I took some training from the CRA for doing volunteer tax work, one mainpoint they drove home was that you can only be "single" once. Once you file as common-law, in the future if you become "single" again you would have to file as "seperated". It's mostly just a terminology thing.
Also you would get a greater benefit if between you and your "common-law" partner donate more than a few hundred dollars to charity. The first few hundred dollars give you a lower tax deduction than everything over and above that, common law or married partners can combine all their donations to the higher income spouse. Thus you avoid having both partners lose some credit on the first few hundred dollars.
|