Questions about filing CANADIAN Income Tax

[katelynlc]

Hi everyone!
I'm not sure if this is the appropriate forum, but if it needs to be moved, feel free mods

Hubby and I were married in September 2012. I'm starting to file 2012 taxes for me (using TurboTax online in case anyone has any experience with it). I'm filing as MARRIED (obviously) but it states that I'll still need Spouse's Name, SIN, and Net Income. If my husband is not yet a Canadian PR (he's here on a TRV with me now) - how do I go about this? Would it be worth taking it to H&R Block or are there places that deal with these one off things specifically? I'm hoping someone here might have some input .

Thanks in advance!
Kate

 

[Gary_87]

I was also wondering this. I've filed my application already and was wondering if I have to file my tax return and declare a commonlaw partner? The thing is, if I do I won't be eligible for the workers income tax benefit but if I don't declare her I will be. Obviously it will benefit me greatly to get the extra cash before my impending unemployment but I was wondering if I don't declare her will it affect my pr application? Or does cic have no contact with cra?

P.s. sorry I can't answer your question katelynlc. But I'm also curious.

 

[CanadaNow]

hey everybody (takes deep breath in case this ends up being a long one....I hope not)

oops.....Psych....already had this conversation on a different thread.....please read and if it doesn't make sense I will try to translate......

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/do-i-have-to-file-a-canadian-tax-return-when-does-spouse-become-dependent-t132560.0.html;msg2029888#msg2029888

- keep in mind, I (sponsor) have a child from previous relationship which added more to the mix for me
- Sorry not sure how this applies to common-law.
- also have been using StudioTax.com (same as Turbotax but FREE) since 2006 and I find it really intuitive. This year, I found that I need to play around a bit with the order of entry with regards to Marriage settings etc to make it work just right. I first had to enter my son as a dependant, then check the married box, then enter the "my spouse is not living in Canada" checkbox, and lastly enter the "date your marital status change". you might have to try different order of entering info to get it to work just right.


Best wishes to all!!

 

[truesmile]

We will be using TurboTax, just not the online version. There should be a way to make an appropriate selection but it wouldn't surprise me if the 'online' version enforces the edits more stringently. I can't file much before 2nd week of March and haven't purchased the software yet but I will certainly test this out (about a month from now) and see how the software handles it. It would be a shame to have to go to H&R Block over a mandatory field like this. Just a thought, try entering ALL zeroes and see if it will take.

@Gary_87 - personally I don't believe that they do much exchange of information but in your case I'd say you definitely want your marital status within or on each of their two systems to jive. It would be the first thing noticed. You don't want the CRA after you, it's not worth it.

 

[katelynlc]

hey everybody (takes deep breath in case this ends up being a long one....I hope not)

oops.....Psych....already had this conversation on a different thread.....please read and if it doesn't make sense I will try to translate......

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/do-i-have-to-file-a-canadian-tax-return-when-does-spouse-become-dependent-t132560.0.html;msg2029888#msg2029888

- keep in mind, I (sponsor) have a child from previous relationship which added more to the mix for me
- Sorry not sure how this applies to common-law.
- also have been using StudioTax.com (same as Turbotax but FREE) since 2006 and I find it really intuitive. This year, I found that I need to play around a bit with the order of entry with regards to Marriage settings etc to make it work just right. I first had to enter my son as a dependant, then check the married box, then enter the "my spouse is not living in Canada" checkbox, and lastly enter the "date your marital status change". you might have to try different order of entering info to get it to work just right.


Best wishes to all!!

Great - this is very helpful! Sorry for starting another thread
Kate

 

[Gary_87]

@ Gary_87 - personally I don't believe that they do much exchange of information but in your case I'd say you definitely want your marital status within or on each of their two systems to jive. It would be the first thing noticed. You don't want the CRA after you, it's not worth it.

Thanks for getting back to me! What if i filed the tax return and when I receive it then i change it? Technically I wasn't commonlaw all of last year. Only this year. So in filing my 2012 tax return I should file as just me. Any filing for the next year would be commonlaw right? I could file it and then change it on Mycra.

Id just assume that for 2012 I was tchnically considered single? I'm only wondering cos this is potentially the difference between $1000 and $0?

