Retirement Guide

Pension income splitting in Canada: who can split, what counts and how Form T1032 works

By Alex Francisco Updated Oct 8, 2026 Figures checked Oct 8, 2026 10 min read

What is pension income splitting and how does it work in Canada?

Pension income splitting is a Canada Revenue Agency election that lets one spouse or common-law partner allocate up to 50% of eligible pension income to the other on Form T1032, so the couple's income is taxed more evenly. Registered pension plan income qualifies at any age; RRIF and annuity income generally qualifies from 65. CPP and OAS cannot be split.

Pension income splitting is a joint election made each year on CRA Form T1032; up to 50% of the transferring spouse's eligible pension income can be allocated, and the couple can choose a different amount every year.
Lifetime payments from a registered pension plan are eligible at any age, while RRIF, life income fund and RRSP annuity payments are eligible only once the transferring spouse is 65 or older at the end of the year, or when received because a spouse died.
Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan benefits are never eligible; sharing a CPP retirement pension is a separate Service Canada program with its own application.
The transferring spouse deducts the split-pension amount on line 21000 and the receiving spouse reports it on line 11600, and each may be able to claim the federal pension income amount of up to $2,000 on line 31400, depending on age and the type of income.
Because the OAS recovery tax and the age amount are worked out on one person's net income, the election can lower the transferring spouse's OAS repayment and raise or lower each spouse's age amount.
No money changes hands: the pension is still paid to the original pensioner, the election only changes the two tax returns, and both spouses become jointly liable for tax that results from it.

— YieldMaple, figures checked against official sources on October 8, 2026. Sources

Pension income splitting is an election on the tax return, not a change to who gets paid. One spouse or common-law partner (the transferring spouse) allocates part of their eligible pension income to the other (the receiving spouse), and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) taxes each of them as if the income had been earned that way. The pension keeps arriving in the same bank account.

Two rules decide almost everything: what counts as eligible pension income, which depends on the transferring spouse’s age, and the 50% limit. The table below is the CRA’s list, grouped by age.

Eligible pension income: under 65 compared with 65 or older

How to read this table: age is the transferring spouse's age at the end of the tax year. Foreign pensions are listed by the CRA as eligible for the pension income amount, and income that qualifies for that amount is what the election is built on; the CRA's line 31400 chart has the full detail for each slip.

Type of income	Slip and box	Transferring spouse under 65	Transferring spouse 65 or older
Lifetime pension from a registered pension plan (RPP), including retroactive lump sums	T4A box 016 or T3 box 31	Eligible at any age	Eligible
Variable payment life annuity paid out of a money purchase RPP	T4A box 133	Eligible at any age	Eligible
RRIF payments, including life income fund (LIF) payments	T4RIF box 16 or box 22	Only if received because a spouse or common-law partner died	Eligible
RRSP annuity payments	T4RSP box 16	Only if received because a spouse or common-law partner died	Eligible
Variable pension benefits from a money purchase RPP, and payments from a pooled registered pension plan (PRPP)	T4A box 028 for variable pension benefits	Only if received because a spouse or common-law partner died	Eligible
Regular annuities and income-averaging annuity contracts	T4A box 024 or T5 box 19	Only if received because a spouse or common-law partner died	Eligible
Deferred profit sharing plan (DPSP) income	T4A box 024 (box 115)	Only if received because a spouse or common-law partner died	Eligible
Lump-sum payment from a specified pension plan or money purchase RPP	T4A box 018	Only if received because a spouse or common-law partner died	Eligible
Foreign pensions, including US Social Security (the part not deductible on line 25600)	No Canadian slip	Eligible for the pension income amount	Eligible for the pension income amount

Source: Pension income splitting — Canada.ca (the 50% limit); Pension income splitting — Canada.ca (eligible pension income and the age 65 condition); Pension income splitting — Canada.ca (income that cannot be split); Pension income splitting — Canada.ca (conditions for the election); Pension income splitting — Canada.ca (late, amended and revoked elections); Pension income splitting — Canada.ca (effect on credits and benefits); Pension income splitting — Canada.ca (tax withheld at source); Line 31400 – Pension income amount — Canada.ca (federal amount); Line 31400 – Pension income amount — Canada.ca (provincial and territorial amounts); Line 21000 – Deduction for elected split-pension amount — Canada.ca; Line 11600 – Elected split-pension amount — Canada.ca; Form T1032, Joint Election to Split Pension Income (2025 e-text); Form T1032, Joint Election to Split Pension Income (2025 e-text) — part-year couples; Pension Sharing (Canada Pension Plan) — Canada.ca; Pension Sharing (Canada Pension Plan) — Canada.ca (how the shared part is set). In effect from January 1, 2025; checked October 8, 2026.

