Test your knowledge
You want to contribute to a registered retirement savings plan for your spouse (“spousal RRSP”). Whose contribution room will apply to determine the amount you can deposit: yours or your spouse’s?
June 5th 2025
Answer: Yours
The total RRSP contributions you are allowed to make, whether to your own RRSP or a spousal RRSP, are subject to your contribution limit, determined by your earned income from the preceding year plus any contribution room carried forward from previous years. Likewise, you are the one who receives the corresponding income tax deduction.
On the other hand, you can continue making contributions to a spousal RRSP even after you have turned 71 and can no longer contribute to your own plan, as long as you have earned income and your spouse is still under age 71.
One last note: even though income splitting rules can be applied during retirement to balance a couple’s income, the spousal RRSP can also be used to achieve this. For an explanation, take a look at this article.
The following sources were used to prepare this article.
Government of Canada, “Contributing to your spouse's or common-law partner's RRSPs.”
DFSI, “How to manage income disparity with your life partner.”
