Married status, Income Tax and benefits/credits

[Mark5]

I did not get any of my benefits stopped. You have to time these things in regards to the benefits/credits tax year. While my husband was a non resident, I informed rev can by fax letter, which I also mailed a copy as a back up. Basically I had to declare his world income, I stated he was a non resident, that he has never entered Canada, and what date we were married. When I officially changed my name, I called them and they changed it, but I also sent in my new passport under my married name as proof. I still got my full gst, ost, and cctb. The only thing that got delayed was the final osttb credit, which was a one time transition benefit. That one I was supposed to get in June 2011, but ended up getting it Dec 2011. Otherwise nothing changed. Now he is here. I called them and they said that all I have to do is write a letter with a copy of his copr, and state that he is now a resident but not working and they will add him to my gst and ost etc. They checked to make sure they had his 2011 world income on file which they did because I reported it when I did my taxes this year.

Thanks for the information, but will they crecalculate the credits and release all the payment they are holding as a back pay. How long those it take for them to fix the change in your marital status.

 

[Mez007]

I’m Still in the limbo with This ... Still haven’t done my Taxes yet this year

 

[Mrslwsn]

Thanks for the information, but will they crecalculate the credits and release all the payment they are holding as a back pay. How long those it take for them to fix the change in your marital status.

Yes they recalculate and release the funds. It took about 2 weeks or so for my marital status to be changed. Not more than 3 weeks. Any changes I make with rev can I always fax and mail a back up letter.

 

[leo77]

I was inland awaiting PR application, NIL INCOME.

My wifes hst /gst /ctb all got stopped for 6 months.

Local revenue offices was requiring "my date of entry and world income"

Sent this information twice, still nothing happened or got sorted out.

Went to a meeting with local revenue offices to find out why they had not sorted it out, kind of got a blank look from the woman there, with what was happening.

Went to our local MP who got in contact with a senior at the local revenue offices, found out we had to file my taxes at the "international revenue centre" (which took another 16 weeks).

I now have a "temp taxation number" and we not had a problem since.

Not sure if this helps anyone.

 

[Belinasha]

I considered that maybe this whole hold up/screw up was because we should have applied for a Temporary Tax Number from Revenue Canada and file a return for my husband for 2011, but according to Revenue Canada, in order to do this, he would have had to been a non-resident for 183 days in 2011. My husband was only here for less than 4 months in 2011, so he wouldn't be considered a deemed resident for 2011 for tax purposes.

I received a letter from Revenue Canada yesterday. It says that they cannot process my re-calculation because we didn't include my husband's SIN number. They are requesting a copy of one of a visitor's record, a copy of passport photo page, a driver's license, birth certificate or temp resident permit. They are also requesting his date of entry into Canada, his world income converted to Canadian dollars and a completed marital status change form.

The part that makes me scream is that attached to this letter they sent back all my documents which included EVERYTHING they asked for if they just flipped through the pages that they had IN THEIR HANDS, they would have seen everything was there. I sent a copy of his visitor's record, a copy of his birth certificate, a copy of his passport photo page, the date of entry in my letter to them which included his world income converted, for 2010 and 2011. I even sent both IRS income tax returns as proof where I got his amount of net income from. It was all there...they had it in their hands and chose not to look at it.

I made a copy of the letter and the package of documents that they sent back to me and emailed it to my MP, but still nothing from them yet. I wrote and packaged up a formal complaint to Revenue Canada for bad service, but I'm going to wait just in case my MP or his minions will look into this matter this week. At least on the letter they sent to me there was a name of a person who had the documents but failed to look at them. It makes me angry that taxpayers are paying their salary and they aren't doing their job!

 

[parker24]

I considered that maybe this whole hold up/screw up was because we should have applied for a Temporary Tax Number from Revenue Canada and file a return for my husband for 2011, but according to Revenue Canada, in order to do this, he would have had to been a non-resident for 183 days in 2011. My husband was only here for less than 4 months in 2011, so he wouldn't be considered a deemed resident for 2011 for tax purposes.

I received a letter from Revenue Canada yesterday. It says that they cannot process my re-calculation because we didn't include my husband's SIN number. They are requesting a copy of one of a visitor's record, a copy of passport photo page, a driver's license, birth certificate or temp resident permit. They are also requesting his date of entry into Canada, his world income converted to Canadian dollars and a completed marital status change form.

The part that makes me scream is that attached to this letter they sent back all my documents which included EVERYTHING they asked for if they just flipped through the pages that they had IN THEIR HANDS, they would have seen everything was there. I sent a copy of his visitor's record, a copy of his birth certificate, a copy of his passport photo page, the date of entry in my letter to them which included his world income converted, for 2010 and 2011. I even sent both IRS income tax returns as proof where I got his amount of net income from. It was all there...they had it in their hands and chose not to look at it.

I made a copy of the letter and the package of documents that they sent back to me and emailed it to my MP, but still nothing from them yet. I wrote and packaged up a formal complaint to Revenue Canada for bad service, but I'm going to wait just in case my MP or his minions will look into this matter this week. At least on the letter they sent to me there was a name of a person who had the documents but failed to look at them. It makes me angry that taxpayers are paying their salary and they aren't doing their job!

Oh my word! Unbelievable! Some people are dumb sometimes! I've been wondering about ours, curious as to if I'll get something back. I would suggest to you to CALL CRA, have you done that yet? Maybe they can tell you something different. If I get anything back, I'll be calling them, my MP and my MPP haha. Sheesh.

