# RRSP Attribution Rules



## Mookie (Feb 29, 2012)

I’m trying to figure out if there are any attribution rules related to using my income to contribute to my wife’s RRSP (not a spousal RRSP - this would be for her to claim against her income). I’ve already maxed my RRSP, and both TFSAs, so looking to her RRSP as another place to tax shelter some investments.

As far as I know, I am allowed to contribute to my wife’s TFSA without attribution issues, but want to know if this is allowed for RRSPs as well, or do I need to “loan” the money to my wife, and charge interest at the prescribed rate in order to avoid attribution? I tried Googling this, but just got a lot of stuff about spousal RRSPs, which is not what I’m after right now.

Thanks!


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## Guban (Jul 5, 2011)

Should be okay to do this. Your wife must have the income to deduct the contribution right? Brokerages may have a problem with a contribution from your account to her RRSP however. It may have to come from a jointly held account.


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## Guban (Jul 5, 2011)

My reply may have been in error. According to Tim Cestnick, this is error#3. See:
https://secure.globeadvisor.com/servlet/ArticleNews/story/gam/20140109/GICESTNICK0108ATL

I think I've also seen similar replies to mine on similar questions to the CMF.


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## Mookie (Feb 29, 2012)

Thanks Guban, that clarifies it. So I will continue to use my wife's money only for her RRSP, and use mine for the rest.


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## OptsyEagle (Nov 29, 2009)

This is new to me so I looked this up.



> A spousal or common-law partner RRSP is any of your RRSPs:
> 
> •to which your spouse or common-law partner contributed;
> •that received payments or transfers of property from your RRSPs to which your spouse or common-law partner had contributed; or
> ...


It sounds like they are saying that if a spouse contributes to "ANY" RRSP, then it will be considered a spousal RRSP for withdrawal purposes, subject to the 3 year attribution rules ...as opposed to the lifetime attribution rules that Mr. Cestnick seemed to imply.

Now that being said, I would bet that if your financial institution accepted this contribution, they would not issue a T4 RSP withdrawal receipt to the contributor, since in almost all those cases they would not have the contributors SIN, like they require in a spousal RRSP.


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## Guban (Jul 5, 2011)

OptsyEagle said:


> It sounds like they are saying that if a spouse contributes to "ANY" RRSP, then it will be considered a spousal RRSP for withdrawal purposes, subject to the 3 year attribution rules ...as opposed to the lifetime attribution rules that Mr. Cestnick seemed to imply.
> 
> Now that being said, I would bet that if your financial institution accepted this contribution, they would not issue a T4 RSP withdrawal receipt to the contributor, since in almost all those cases they would not have the contributors SIN, like they require in a spousal RRSP.


RBCDI forces the names of the contributor and account holder to match, so they avoid the problem of issuing a T4 RSP for the other spouse.

BTW, with regards to the CRA quote above, the OP is not referring to a spousal RRSP. Just an RRSP whose funds came from the spouse.


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## OptsyEagle (Nov 29, 2009)

Guban said:


> BTW, with regards to the CRA quote above, the OP is not referring to a spousal RRSP. Just an RRSP whose funds came from the spouse.


My point was that it appears to me that CRA calls a personal RRSP a spousal RRSP, if a spouse contributes to it, by their description below:

"A spousal or common-law partner RRSP is any of your RRSPs:"

Hence, any withdraw would be subject to the 3 year attribution rules.


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