can I file my taxes without my wife's attached?

[eastcoast]

just wondering we always file together and I do it myself with quicktax,I have all my t4's and am ready to send it in,the problem is my wife hasn't recieved her's yet she had the same employer all last year and she left on bad terms earlier this year, so im thinking they will delay her's or maybe not send it at all,I am getting a good return and could use the money and I don't really want to wait too long for her to get her t4 if I don't have to,anybody know anything about this?

[DarkAisling]

My ex-husband and I used to file our taxes separately, though we filed as "married" and our SINs were on each others returns. It has been a few years since then, however.

[DanJ]

You cannot do yours and hers seperately. Have to do 'em together.

I didn't like it either.

[Beerfish]

I believe employers must send out T4's by the end of February, thus today.

Phone the employer and ask where the T4 is. If they give you the run around tell them you will be filing a complaint with revenue Canada. Apparently if they fail to send out a t4 you can estimate and fill in the forum. Does she have payroll slips for the last year?

[crazyfish]

must do yours together, because theres a place you have to enter her total for the year as well, as she has to do the same.

[eastcoast]

I believe employers must send out T4's by the end of February, thus today.

Phone the employer and ask where the T4 is. If they give you the run around tell them you will be filing a complaint with revenue Canada. Apparently if they fail to send out a t4 you can estimate and fill in the forum. Does she have payroll slips for the last year?

I had the same problem years ago and I called the government and got the totals myself,the employer must send a copy to you and a copy to the government at the same time so the government has the same numbers as you.you are correct employers had til today february 28th to put them in the mail.

[eastcoast]

ok another critical question,when I did my taxes a couple days ago I was supposed to get a return of around 7 grand,today we got my wifes t4 and finished it and now I am getting back about 3500?wt??? I thought they were seperate is this right or did I make some kind of mistake on these?

I looked it up online here
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/5000-g/5000-g-01-10e.html#P268_16439

if I do have to include her's on mine does she have to file this year,none of these apply to her,she is getting a small return.

[mtylerb]

ok another critical question,when I did my taxes a couple days ago I was supposed to get a return of around 7 grand,today we got my wifes t4 and finished it and now I am getting back about 3500?wt??? I thought they were seperate is this right or did I make some kind of mistake on these?

I looked it up online here
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/5000-g/5000-g-01-10e.html#P268_16439

if I do have to include her's on mine does she have to file this year,none of these apply to her,she is getting a small return.

When you're living in two separate households, your incomes are separate. Therefore, you are each living under a certain tax cap. When you move in and start doing your taxes together, your income is combined and generally bumps you up a tax bracket. Which means you both pay more income tax by living together.

[FCLightning]

There is a spousal deduction that you can claim if your spouse's income is below a certain amount. You were getting the spousal deduction on your tax before you entered her earnings and got a refund because of it. When her earnings were entered you lost the spousal deduction and the refund that went with it.

[greylynx]

There is a spousal deduction that you can claim if your spouse's income is below a certain amount. You were getting the spousal deduction on your tax before you entered her earnings and got a refund because of it. When her earnings were entered you lost the spousal deduction and the refund that went with it.



You can see this on Schedule 2 of the T1.

[eastcoast]

There is a spousal deduction that you can claim if your spouse's income is below a certain amount. You were getting the spousal deduction on your tax before you entered her earnings and got a refund because of it. When her earnings were entered you lost the spousal deduction and the refund that went with it.

I don't think she qualifies for that, I am going to call my aunt later today she works for revenue canada doing audits I hope she knows.

[FCLightning]

I am not sure what you are thinking I said she qualifies for. The reason why you are not getting as much refund after entering her income is that if you have a spouse with no/low income you will get a spousal deduction on your taxes. When you entered your spouse as no income (you did not have her T4 as yet) the program gave you the spousal allowance and you got an amount of refund. When you entered her T4 income then you no longer had a spouse with no/low income so the program would remove the spousal deduction that you no longer qualified for and your refund was reduced accordingly. Which is why you need to file yours and your spouses/common laws tax returns together so that you can determine if you are eligible for deductions and so that the gov't can calculate household income for GST refund or Child Tax Credits.

[FCLightning]

When you're living in two separate households, your incomes are separate. Therefore, you are each living under a certain tax cap. When you move in and start doing your taxes together, your income is combined and generally bumps you up a tax bracket. Which means you both pay more income tax by living together.

This is just plain old wrong information.

[eastcoast]

I am not sure what you are thinking I said she qualifies for. The reason why you are not getting as much refund after entering her income is that if you have a spouse with no/low income you will get a spousal deduction on your taxes. When you entered your spouse as no income (you did not have her T4 as yet) the program gave you the spousal allowance and you got an amount of refund. When you entered her T4 income then you no longer had a spouse with no/low income so the program would remove the spousal deduction that you no longer qualified for and your refund was reduced accordingly. Which is why you need to file yours and your spouses/common laws tax returns together so that you can determine if you are eligible for deductions and so that the gov't can calculate household income for GST refund or Child Tax Credits.

yeah I am slowly figuring it out,I make most of the money but adding her money to it pushed us to the next tax bracket,after most of the deduction I have applied I am still about 4 grand over the tax bracket:argue2:.it's just frusterating I thought being married got people a tax break? apparently not I am losing and she doesn't gain anything either, the only tax break is for married people with kids and we don't have any.