 

[Belinasha]

I've called CRA at least 3 times per week to see if anything has been updated. I called after I got that letter yesterday and the guy on the phone actually told me to go to a Service Canada counter and apply for a SIN for my husband....I couldn't take much more yesterday after receiving the dumb letter and then getting a dumb response by phone. I've contacted my MP last week and sent them an Authorization to look into it. I've also sent them a copy of my letter and all my documents I got sent back from CRA, to show CRA's incompetency, but they'll take their sweet time doing whatever on their end. I pretty much give up at this point. I figure they'll catch on eventually and in the end, I'll get a nice fat deposit.

 

[parker24]

I've called CRA at least 3 times per week to see if anything has been updated. I called after I got that letter yesterday and the guy on the phone actually told me to go to a Service Canada counter and apply for a SIN for my husband....I couldn't take much more yesterday after receiving the dumb letter and then getting a dumb response by phone. I've contacted my MP last week and sent them an Authorization to look into it. I've also sent them a copy of my letter and all my documents I got sent back from CRA, to show CRA's incompetency, but they'll take their sweet time doing whatever on their end. I pretty much give up at this point. I figure they'll catch on eventually and in the end, I'll get a nice fat deposit.

Oh my heavens! I'd be calling your MP everyday "Any news?" Squeaky wheel gets the grease that's for sure. I can't believe they can't get through their heads that our husbands are AMERICAN............... Must be some sort of brainwashing going on and it damaged their common sense!

 

[Sunshine87]

I could have really used this info in March! This is just what I needed to know.. 2 months late

You can fill out the marital status form two ways: either print, fill it out and send it by mail or if you have MyAccount with CRA, you can submit online.

I created a MyAccount because the lady I spoke to at CRA suggested that was the best way since my husband doesn't have a SIN #, and there's a box to check if your spouse is a non-resident. The printable form doesn't have that check box.

I haven't had any problems, but that may because I submitted my marital status form after I filled 2011 taxes because H&R block doesn't know crap about anything

 

[Belinasha]

Ya, I have MyAccount and I sent my change of marital status form on there as well as paper so I can send supporting documents. They changed my marital status and my last name but because the fact that on both marital status forms I sent in, I left the spousal SIN part blank (doesn't have one, American), they can't figure that out and are requesting the SIN number. I'm going to call the MP's office tomorrow. I sent another package to CRA on May 11, hopefully someone else will open it and read the enclosed information and this will get done. There is no reason this should be taking this long!

 

[Occasita]

Just to add my two cents...

Background info:
Canadian wife, American husband. Filing for PR soon.

When I sent in my tax form last year, it was the first year I had married, and I left my husband's SIN blank. Filed electronically. As long as you never touch the husband's SIN, it should validate.
Later, CRA sent me a letter saying that my GST credits had to be recalculated (made me pay them back my GST credits) and asking for husband's information.
After browsing the web, I sent in a piece of paper saying my husband's income and a photocopy of our marriage certificate saying "I certify this is valid" and signed it.
I put my husbands information that they wanted, and his AMERICAN SSN, noting that he does not have an SIN.
They refunded my GST and haven't talked to my since.
Thankfully, my husband has an ITIN now, makes things much easier.

 

[Mrslwsn]

Well, as far as it goes in my case, while my husband was out of country I just filed my taxes electronically, put my husband sin# as 000-000-000 and made sure that every year in Jan I sent in a letter ahead of my taxes stating my husbands world income and that he is a non resident. Never had an issue. Got my full refunds within 2 weeks.

 

[Mark5]

Yes they recalculate and release the funds. It took about 2 weeks or so for my marital status to be changed. Not more than 3 weeks. Any changes I make with rev can I always fax and mail a back up letter.

Thanks for the information...i make me feel a little better bcos my wife has been so worried over this entire mess...Which makes me so confused. I really do hope they get the issue resolved so soon. Thanks again and to everyone else going through this agony.. Hope issues like this never take away our happinesss. Stay strong and remain blessed

 

[parker24]

Well.. I got another letter............ I'm REALLY confused. The first letter says I owe them 128 bucks.. Second letter says I owe them 66... So I figured they got my first letter but in the second letter it STILL asks for my husband SIN. GROWL! I call CRA and they told me they never got the first letter! Whaaat? So I have NO idea why it went down all of a sudden if they didn't get the first letter :-\. So they told me to send another one. This time I went WAY overboard. I added my husband DOB, birthplace, SSN, amount he made in 2011, and 2010, when we sent the PR application, when we got married and had both of us sign it. I'll be mailing it out tomorrow. I'm SO not happy. Obviously when this is all over, I'll be getting a large deposit since I applied for Trillium benefit and have been approved for it, just never got April or May's so that'll come eventually. UGH. VERY unimpressed with CRA!

 

[Mark5]

Well.. I got another letter............ I'm REALLY confused. The first letter says I owe them 128 bucks.. Second letter says I owe them 66... So I figured they got my first letter but in the second letter it STILL asks for my husband SIN. GROWL! I call CRA and they told me they never got the first letter! Whaaat? So I have NO idea why it went down all of a sudden if they didn't get the first letter :-\. So they told me to send another one. This time I went WAY overboard. I added my husband DOB, birthplace, SSN, amount he made in 2011, and 2010, when we sent the PR application, when we got married and had both of us sign it. I'll be mailing it out tomorrow. I'm SO not happy. Obviously when this is all over, I'll be getting a large deposit since I applied for Trillium benefit and have been approved for it, just never got April or May's so that'll come eventually. UGH. VERY unimpressed with CRA!

wow, this is so not making any sense the way they work in this offices.And what do you mean by applied for Trillium benefit. How can you apply for that, i thought you will definately be eligible to get it if you fill your 2011 income tax. correct me if im wrong..i need to know