Sharing Financial Information With Your Ex for Child Support in Alberta

Child support depends on income, so when you separate, your ex is likely to ask to see your tax returns and other income documents. That request is routine, and there are clear rules behind it.

This article explains in general terms what you may have to share in Alberta, the deadlines, how often updates can be requested, and what can happen if documents are withheld.

This article covers the law of Alberta.

Why income documents matter

Table amounts depend on the paying parent's annual income, the number of children, and the payer's province. Income comes from the Total income line of the T1 General tax form, adjusted under Schedule III. Alberta's guidelines adopt the federal guidelines, so the same approach applies under the Family Law Act and the Divorce Act.

Parents may also agree in writing on income, and the court may accept the agreed figure if it is reasonable. Even then, having the documents on hand helps both sides check that the figure makes sense.

Which guidelines apply depends on your situation. Divorcing spouses are under the Divorce Act, and the Federal Child Support Guidelines apply unless both spouses are habitually resident in a province designated by order. Unmarried, separated-but-not-divorced, and adult interdependent partners proceed under Alberta's Family Law Act and the Alberta Child Support Guidelines. Because the Alberta guidelines adopt the federal tables, the table amounts are the same.

The tables were also updated. The updated Federal Child Support Tables took effect October 1, 2025 and use 2023 tax rules. In Alberta, the 2025 tables apply to periods on or after October 1, 2025. Existing orders are not automatically changed, but if the new tables produce a different amount, that may count as a change in circumstances.

What you must provide and when

When a child support application is made, the applicant must include a copy of every personal income tax return filed by the other spouse for each of the three most recent taxation years, plus every notice of assessment and reassessment for those years, and pay information if the spouse is an employee.

Income documents are not the only paperwork that can come up. On a spouse's request, the court may provide an amount for special or extraordinary expenses such as child care, health-related expenses, or post-secondary education. These are shared in proportion to the spouses' incomes, after deducting any contribution from the child, and the court must take into account subsidies, benefits and tax deductions or credits relating to the expense. If you are asking for one, receipts and statements help. Where the paying spouse's income is over $150,000, the court may depart from the plain table amount, so full income records matter even more.

Updates after an order is made

Disclosure does not end once an order exists. While the child is a child under the Guidelines, a spouse must provide updated income documents on written request, not more than once a year, within 30 days in Canada or the United States, or 60 days elsewhere.

This is also why a request may arrive when your income changes. Updated figures can support a variation, because a change that would result in a different table-based order counts as a change in circumstances.

If your support is paid through the Maintenance Enforcement Program, recalculations are timed around the anniversary date of the court order, based on the most recent tax return. Keeping your returns filed and your documents organized makes these updates easier.

If someone refuses or hides income

If a spouse does not comply, the other spouse may apply for a hearing or judgment, or for an order requiring the documents. The court may also impute income.

• Imputing income: the court may impute income it considers appropriate, including for intentional under-employment or unemployment, or unreasonable deductions of expenses.
• Business owners: for a shareholder, director or officer, the court may attribute all or part of the corporation's pre-tax income where salary does not fairly reflect money available.
• Uneven earnings: if the current year does not fairly reflect your income, the court may look at the last three years.

In short, withholding documents rarely helps. The court can fill the gap with its own figure, which may be higher than your real income.

What to do next

• Gather your tax returns and notices of assessment and reassessment for the last three years.
• Collect recent pay information if you are an employee.
• If you own a business, gather corporate financial records so your income can be explained accurately.
• Note the date you were served or received the request, and count your deadline.
• Share complete documents rather than selected pages.
• Ask a lawyer before you refuse a request or if you are unsure what applies to your situation.

Frequently asked questions