicle

Step 2: Calculate Business Use for Each Vehicle

  • Determine the percentage of business use for each vehicle separately

  • Use the same method as a single-vehicle calculation, but apply it to each car individually

Step 3: Separate Vehicle Expenses

  • Track gas, maintenance, insurance, and repairs separately for each vehicle

  • If both vehicles were financed or leased, track loan interest or lease payments separately

  • Keep records of parking fees and tolls if applicable

Step 4: Capital Cost Allowance (CCA) Adjustments

If you purchased a new vehicle, you must calculate CCA correctly:

  • First Vehicle: Claim CCA only for the months it was used before switching

  • New Vehicle: Determine the fair market value at the time of purchase and start a new CCA calculation

  • If you sold or traded in the first vehicle, report the sale price and adjust the Undepreciated Capital Cost (UCC)

Step 5: Reporting on Your Tax Return

  • Use CloudTax to enter details for each vehicle

  • CloudTax makes it easy—just follow the step-by-step guide to enter expenses and mileage

Why This Matters

Accurately tracking vehicle changes ensures:

Maximum tax deductions

Correct business-use percentage calculations

CRA compliance to avoid audit issues

CloudTax simplifies everything—no complicated calculations needed!

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