Taxes after Marriage? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

brownie · 03-19-2009, 05:04 PM

Well after just getting married this past July and it being tax time, I was just wondering how filing my taxes change. I usually do my own on quicktax so this past week I filled all my info in and my refund said right around what I thought it would, seeing I made about the same as last year. However I left out my wifes info. After putting in my wifes info .... It just asked for her SIN number and taxable income my refund dropped close to $3000 dollars. Can anyone explain why it dropped so much. Anyone else just get married and have the same situation. I would imagine I have to tell them that I got married.

flip · 03-19-2009, 05:08 PM

haha. I just listened to my dad bitch about the government and taxes for like 20 minutes the other day. He pointed out the exact same scenario except he's been getting screwed by the government for like 20 years.

CalgaryFan1988 · 03-19-2009, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brownie

Well after just getting married this past July and it being tax time, I was just wondering how filing my taxes change. I usually do my own on quicktax so this past week I filled all my info in and my refund said right around what I thought it would, seeing I made about the same as last year. However I left out my wifes info. After putting in my wifes info .... It just asked for her SIN number and taxable income my refund dropped close to $3000 dollars. Can anyone explain why it dropped so much. Anyone else just get married and have the same situation. I would imagine I have to tell them that I got married.

It dropped so much because together you make enough money to bring you into another tax bracket. Next year try contributing more into RRSP's and instead of losing the $3000 outright, maybe you'll only lose $1500 and have the other $1500 invested (just an example).

Tower · 03-19-2009, 05:31 PM

stang · 03-19-2009, 05:38 PM

Stinkin taxes...

Always got a refund (not a whole bunch but 500-1000) then married...

And I OWE a ton... yeesh

PowerPlayoffs06 · 03-19-2009, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stang

Stinkin taxes...

Always got a refund (not a whole bunch but 500-1000) then married...

And I OWE a ton... yeesh

Yeah, I used to get around $2,000 back every year for the past 10 years. Got married and that all went away. I haven't owed yet, but that's only because I opt to have extra taxes taken off each cheque.

You Need a Thneed · 03-19-2009, 05:43 PM

You don't have to pay anything because you are married, Many programs combine your tax returns into one though, and just give you the net refund. Perhaps your wife owed taxes.

sixpacked · 03-19-2009, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

It dropped so much because together you make enough money to bring you into another tax bracket. Next year try contributing more into RRSP's and instead of losing the $3000 outright, maybe you'll only lose $1500 and have the other $1500 invested (just an example).

Aaaaa no!!! Each taxpayer is taxed individually according to their own taxable income.

sixpacked · 03-19-2009, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brownie

Well after just getting married this past July and it being tax time, I was just wondering how filing my taxes change. I usually do my own on quicktax so this past week I filled all my info in and my refund said right around what I thought it would, seeing I made about the same as last year. However I left out my wifes info. After putting in my wifes info .... It just asked for her SIN number and taxable income my refund dropped close to $3000 dollars. Can anyone explain why it dropped so much. Anyone else just get married and have the same situation. I would imagine I have to tell them that I got married.

The only thing I can think of is that you entered you were married, but did not enter your spouse's income yet, so the program was giving you the dependant spousal non-refundable tax credit. After entering the spouse's income the program withdrew it. I can't think of another reason why the refund would change, some tax credits only one spouse may claim, but they ysually have to do with dependant children.

CalgaryFan1988 · 03-19-2009, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixpacked

Aaaaa no!!! Each taxpayer is taxed individually according to their own taxable income.

then why when i used to claim married/common law i would have to pay $2000+ and now that i'm single again I get back like $400 or so?

AaronSJ · 03-19-2009, 07:45 PM

I just filed my tax return as a married couple (and received my return today!), so I just checked my UFile to confirm -- we were definitely taxed as individuals, not on our combined income.

I actually benefited from getting married, as my wife had non-refunding tax credits (a transit pass) that she could transfer to me. The amount was minimal though.

CalgaryFan1988, I've gone from receiving a big refund to owing money twice in my life -- and in both cases, it was due to starting a new job and not having enough money deducted for taxes by my employer (which they SHOULD do, but I've been burned twice!). Just a thought....

CalgaryFan1988 · 03-19-2009, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronSJ

I just filed my tax return as a married couple (and received my return today!), so I just checked my UFile to confirm -- we were definitely taxed as individuals, not on our combined income.

I actually benefited from getting married, as my wife had non-refunding tax credits (a transit pass) that she could transfer to me. The amount was minimal though.

CalgaryFan1988, I've gone from receiving a big refund to owing money twice in my life -- and in both cases, it was due to starting a new job and not having enough money deducted for taxes by my employer (which they SHOULD do, but I've been burned twice!). Just a thought....

Ok, so then we are taxed individually......confusing. I had my income tax done this year, I get a long with my ex so we did the taxes twice, once as married once as separated, to see which was better for us.

Married, she gets back $1300, I pay $3500. (approx)

Separated, she breaks even, I get back $400. (approx)

So, I don't get it...... There is, in my experience, a difference from claiming married versus single....

Jedi Ninja · 03-19-2009, 07:57 PM

Even though you hadn't entered your wife's SIN, you had probably indicated that you were married, so it was already giving you a tax credit for having a dependent spouse. Once you entered her income, it decided you weren't eligible for that. Quicktax plays all sorts of cruel jokes like that. Some things get moved back and forth between returns depending on who has the lower income (like child care expenses.) Don't get excited about it says your refund is going to be until you have all of your nuimbers entered for both you and your spouse.

Prototype · 03-19-2009, 09:44 PM

Yeah... being married is taxing enough... F off government!

JustAnotherGuy · 03-19-2009, 10:04 PM

I am not an expert. But I would think you have lost a few of the credits that you may have earned before. Some GST refunds perhaps?

cal_guy · 03-20-2009, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

Ok, so then we are taxed individually......confusing. I had my income tax done this year, I get a long with my ex so we did the taxes twice, once as married once as separated, to see which was better for us.

Married, she gets back $1300, I pay $3500. (approx)

Separated, she breaks even, I get back $400. (approx)

So, I don't get it...... There is, in my experience, a difference from claiming married versus single....

You don't get an option in choosing whenever your single or married/common-law relationship. If on Dec 31 of the tax year you live together and present yourself as a couple to friends and family your deemed to married or in a common-law relationship.

The reason why your individual tax returns changed is because married spouses may transfer certain non-refundable tax credits to their spouse. As such you as a couple get a net gain of $2600. Note that spousal transfer of those tax credits is entirely optional, you don't have to do it if you don't want to.

Here are the forms that you fill out to transfer spousal credits(your tax program should have produced a complete schedule)

Federal
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/50...000-s2-08e.pdf

Alberta
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/50...009-s2-08e.pdf

valo403 · 03-20-2009, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

Ok, so then we are taxed individually......confusing. I had my income tax done this year, I get a long with my ex so we did the taxes twice, once as married once as separated, to see which was better for us.

Married, she gets back $1300, I pay $3500. (approx)

Separated, she breaks even, I get back $400. (approx)

So, I don't get it...... There is, in my experience, a difference from claiming married versus single....

I assume you were persuaded to choose the first one