This page is education, not tax advice. The figures on your own slips, your notice of assessment and CRA My Account decide what applies to you, and a tax professional can check an election before it is filed.

What is pension income splitting?

Pension income splitting is a joint election under the Income Tax Act that lets a couple shift up to 50% of one person’s eligible pension income onto the other person’s return. It is made again every year on Form T1032, Joint Election to Split Pension Income.

Canada taxes individuals, not households, and the federal rate rises with income: 14% on the first $58,523 of taxable income in 2026 and 20.5% on the next band, as the Canadian tax brackets guide sets out. When one retired spouse has a large workplace pension or RRIF and the other has little income, the same household income is taxed more heavily than if it were spread evenly. The election is the CRA’s mechanism for evening it out.

Three points are easy to miss:

Only one joint election can be made for a tax year. If both spouses have eligible pension income, the couple decides who transfers and who receives.
The amount can change every year. A couple that split one share last year does not have to use the same share this year.
Both become liable. By signing, the spouses accept joint and several liability for tax, interest and penalties owing because of the election.

Who can split pension income?

A couple can make the election when all of the CRA’s conditions are met for the tax year.

Conditions for the pension income splitting election

How to read this table: the conditions are tested for each tax year, at December 31 or at the date of death.

Condition	What the CRA requires	Detail
Living together	The couple were not living separate and apart because of a breakdown in the marriage or common-law relationship for a continuous period of 90 days or more that includes December 31 of the tax year.	Living apart at the end of the year for medical, educational or business reasons does not block the election.
Residence	Both spouses or common-law partners were residents of Canada on December 31 of the tax year, or on the date of death.	The election is made only between the transferring and the receiving spouse or common-law partner.
Type of income	The transferring spouse or common-law partner received pension income that qualifies for the pension income amount, including eligible veterans benefits.	Certain retirement compensation arrangement amounts (box 17 of T4A-RCA slips) also count if that person reached 65 before the end of the tax year.
Age of the receiving spouse	No age condition. The CRA says eligible pension income can be split with a spouse or common-law partner regardless of their age.	The receiving spouse's age matters only for their own pension income amount.
One election a year	Only one joint election can be made for a tax year.	When both have eligible pension income, the couple decides who transfers and who receives.

The receiving spouse can be any age. A 66-year-old with a RRIF can allocate income to a 58-year-old spouse, for example. What the receiving spouse’s age changes is their own pension income amount, covered below.

What income is eligible under 65 and at 65 or older?

Age 65 is the dividing line, and it is the transferring spouse’s age at the end of the year that counts.

Under 65. The taxable part of life annuity payments from a superannuation or pension fund or plan is eligible at any age. In practice that means a lifetime pension from a registered pension plan (RPP), the kind a defined benefit workplace plan pays. RRIF payments, RRSP annuity payments and the other items in the table are eligible before 65 only when they are received as a result of the death of a spouse or common-law partner.

65 or older. RRIF payments (including life income fund payments), RRSP annuity payments, regular annuities, deferred profit sharing plan income and variable benefits from a money purchase plan or pooled registered pension plan all become eligible. This is why turning 65 matters to someone drawing on registered savings rather than a workplace pension: RRIF income taken at 64 cannot be split, and the same payment at 65 can. A RRIF can be opened before 71, and the RRIF minimum withdrawal rates show the smallest payment each age requires.

Some income never qualifies, whatever the age.

Income that cannot be split under the CRA election

How to read this table: a lump-sum RRSP withdrawal is not an annuity payment, so cashing in an RRSP does not create income that can be split.

