Finance Releases Proposed Amendments to the Qualifying REIT Rules

On December 16, 2010, the Department of Finance announced proposed amendments to the rules in the Income Tax Act (Canada) applicable to real estate investment trusts.  The amendments address certain concerns that real estate investment trusts encountered when attempting to restructure their operations to comply with the existing Qualifying REIT Rules.  The amendments also clarify, and in some respects restrict, the scope of the existing exception for qualifying real estate investment trusts.