[Redfrog]

Someone has to pay for the social programs. Who better than the people with a job?

[mtylerb]

This is just plain old wrong information.

How so?

[mtylerb]

yeah I am slowly figuring it out,I make most of the money but adding her money to it pushed us to the next tax bracket,after most of the deduction I have applied I am still about 4 grand over the tax bracket:argue2:.it's just frusterating I thought being married got people a tax break? apparently not I am losing and she doesn't gain anything either, the only tax break is for married people with kids and we don't have any.

The only real break you get is if you're low income. You get a basic "spousal amount" that just says you can make a few thousand more before you're required to start paying taxes.

[Arn?Narn.]

Me and wife always get ours doen seperately (as in we don't go in together)
but we provide the information they need to have each of our claims connected.

For example, I go in...

How many Kids, what's your wifes income, and then we do my return.

[eastcoast]

The only real break you get is if you're low income. You get a basic "spousal amount" that just says you can make a few thousand more before you're required to start paying taxes.

well between 2 of us we make about 100 grand a year,I made 76 this year and she made 23,I have gotten most of the deductions done already and it still lowers us to 84, still 3 high of the cutoff for 81 tax bracket:argue2:.

a couple years ago she was off work from an injury for most of the year,I could claim her, well the difference anyways,now she makes too much.to me it just seems that I am getting screwed if I were single I would be getting back about 2 grand more.seems I am getting penalized for being married:scared0018:

I don't mind paying taxes we need cops,fire,army,coast guard etc maybe I should have done both at the same time so I didn't get my hopes up:budo:

[FCLightning]

Unless I am using the wrong tax forms I don't see where you guys are adding incomes together. If you were single you would not be getting 2 grand more because you would not have the spousal deduction. You thought you were getting 2 grand more because you said you had a spouse and your spouse had no income so you got to claim her personal amount. Once you entered income for her the personal amount for your spouse came off of your return and went against her income on her return. The way I see it you gave up 2000 in taxes for 23000 in income. Maybe next year your wife should just not work and then you will get her personal deduction again and you will get the 2 grand back.:)

[mtylerb]

If you were single you would not be getting back 2 grand more because you would not have a spousal deduction.

But you WOULD be at a lower tax bracket, which could equal 2 grand more.

[Donkey Oatey]

No you wouldn't. You don't get taxed on a combined income. Each income is taxed at the rate earned. The reason of for the big return before entering wife's information is the spousal income deduction. If they have no income you get more deduction and hence the big return.

[FCLightning]

But you WOULD be at a lower tax bracket, which could equal 2 grand more.

No you wouldn't.

[FCLightning]

Another fallacy is the moving to a higher tax bracket and paying more. You only pay the higher rate on that portion of income which is above the cut off. When your income crosses one of the threshold points to the next bracket you do not pay the higher tax rate on all of your income. You pay the same rate as everyone else does on the first portion of your income, it is only on the amount that is over the threshold amount that is taxed at the higher rate.

[greylynx]

Another fallacy is the moving to a higher tax bracket and paying more. You only pay the higher rate on that portion of income which is above the cut off. When your income crosses one of the threshold points to the next bracket you do not pay the higher tax rate on all of your income. You pay the same rate as everyone else does on the first portion of your income, it is only on the amount that is over the threshold amount that is taxed at the higher rate.

x2

[Iskra]

You made 84 k and paid x amount in tax. Your wife made 0 and paid 0 tax
program has calculated
84k your income
- yours personal amount
- your wifes personal amount
- other deductions
=taxable income
Your tax is based on your taxable income.
When your wife income is entered to the program
84 k your income
- yours personal amount
- other deductions
=taxable income (higher)
23 k your wifes income
- your wifes personal amount
- other deductions
= taxable income
Program shows you who should claim medical expenses , who should claim charitable donations and how to balance RRSPs between two of you for maximizing tax returns.

[nube]

why not just hire a good accountant for the couple hundred bucks so you don't screw it up and loose more money than you would doing it yourself guys. I send mine in with peace of mind that it is done better than what I could do and the cost is not really all that bad to have someone else spend the time doing it.

[FCLightning]

If you do not have any transactions out of the ordinary it really would be a waste of money to pay someone a few hundred dollars to prepare a personal tax return. Especially with online programs that will coordinate all family returns and allow you to make infinite changes to see the result of different scenarios for a few dollars per filing.

[eastcoast]

well anyways I got it figured out and sent off,what you guys said was true I redid them as just mine and put my wifes numbers in and sin number and got the same result,so it will be closer to 5 grand than 7 but what can you do?at least I didn;t have to pay in like last year.