Type of income	CRA treatment
Old Age Security (OAS) pension	Not eligible for pension income splitting or the pension income amount.
Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) benefits	Not eligible. CPP retirement pensions can be shared through Service Canada's separate pension sharing program.
Foreign pension income that is tax-free in Canada under a tax treaty	The part deducted on line 25600 is not eligible.
Income from a United States individual retirement account (IRA)	Not eligible.
RRIF amounts transferred to an RRSP, another RRIF or an annuity	Excess RRIF amounts on line 11500 that were transferred are not eligible.
RRSP withdrawals other than annuity payments	Amounts in T4RSP boxes 18, 20, 22, 26, 28 and 34 do not qualify for the pension income amount.
Death benefits and retiring allowances	Do not qualify for the pension income amount.

How does the 50% limit work?

The maximum split-pension amount is 50% of the transferring spouse’s eligible pension income for the year, and the couple can elect any amount up to it. Form T1032 does the arithmetic in Step 2: eligible pension income goes on line 1, adjustments follow, and line 21 is the maximum. Line 22 is the amount the couple actually chooses.

If marital status changed during the year, the form prorates first. Eligible pension income is multiplied by the number of months the couple was married or living common-law, divided by 12, and the 50% applies to that result.

The maximum is not automatically the lowest-tax choice. Moving too much can push the receiving spouse into a higher bracket, reduce their age amount or expose their own OAS to the recovery tax. Certified tax software can test several amounts, and the retirement income optimizer and the income tax calculator show how tax changes as income moves between two people.

How do you split pension income on Form T1032?

The election is made on Form T1032 and filed by the filing due date for the year, which the Canadian tax deadline guide lists. Each step lands on a specific line.

Form T1032 step by step, and where each amount goes on the return

How to read this table: the split-pension amount on line 22 of Form T1032 is the same figure on both returns: a deduction on line 21000 for one spouse and income on line 11600 for the other.

Step	Worked out on	Line	Who
Work out eligible pension income	Federal Worksheet, chart for line 31400, then Form T1032 Step 2	Form T1032 lines 1 to 21	Transferring spouse
Choose the split-pension amount (up to the maximum on line 21)	Form T1032 Step 3	Form T1032 line 22	Both, jointly
Deduct the split-pension amount	Income tax and benefit return	Line 21000	Transferring spouse
Report the split-pension amount as income	Income tax and benefit return	Line 11600	Receiving spouse
Claim the pension income amount	Form T1032 Step 4, then the return	Line 31400 (line 58360 on the provincial or territorial Form 428)	Each spouse, on their own return
Move the matching share of tax withheld at source	Form T1032 Step 5, then the return	Line 43700	Both; the receiving spouse adds what the transferring spouse subtracts
Sign the joint certification	Form T1032 Step 6	Signature and date for each spouse	Both

Filing details the CRA sets out:

Paper returns: the form is completed, signed and attached to both spouses’ returns, and the information on the two copies must be the same.
Electronic returns: the form is kept in case the CRA asks to see it later.
Tax withheld at source moves too. If 50% of the pension is allocated, 50% of the tax withheld on that pension is allocated to the receiving spouse on line 43700. Step 5 of the form calculates it.
Withholding during the year does not change. The CRA cannot approve a reduction of tax withheld at source based on an election to split pension income, so the benefit shows up at filing time as a larger refund or a smaller balance owing.

What is the pension income amount?

The pension income amount is a non-refundable federal tax credit on line 31400 for people who report eligible pension, superannuation or annuity income. The claim is the lesser of $2,000 and the eligible income, and the credit is 14% of the claim for 2026.

Splitting can let a couple use the credit twice. The CRA’s rules for each spouse:

Transferring spouse: the lesser of $2,000 and the eligible pension income left after the allocated amount.
Receiving spouse: the lesser of $2,000 and their own pension income that is eligible for the amount, including the allocated income that is eligible for it.

The catch is age. Pension that qualifies for the transferring spouse does not necessarily qualify for the receiving spouse, because eligibility can depend on age. RRIF income allocated by a 66-year-old to a spouse under 65 is the usual case: the income is still split, but the younger spouse may not get the credit on it. Step 4 of Form T1032 works this out for both returns.

