CONFUSED WITH STATUS ON TAXES...PLS ADVISE

[HopefulWaiting]

Dear All,

I tried to fill out my taxes this weekend and ran into some problems. I searched online but was not able to obtain a satisfactory answer.

I got married in December 2010. I submitted my application to sponsor my spouse through the family sponsorship program in February 2011. For my tax return do I select my status as Married or Single? I am using UFile and when I select married as my status, they ask me for my wife's SIN number and her earned income amount. However, my wife has never been to Canada so she does not have a SIN number. Also, she is a student so her income for 2010 was $0 in her country of residence. So what do I fill in these boxes where it is asking for a SIN number and her income?

Thank you all for your help and advice.

[Makool]

A friend of my ran into tha problem, he fixed it just using as single to fill it out, your status will be updated untill she arrives here In Canada, that's what I was explained..

Maybe someone else has more to add.

good luck

[fprince]

Dear All,

I tried to fill out my taxes this weekend and ran into some problems. I searched online but was not able to obtain a satisfactory answer.

I got married in December 2010. I submitted my application to sponsor my spouse through the family sponsorship program in February 2011. For my tax return do I select my status as Married or Single? I am using UFile and when I select married as my status, they ask me for my wife's SIN number and her earned income amount. However, my wife has never been to Canada so she does not have a SIN number. Also, she is a student so her income for 2010 was $0 in her country of residence. So what do I fill in these boxes where it is asking for a SIN number and her income?

Thank you all for your help and advice.

Yes, you will file as single for 2010. She is not here, once she is here in 2011 you will send her SIN to the CRA and update your status as married.

[HopefulWaiting]

Thanks guys for your help......Tax Pain has been relieved 

[Misplaced Brit]

My husband filed taxes this year as a married man through H&R Block bank, and had no problems.  The only thing they asked for was my name and he was able to claim for me.  He did this through his accountant last year the exact same way, and again, the accountant only needed my name.  I don't have a SIN number, but apparently, my husband can claim taxes for supporting me till we get our PR through.

[glak1234]

So, I got married January 2011.. filed taxes in March 2011..where I stated myself as Single.
Being married now wouldn't be an issue I assume, because it wasn't in 2010?

[lonely_wife]

Hi!!! I claimed my husband on my taxes, I wrote his name and for SIN we put all 9... You can also place all 0... (If your partner is not in Canada and you claim them on your income tax make sure that you can prove that you are supporting them financially.) I called western union head office in Jamaica and they were able to do a print out of all the transaction made in 2010. I provided this to my accountant as she stated they may audit me this year. We called Revenue Canada and they are the ones that told us to do it this way consedering the amount I had send to my husband.

I hope this helps

[Ines]

I was just about posting a thread about this.
We got married on May 2010. I submitted my application, checked married, and for my husban's information I left the SIN n empty. in the income I did put $0 as he is student.
I already received the cheque for the tax return but yesterday I got a letter regarding the TPS/TVq. They're requesting his income for 2009, his SIN number and signed letter (by both of us) stating that we are married. I called them to clarify and they said since he is not living in Canada, I have just to write a letter explaining the situation and sign it. Otherwise, I will have to reimburse them.

[CandC2009]

If you are married you should file as Married not Single (I'm dealing with all this stuff now) Got some bad advise in 2010 and filed as single when I was married and now H&R block and Canada Revenue Agency said I should have filed as Married. Luckily for me my husband made $0 for 2009 but if he did it could have cost me money. They say even if your husband or wife is living and working out of the country you still have to say you're married and declare their income (no you dont pay taxes on it but it does decide if you qualify for the GST/HST tax credit among other things)

but if you are married say so, or if you have doubts about what you should do call the Canada Revenue Hotline, they were very helpful

[brin]

I sponsored my ex a while ago and yes my accountant did file my taxes as  'married' while the spousal appliation was still in process and there was no problem...I'm now sponsoring my husband....I would think I cannot still say 'divorced' in my tax return...might conflict if CIC tries to look up something with CRA (not sure if they do it) as to why I havn't changed my marital status...either way...regardless of where your spouse is..if you are married...then your staus changes to 'married' is what I would think ..

[serenifly]

Dear All,

I tried to fill out my taxes this weekend and ran into some problems. I searched online but was not able to obtain a satisfactory answer.

I got married in December 2010. I submitted my application to sponsor my spouse through the family sponsorship program in February 2011. For my tax return do I select my status as Married or Single? I am using UFile and when I select married as my status, they ask me for my wife's SIN number and her earned income amount. However, my wife has never been to Canada so she does not have a SIN number. Also, she is a student so her income for 2010 was $0 in her country of residence. So what do I fill in these boxes where it is asking for a SIN number and her income?

Thank you all for your help and advice.

I have the same thing - I am applying to sponsor my husband - and he lives with me, and I support him to live here, he too earned 0$ in 2010

I put myself as married- which I am
And put his income at 0$ - which he did

And left the SIN number blank, when mailing in my return I also included a letter stating that we were in the process of sponsorship application (Inland) and I am supporting my husband until a decision is made by CIC. Until a decision is made I will continue to support him financially. Therefore he does not have a SIN number until his permenant residency application has been decided.

And I had no problems, got my return, and yeah, it wasn't that bad

[IndividualLikeEveryoneEls]

I'm seeking advice on this too (and will post here what I find out).

My wife needs to file her 2010 return. I was in the UK in 2010 (and therefore don't have to file my return in Canada) and had a small income. If my wife checks "married" on her return and enters in my details, does anyone know if it will screw up her GST credit unless I file a 2010 return and claim against dual-taxation (please excuse the terminology - i'm not accountant and don't want to be)?

[Gemauru]

Dear All,

I tried to fill out my taxes this weekend and ran into some problems. I searched online but was not able to obtain a satisfactory answer.

I got married in December 2010. I submitted my application to sponsor my spouse through the family sponsorship program in February 2011. For my tax return do I select my status as Married or Single? I am using UFile and when I select married as my status, they ask me for my wife's SIN number and her earned income amount. However, my wife has never been to Canada so she does not have a SIN number. Also, she is a student so her income for 2010 was $0 in her country of residence. So what do I fill in these boxes where it is asking for a SIN number and her income?

Thank you all for your help and advice.

I did mine with UFILE. Status entered as "change to married" it will give you 2 options, if you want to enter all your husband info or minimum. I entered minimun:
 name, all "0" for sin nbr, same address and no income.
I don't qualify for GST, so no changes there, but I got a refund for taxes.

Most important, "print out C" shows how you did your taxes, you don't want them to think that you're capable of "lies"....

[Gemauru]

I'm seeking advice on this too (and will post here what I find out).

My wife needs to file her 2010 return. I was in the UK in 2010 (and therefore don't have to file my return in Canada) and had a small income. If my wife checks "married" on her return and enters in my details, does anyone know if it will screw up her GST credit unless I file a 2010 return and claim against dual-taxation (please excuse the terminology - i'm not accountant and don't want to be)?

Not sure about the taxes... But she can't lie about her marital status (there's more to lose than GST refunds...)

[Makool]

Its funny as the information we had at that moment came from CRA and they told us to use as single to get the taxes done even when they knew my friend and I were sponsoring someone...I guess if you want something back in your tax return, you have the choice to do wherever you like.

Good luck