Q.

My spouse earns $430,000 per year and has maxed out his

Registered Retirement Savings Plan

(RRSP) contributions and therefore is not eligible for further tax deductions. He has continued to contribute to the Employer Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) which his employer matches. I earn $34,000 a year working part-time. I have accumulated an unused

RRSP

contribution amount of $45,000 from past years.

On the home front, we have four children and some childcare expenses and medical expenses, as well as university tuition costs. What are our best options for lowering the giant tax owing that I fear we face this year? Could I buy RRSPs and receive a refund that might slightly offset our tax bill? Should we just pay the tax? Or is there something else we should be doing?

—Thanks, Anna Maria

FP Answers:

Contributing to an RRSP will give you a tax deduction that can lower your

taxable income

and will usually result in tax savings. However, it may not always be the best idea in the long run, Anna Maria. RRSPs are most effective if you contribute in higher income years and withdraw in lower income years.

Given your income of $34,000, the tax savings would be minimal at around 20 per cent in most provinces. You also have childcare expenses you can deduct as the lower income spouse. The tax savings at the highest marginal tax bracket in some provinces are 50 per cent or more. Future withdrawals from your RRSP may end up getting taxed at much higher rates. If your spouse has a large RRSP that is maxed out every year, he can split future Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) withdrawals with you once he is 65 years old, and your tax rate could be much higher in retirement.

Tax refunds can provide short-term cash flow, but timing when you deduct RRSP contributions is important. If you anticipate a future capital gain that will push up your income, an RRSP contribution may be more beneficial in a future year.

Beyond RRSPs, you should max out your

Tax-Free Savings Accounts

(TFSAs) annually. If you haven’t contributed to these accounts in the past you may have as much as $204,000 in contribution room between you and your spouse.

You should contribute to a

Registered Education Savings Plan

(RESP) to get the Canadian Education Savings Grant, which provides $500 in government grants for each $2,500 contributed per child. The funds also grow tax deferred, and withdrawals are taxable to the student.

If your

TFSA

and

RESP

accounts are maximized, you could consider debt repayment if you have debt. This may not save you tax, but it will save you interest expenses.

Your spouse cannot give you money to invest to avoid paying tax at their higher tax rate. There is a concept called attribution that prevents this. If your spouse gives you money to invest in a taxable account, the resulting income and capital gains get taxed back to you. That is, unless the money is loaned at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) prescribed rate, which is currently three per cent.

A simpler strategy would be to consider a non-registered account in your name to invest your annual income. Your spouse could pay all the household expenses, and you invest your after-tax income so the investment income from that account is taxed on your tax return at your lower tax rate.

You and your spouse would be eligible to split up to 50 per cent of any RRIF income at age 65 or older. This can help equalize your incomes in retirement, so you don’t necessarily need to contribute to your RRSP, Anna Maria.

Another strategy

could be to start funding a spousal RRSP. Your spouse would contribute to the account and claim the tax deduction, but it would be in your name, and you would take future withdrawals. Your spouse should focus on the group plan with matching contributions over making contributions to a spousal RRSP, however, to get the employer match.

Spousal RRSPs can be useful if you and your spouse retire prior to age 65 to both be able to have a source of income that takes advantage of both of your lower marginal tax brackets. Keep in mind there is a three-year attribution window for contributions made to a spousal RRSP where withdrawals are attributable back to the contributor spouse.

Some parents will look at tax savings as a family exercise and start to provide their children with money to start investing in registered accounts such as TFSAs and First Home Savings Accounts (FHSAs). Gifting children money to invest is not attributable to a child unless they are a minor and they earn income because of investing, such as interest or dividends. So, consider TFSAs and FHSAs if any of your kids are 18 or older.

One thing that may alleviate your fear about your high-income spouse owing tax, Anna Maria, is the fact that employees have tax withheld at source. Despite a $430,000 income, if that all comes from salary and bonuses, it should have sufficient tax withheld by the employer. As a result, despite that high income, there may be no tax owing.

Andrew Dobson is a fee-only, advice-only certified financial planner (CFP) and chartered investment manager (CIM) at Objective Financial Partners Inc. in London, Ont. He does not sell any financial products whatsoever. He can be reached at adobson@objectivecfp.com.

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