Provinces and territories have their own pension income amounts, claimed on line 58360 of Form 428. The CRA’s 2025 maximums:

Provincial and territorial pension income amounts, 2025 tax year

How to read this table: each is the lesser of the figure shown and the amount on line 31400 of the federal return. Quebec is not in the CRA's list; Quebec residents use Revenu Québec's rules for the provincial return.

Province or territory	Maximum claim
Alberta	$1,719
British Columbia	$1,000
Manitoba	$1,000
New Brunswick	$1,000
Newfoundland and Labrador	$1,000
Northwest Territories	$1,000
Nova Scotia	$1,173
Nunavut	$2,000
Ontario	$1,762
Prince Edward Island	$1,000
Saskatchewan	$1,000
Yukon	$2,000

How does pension splitting affect the OAS recovery tax and the age amount?

Pension splitting changes anything that is calculated on one person’s net income, and leaves alone anything based on the couple’s combined income. The CRA’s own summary:

What pension income splitting changes, and what it leaves alone

How to read this table: the election lowers the transferring spouse's net income and raises the receiving spouse's by the same amount.

Item	Calculated on	Effect of the election
OAS recovery tax (repayment of Old Age Security)	One person's net income	Changes. The transferring spouse's net income falls and the receiving spouse's rises.
Age amount	One person's net income	Changes for each spouse.
Spouse or common-law partner amount	One person's net income	Changes.
GST/HST credit and other credits based on the couple's combined net income	Total net income of both spouses	Does not change because of pension splitting.
Tax withheld at source on the pension	The share of pension allocated	Allocated to the receiving spouse in the same proportion as the pension income.
Other federal, provincial or territorial programs	Varies by program	May be affected, according to the CRA.

OAS recovery tax. The recovery tax, often called the OAS clawback, is 15% of one person’s net income above a threshold: $93,454 for 2025 income and $95,323 for 2026 income, as listed in ESDC’s recovery tax table on October 8, 2026. A transferring spouse above the line can bring their net income down by the split-pension amount. The reverse also applies: income added to the receiving spouse counts toward their own threshold.

Age amount. The federal age amount for people 65 or older is up to $9,208 for 2026 and shrinks by 15% of net income above $46,432, so it is gone at about $107,819. Splitting can restore part of the transferring spouse’s age amount while reducing the receiving spouse’s.

Worked example: a couple who are both 67

Take a couple, both aged 67, for the 2026 tax year. Spouse A has a workplace pension of $70,000 plus $30,000 of CPP, OAS and interest. Spouse B has $30,000 of CPP, OAS and interest and no eligible pension income. The maximum split-pension amount is $35,000. The table compares no election with the maximum, using federal figures only.

Federal result for 2026	No election	Maximum split
Spouse A income before any OAS repayment	$100,000	$65,000
Spouse B income	$30,000	$65,000
Spouse A OAS recovery tax	$701.55	$0
Spouse A age amount	$1,278.03	$6,422.80
Spouse B age amount	$9,208	$6,422.80
Pension income amount claimed	$2,000	$4,000
Spouse A federal tax	$13,789.98	$6,038.53
Spouse B federal tax	$607.60	$6,038.53
Couple’s federal tax plus OAS repayment	$15,099.13	$12,077.06

In this example the election lowers the couple’s combined federal bill by about $3,022. Three things produce it: income moves from the 20.5% bracket to the 14% bracket, Spouse A’s OAS repayment disappears, and the couple’s age amounts and pension income amounts add up to more. A smaller election of $17,500 would cut the combined bill by about $2,306, so in this example the larger election produces the larger saving. That is not true of every couple.

The example uses the federal basic personal amount of $16,452, leaves out provincial tax and assumes no other deductions or credits. Real returns differ.

No. CPP pension sharing is a separate Service Canada program under the Canada Pension Plan, and ESDC states that it is not the same as the CRA’s pension income splitting. CPP and QPP benefits cannot go on Form T1032 at all.

Pension income splitting compared with CPP pension sharing

How to read this table: a couple can use both: CPP sharing changes how much CPP retirement pension is paid to each spouse, and the CRA election covers eligible pension income on the tax return.

