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CRA Marital Status Change

canuck_in_uk

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May 4, 2012
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Thank you for your reply my husband is working in Egypt as a Nurse and theh don't have any payslip every month as salary amount is being sent through sms by the bank is how much is the net pay..how can I provide any incom
You need to speak with CRA and see what info or proof they want.
 

ZhabaHulk

Star Member
May 11, 2017
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Airdrie, Canada
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Hi.I am new to this forum..I just wanna ask anybody regardung change of marital status.I applied as TFWP last Dec.2015 and got LMIA January 2016.By .On April 2016, I got married then continue my application without changing my marital status until now because it was a hassle for me to change my last name in all my docs.My question is do I have to inform CRA and I am planning to apply PR on July 2018..when is the best time to change my marital status? Is it before PR application or ASAP so I can bring my husband with me in my application.thanks for your reply.
CRA is not interested if you're applying for PR or not, you may want not to bother them with this kind of information. All they care is your taxes.
However, you have to change your marital status as fast as it changes. Although It's not a big deal if you haven't changed right away though. There is no late penalties fee for that, do not worry.
What you have to do is:
1. You shall log in your CRA Personal Account and change marital status from current to Married and enter the First Name of your husband. It's pretty easy and fast process. After you've done it, they send you a bill for about $200 for getting married. It is some sort of stupid tax that I personally do not appreciate.
2. If you filed 2016 Tax Return without your husband in it, you should consider to amend this return and include your husband in it. However, if you do that there are two possible scenarios you have to consider:
  • If your husband lives abroad and resident of another country (not Canada) you don't file his return because he's not resident of Canada and physically doesn't live here. Being your husband does not obligate him to pay canadian taxes. That's just nonsense. Therefore there is no need to include him in your 2016 tax return, it won't change anyhow;
  • If your husband lives abroad and has an acting status of worker/resident/student in Canada, then even though he might getting paid abroad he still need to file canadian tax, thus you will have to amend your 2016 Tax Return including your husband payments in it;
  • If your husband was residing with you in Canada since Apr 2016 till Dec 2016, then you have to amend your 2016 tax return using "Schedule 5 - Amount for Spouse or Common-Law Partner, Dependant" and enter claiming amount of $11,474, which will reduce your personal tax for 2016.
 

canuck_in_uk

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There is no late penalties fee for that, do not worry.

After you've done it, they send you a bill for about $200 for getting married. It is some sort of stupid tax that I personally do not appreciate.

  • If your husband lives abroad and resident of another country (not Canada) you don't file his return because he's not resident of Canada and physically doesn't live here. Being your husband does not obligate him to pay canadian taxes. That's just nonsense. Therefore there is no need to include him in your 2016 tax return, it won't change anyhow;
  • If your husband lives abroad and has an acting status of worker/resident/student in Canada, then even though he might getting paid abroad he still need to file canadian tax, thus you will have to amend your 2016 Tax Return including your husband payments in it;
  • If your husband was residing with you in Canada since Apr 2016 till Dec 2016, then you have to amend your 2016 tax return using "Schedule 5 - Amount for Spouse or Common-Law Partner, Dependant" and enter claiming amount of $11,474, which will reduce your personal tax for 2016.
While there are no late penalties, there can be penalties if credits/benefits were claimed when the erson didn't qualify.

No idea what you are on about there. There is no "$200 marriage tax".

Benefits and credits are based on family income, so whether the spouse is in Canada or not, their income MUST be listed when the spouse in Canada files taxes.
 

ZhabaHulk

Star Member
May 11, 2017
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Airdrie, Canada
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No idea what you are on about there. There is no "$200 marriage tax".
Well I just called it this way. I've never claimed it as an original name:) I said, sort of..
On practice it's a reduced amount of GSH/HST credits if there were previously issued towards taxpayer. The amount may vary from Province to Province. Singles receive full tax credits while spouses do not.

Benefits and credits are based on family income, so whether the spouse is in Canada or not, their income MUST be listed when the spouse in Canada files taxes.
While the CRA demands you to provide your non-resident income (that is not taxable btw!) info it would only affect the benefits or credits, if you receive such. The consequences of not filing a non-resident spouse income is the suspension of the future payments or request to pay back benefit payments the taxpayer already received until you file such information. Having said that, if CRA finds out about your spouse income though.

If her spouse receive cash payments on hands that doesn't go through a company/government books and never goes in any bank account of his/hers then CRA will never find it out, thus I see no reasons to file it.
But for everybody's sakes, before one starts to throw rotten tomatoes in my direction, I would add IMHO to it. :)
 

canuck_in_uk

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Well I just called it this way. I've never claimed it as an original name:) I said, sort of..

On practice it's a reduced amount of GSH/HST credits if there were previously issued towards taxpayer. The amount may vary from Province to Province. Singles receive full tax credits while spouses do not.



While the CRA demands you to provide your non-resident income (that is not taxable btw!) info it would only affect the benefits or credits, if you receive such. The consequences of not filing a non-resident spouse income is the suspension of the future payments or request to pay back benefit payments the taxpayer already received until you file such information. Having said that, if CRA finds out about your spouse income though.

If her spouse receive cash payments on hands that doesn't go through a company/government books and never goes in any bank account of his/hers then CRA will never find it out, thus I see no reasons to file it.
But for everybody's sakes, before one starts to throw rotten tomatoes in my direction, I would add IMHO to it. :)
You stated CRA would send OP a $200 bill for getting married. That is a FAR different statement than saying tax credits will be reduced.

Your suggestion is tax fraud.
 

ZhabaHulk

Star Member
May 11, 2017
196
69
40
Airdrie, Canada
Category........
Other
You stated CRA would send OP a $200 bill for getting married. That is a FAR different statement than saying tax credits will be reduced.
Oh, jeez.. I said about $200 and it does look to people like a bill. Nothing's wrong with that. I tried to sound more elementary, I'd say.
But if it brings a confusion, I confirm that it's not correct way to say. My apologies to everyone who suffered consequences.

Your suggestion is tax fraud.
Yes, it is! :D
But some countries really don't have any established system of recording employment, neither they are signing contracts.
And that cache they receive on hands is so small when transferred in canadian currency that it isn't really worth mentioning.

Anyway, she's safe from my suggestions. I just saw what she posted after.
Her husband is a nurse, it's a regulated profession, and he receives the payment through bank. Therefore even if he doesn't have payslips she may enter his yearly income in her 2016 Tax Return. They will additionally request evidence confirming it if they need it. They have never asked me to provide any paper confirmation for that matter.