Newly married? Living common-law? Recently divorced or separated? How your marital status impacts your taxes

Did you know?

If your marital status changes, it’s important to let the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) know as soon as possible. You should contact the CRA when there is a change in your life such as a new address, a new child, or a change in your direct deposit information to ensure you receive the correct benefits and credits.

Important facts

Getting married or entering a common-law partnership

• Change your marital status – You can change your marital status online by using the Change my marital status service through My Account, by sending us a completed Form RC65, Marital Status Change, or by calling 1-800-387-1193 if you are a benefit recipient. You must inform the CRA by the end of the month following the month your status changed to ensure you are receiving the correct benefit and credit amounts. For instance, if you are getting married in September 2016, you and your spouse must notify the CRA of your change in marital status no later than October 31, 2016.
• Change of name – If you changed your name, let us know as soon as possible. Call us at 1-800-959-8281 so we can update our records. We do not accept changes of name by email or online.
• Spouse or common-law partner amount – If you made the majority of the household income this year, and your spouse or common-law partner made less than $11,327, you may be eligible to claim this amount.
• Contributing to your spouse’s or common-law partner’s RRSP – Contributions you make to a spousal or common-law partner RRSP reduce your RRSP deduction limit. Log into My Account or access the MyCRA mobile app to find out how much you can contribute and deduct!
• Authorize a representative – Is your spouse or common-law partner a tax whiz? You can authorize your spouse or common-law partner online, using My Account, as your representative for income tax matters.
• Benefits – Getting married or entering into a common-law partnership can affect your eligibility or the amount of benefits you are entitled to receive such as the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) and the Goods and services tax/Harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit. After your marital status changes the CRA recalculates your benefits based on the number of children you have, their ages, your province or territory of residence, and your revised family net income. Your benefits will be adjusted the month following the month in which your marital status changes.

Getting divorced or separated

• Change your marital status – If your marital status changes during the year and you are receiving Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payments, GST/HST credit payments, or working income tax benefit (WITB) advance payments, you must let us know by the end of the month after the month of your divorce. In the case of separation, do not tell us until you have been separated for more than 90 consecutive days. You can change your marital status online using My Account, by sending us a completed Form RC65, Marital Status Change, or by calling 1-800-387-1193 if you are a benefit recipient.
• Are you making or receiving support payments? For information about the tax implications, go to Support Payments.

The CRA’s online services make filing and managing your taxes easier

The CRA's online services are fast, easy, and secure. You can use them to help file your income tax and benefit return, make a payment, track the status of your return, register for online mail, apply for child benefits, and more. Access the CRA’s full suite of self-service options—register for My Account at www.cra.gc.ca/myaccount today, and start managing your tax matters online!

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