Feature	Pension income splitting (CRA)	CPP pension sharing (Service Canada)
Run by	Canada Revenue Agency	Service Canada (Canada Pension Plan)
Income covered	Eligible pension income such as RPP pensions and, from 65, RRIF and annuity income	CPP retirement pensions only; the post-retirement benefit is excluded
How it is requested	Form T1032 with the tax return, each year	Online in My Service Canada Account or on form ISP1002, once
Share that moves	Any amount the couple chooses, up to 50%	Set by the months the couple lived together during their joint contributory period
What actually changes	Only the tax returns; the pension is still paid to the original pensioner	The monthly payments themselves; the combined total stays the same
Timing	Chosen after the year ends, by the filing due date	Starts when the application is approved and cannot be backdated
How it ends	Applies to one tax year at a time	On an approved cancellation request from both, divorce, death, the month a spouse who never paid into the CPP or QPP begins contributing, or the 12th month after separation

Under CPP sharing, if only one spouse contributed, that one pension is shared; if both did, each may receive a share of both, and the combined total stays the same. Either spouse can apply once one of them is receiving, or has applied for, a retirement pension and the couple is living together. The guide to applying for CPP covers the retirement pension application itself, and the maximum CPP benefit page shows the amounts involved.

Income splitting in Canada: what else is available to retired couples?

Pension income splitting is the broadest income-splitting tool the tax return offers retired couples, but it sits alongside others:

CPP pension sharing, described above, for the one major pension the CRA election excludes.
Spousal RRSP contributions, which can be made until the end of the year the spouse or common-law partner turns 71. The RRSP guide explains how the accounts work.
TFSA withdrawals, which are not income-tested: income earned in a TFSA and amounts withdrawn from it do not affect OAS or GIS.

How these fit with CPP and OAS start dates is the subject of the retirement income planning guide.

What if the election was missed or filed with the wrong amount?

The CRA may allow a late or amended election, or let a couple revoke an original one, if the application is made on or before the day that is three calendar years after the filing due date for the year the election applies to. Both spouses must agree to any amendment or revocation.

To add or change an election: send a new, completed and jointly signed Form T1032, which is also what the CRA requires when the previously reported pension income changes.
To revoke an election: send a letter asking to revoke it, signed by both spouses.
To ask about a specific case: contact the CRA through its individual income tax enquiries line; CRA My Account shows what was assessed on each return.

Because one spouse’s deduction is the other’s income, both returns are reassessed when an election changes.

What changes next?

The 2026 forms. The CRA pages and Form T1032 checked for this page are the 2025 tax-year versions. The 2026 form and Federal Worksheet come with the 2026 income tax package, and this page is rechecked against them.
Indexed amounts. The federal pension income amount of $2,000 is a fixed figure, while the age amount, the tax brackets and several provincial pension income amounts are adjusted yearly.
The OAS threshold. The recovery-tax threshold is set for each income year, and ESDC’s table treats the current year’s figures as estimates until October of that year (the 2026 figures are final from October 2026); the OAS clawback page carries the current schedule.

Common mistakes with pension splitting

Trying to split CPP or OAS. Neither is eligible pension income. CPP has its own sharing program; OAS has none.
Splitting RRIF income before 65. RRIF and RRSP annuity payments are eligible before 65 only when received because a spouse died.
Treating an RRSP withdrawal as pension income. Only RRSP annuity payments qualify, not lump-sum withdrawals.
Assuming the maximum is always the right amount. The receiving spouse’s bracket, age amount and OAS all move in the other direction.
Expecting the younger spouse to get the pension income amount. The credit for the receiving spouse can depend on their age.
Mismatched forms. The information on both spouses’ copies of Form T1032 must be the same, and both must sign.
Forgetting the tax withheld. The matching share of tax deducted at source moves to the receiving spouse on line 43700.
Expecting lower withholding during the year. The CRA does not reduce tax withheld at source because of a planned election.

Frequently asked questions

What is pension income splitting?

Pension income splitting is a yearly election on the tax return, made jointly by spouses or common-law partners on CRA Form T1032. The spouse who received eligible pension income (the transferring spouse) allocates part of it, up to 50%, to the other (the receiving spouse). The transferring spouse deducts that amount and the receiving spouse reports it as income. The pension itself is still paid to the original pensioner.