 

[CanadaNow]

Great - this is very helpful! Sorry for starting another thread
Kate

nobody minds. got ya in the right direction...that's what matters

 

[truesmile]

Thanks for getting back to me! What if i filed the tax return and when I receive it then i change it? Technically I wasn't commonlaw all of last year. Only this year. So in filing my 2012 tax return I should file as just me. Any filing for the next year would be commonlaw right? I could file it and then change it on Mycra.

Id just assume that for 2012 I was tchnically considered single? I'm only wondering cos this is potentially the difference between $1000 and $0?

Top right-hand corner of your T1-General: "Marital status on December 31, 2013: ___________ "

Up to you.

 

[Gary_87]

Top right-hand corner of your T1-General: "Marital status on December 31, 2013: ___________ "

Up to you.

Yeah. I turned commonlaw on jan 1st 2013 as I moved in with my partner on jan 1st 2012. So technically I was single at this time. Or would I be considered commonlaw? Its a difficult one...

 

[jarry96]

Yeah. I turned commonlaw on jan 1st 2013 as I moved in with my partner on jan 1st 2012. So technically I was single at this time. Or would I be considered commonlaw? Its a difficult one...

For income tax purposes you enter into a common law relationship on the date you have been living together continuously for 12 months.

 

[jarry96]

Hi everyone!
I'm not sure if this is the appropriate forum, but if it needs to be moved, feel free mods

Hubby and I were married in September 2012. I'm starting to file 2012 taxes for me (using TurboTax online in case anyone has any experience with it). I'm filing as MARRIED (obviously) but it states that I'll still need Spouse's Name, SIN, and Net Income. If my husband is not yet a Canadian PR (he's here on a TRV with me now) - how do I go about this? Would it be worth taking it to H&R Block or are there places that deal with these one off things specifically? I'm hoping someone here might have some input .

Thanks in advance!
Kate

Hi Kate,

For Canadian income tax purposes it does not matter that your husband does not yet have a permanent resident visa. On your tax return you would show your status as "married" and you would enter the date of the marriage. You would also indicate that he is a non resident and you would fill in the box for his total income in Canadian dollar equivalent. You would still be able to claim him if you supported him and his income is below the cutoff but to avoid questions later it would be good to attach a letter stating his income and the fact that you supported him along with some evidence to that effect. As a non resident however you would not be able to include him on your GST Credit claim.

 

[blessedelaine]

Thanks for directing us to the existing thread.. Great help.

 

[blueangel371115]

So he could claim me next year (we are getting marabout ried in october )? I was getting confused.

 

[Dan_from_Surrey]

Hi Kate,

For Canadian income tax purposes it does not matter that your husband does not yet have a permanent resident visa. On your tax return you would show your status as "married" and you would enter the date of the marriage. You would also indicate that he is a non resident and you would fill in the box for his total income in Canadian dollar equivalent. You would still be able to claim him if you supported him and his income is below the cutoff but to avoid questions later it would be good to attach a letter stating his income and the fact that you supported him along with some evidence to that effect. As a non resident however you would not be able to include him on your GST Credit claim.

This is almost exactly, what my Tax person from H&R Block did with my return yesterday, I filed my application, and was asked my marital status, to which I replied married.

Then went on with an explanation of my wife is STILL! in the Philippines, and we are going through the immigration process, I was asked if I was teh sole source of income for her, which I replied yes, then the lady preparing my taxes said be prepared for a letter from CRA to prove my claim of marriage. I told the lady no problem I have everything in my car, so she was most helpful and had me grab the paper work I had in the car, and she photo copied all the remittance receipts I had for 2012, and our marriage certificate, and included that in with the return.

Now (her words) I may or may not get a letter from CRA, asking for further confirmation of the marriage (she said 50/50 chance since this is my first time filing married, and because I had included proof with the return - but it shouldn't be a problem. Just explain it the exact same way I did to her with the same proof I filed with).

Actually this if it works out as my tax preparer figure makes for a nice un-expected bonus of about 2200 dollars in my case, which just about covers the cost of the two air plane tickets I am hoping to need to purchase in the near (God I hope near!) future.

I don't know if that is any help, but my experience as of yesterday morning with H&R Block.

 

[Rob_TO]

Yeah. I turned commonlaw on jan 1st 2013 as I moved in with my partner on jan 1st 2012. So technically I was single at this time. Or would I be considered commonlaw? Its a difficult one...

No it's very simple and there is only one answer. If you became officially common-law on Jan 1, 2013... then your only choice is to apply as "single" for 2012 tax year. You would apply as "common-law" couple, for 2013 tax year.