How much pension income can be split with a spouse?

Up to 50% of the transferring spouse's eligible pension income for the year, according to the CRA. The couple can elect any amount from zero to that maximum, and the amount does not have to match the year before. If the couple married or began living common-law partway through the year, Form T1032 prorates the eligible income by the number of months they were together.

What pension income can be split before age 65?

Under 65, the main eligible income is lifetime payments from a registered pension plan, such as a workplace defined benefit pension, plus a variable payment life annuity from a money purchase plan. RRIF payments, RRSP annuity payments and similar amounts count before 65 only when they are received because a spouse or common-law partner died. The CRA's line 31400 page lists every slip and box.

Can RRIF income be split with a spouse?

Yes, once the person receiving the RRIF payments is 65 or older at the end of the tax year. From that point, RRIF payments, including life income fund payments, are eligible pension income and up to 50% can be allocated to a spouse or common-law partner of any age. Before 65, RRIF income is eligible only if it is received because of a spouse's death.

Can CPP or OAS be split for tax purposes?

No. The CRA lists Old Age Security payments and Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan benefits as not eligible for pension income splitting. A couple's CPP retirement pensions can instead be shared through Service Canada's pension sharing program, which changes the monthly payments themselves. OAS has no sharing option; each person is taxed on their own OAS pension.

What is the difference between pension income splitting and CPP pension sharing?

Pension income splitting is a CRA election on the tax return that covers eligible pension income, in any amount up to 50%, chosen after the year ends. CPP pension sharing is a Service Canada program that covers CPP retirement pensions only: the couple applies once, the shared portion is set by the months they lived together during their joint contributory period, and the monthly payments change from approval onward. It cannot be backdated.

What is the pension income amount?

The pension income amount is a non-refundable federal tax credit claimed on line 31400 for people who report eligible pension, superannuation or annuity income. The claim is the lesser of $2,000 and the eligible pension income. When a couple splits pension income, each spouse may be able to claim it on their own return, and provinces and territories have their own versions on line 58360.

Does pension income splitting reduce the OAS clawback?

It can. The OAS recovery tax is based on one person's net income, and the election lowers the transferring spouse's net income while raising the receiving spouse's. The CRA names the repayment of Old Age Security benefits as one of the items pension splitting affects. If the receiving spouse's income rises above the recovery threshold, their own OAS can be reduced instead, so both returns have to be checked.

Does the receiving spouse have to be 65?

No. The CRA says eligible pension income can be split with a spouse or common-law partner regardless of their age. The receiving spouse's age matters for one thing: their own pension income amount. Income that qualifies for the credit in the hands of a transferring spouse aged 65 or older does not necessarily qualify for a receiving spouse who is under 65.

How do you file Form T1032?

Both spouses complete and sign Form T1032, Joint Election to Split Pension Income, by the filing due date for the year. On paper returns, the form is attached to both returns and the information must be identical. When filing electronically, the form is kept in case the CRA asks to see it. The elected amount from line 22 goes on line 21000 for the transferring spouse and line 11600 for the receiving spouse.

Can a pension splitting election be changed after filing?

Sometimes. The CRA may allow a late or amended election, or let a couple revoke one, if the request is made on or before the day that is three calendar years after the filing due date for that year. Both spouses must agree. Amending needs a new, jointly signed Form T1032; revoking needs a letter signed by both.

Is income splitting allowed in Canada?

Yes, within specific rules. Each person files their own return, and income moves between spouses only where a rule provides for it. For retired couples the main routes are the CRA's pension income splitting election, which covers up to 50% of eligible pension income, and Service Canada's CPP pension sharing. Spousal RRSP contributions, allowed until the end of the year the spouse turns 71, are a further route that is set up before retirement.

Part of our Retirement income planning: CPP, OAS, GIS, RRIF, TFSA and pensions.

Rules, rates and sources

Last verified: September 29, 2026
Next scheduled check: December 30, 2026

Rule or table	In effect from	Verified
Pension income splitting (CRA) — the joint election on Form T1032, eligible pension income under 65 and at 65 or older, the 50% limit, return lines, the pension income amount and how it differs from CPP pension sharing	January 1, 2025	October 8, 2026
Federal income tax brackets and key credits (2026)	January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026	September 29, 2026
OAS recovery tax (clawback) schedule, repayment mechanics and income-reduction rules	July 1, 2026	October 11, 2026
OAS eligibility, deferral and recovery tax rules	July 1, 2026	October 11, 2026
RRIF rules — conversion options, funding sources, spouse's-age election, death and pension splitting	January 6, 2026	September 30, 2026

Official sources

Pension income splitting — Canada.ca (the 50% limit) — Canada Revenue Agency
Line 31400 – Pension income amount — Canada.ca (federal amount) — Canada Revenue Agency
Line 21000 – Deduction for elected split-pension amount — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
Line 11600 – Elected split-pension amount — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
Form T1032, Joint Election to Split Pension Income (2025 e-text) — Canada Revenue Agency
Pension Sharing (Canada Pension Plan) — Canada.ca — Employment and Social Development Canada (Service Canada)
Current year tax rates and income brackets (2026) — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
Indexation adjustment for personal income tax and benefit amounts — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
T4127 Payroll Deductions Formulas, 122nd edition (effective January 1, 2026) — BPAF formula — Canada Revenue Agency
Form TD1, 2026 Personal Tax Credits Return (PDF) — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
Form TD1-WS, Worksheet for the 2026 Personal Tax Credits Return (PDF) — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
Budget 2025 — Tax measures, supplementary information (Top-Up Tax Credit) — credit rate — Department of Finance Canada
Line 34990 – Top-up tax credit — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
Bill C-4 (45-1), Making Life More Affordable for Canadians Act — LEGISinfo — Parliament of Canada
Bill C-15 (45-1), Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1 — LEGISinfo — Parliament of Canada
Bill C-15 (45-1), royal assent text, section 125 — new Income Tax Act subsection 118(11) Top-up tax credit — Parliament of Canada
Old Age Security pension recovery tax — income recovery thresholds table (Canada.ca) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Repayment of Old Age Security pension — income line and return lines (Canada.ca) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Line 23500 – Social benefits repayment (CRA) — Canada Revenue Agency
Contact the Canada Revenue Agency — individual income tax enquiries line (CRA) — Canada Revenue Agency
T1213OAS Request to Reduce Old Age Security Recovery Tax at Source (CRA) — Canada Revenue Agency
What is a TFSA — TFSA impact on government benefits and credits (CRA) — Canada Revenue Agency
Old Age Security — Do you qualify (Canada.ca) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (Canada.ca) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Old Age Security — How much you could receive (Canada.ca) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Old Age Security payment amounts (Canada.ca) — date of the age-75 increase — Employment and Social Development Canada
Quarterly report of CPP and OAS monthly amounts and related figures, October to December 2026 (Canada.ca) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
Setting up a RRIF — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
Transferring to your RRIF — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
RRSP options when you turn 71 — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
Options for your own RRSPs — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
Guide T4040, RRSPs and Other Registered Plans for Retirement — Canada.ca (maturity options) — Canada Revenue Agency
Receiving income from a RRIF — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
Information Sheet RC4178, Death of a RRIF Annuitant, PRPP Member, or ALDA Annuitant — Canada.ca (general rule) — Canada Revenue Agency

How we check figures: our methodology and editorial policy.

General information for education, not financial, tax, legal or immigration advice. Rules change — confirm anything you act on with the official source or a licensed professional (for immigration, a lawyer or a licensed consultant registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants).

What is pension income splitting and how does it work in Canada?

What is pension income splitting?

Who can split pension income?

What income is eligible under 65 and at 65 or older?

How does the 50% limit work?

How do you split pension income on Form T1032?

What is the pension income amount?

How does pension splitting affect the OAS recovery tax and the age amount?

Worked example: a couple who are both 67

Is pension income splitting the same as CPP pension sharing?

Income splitting in Canada: what else is available to retired couples?

What if the election was missed or filed with the wrong amount?

What changes next?

Common mistakes with pension splitting

Frequently asked questions

Rules, rates and sources