- An RRSP payout is reported on a T4RSP and a RRIF payout on a T4RIF.
- The deceased receives a slip for the deemed amount, and beneficiaries or the estate receive slips for amounts paid after death.
- Which box applies depends on whether the recipient is a spouse, another beneficiary or the estate.
After a death, several slips may arrive for the same registered plan, and it is not always clear which one belongs on the final return and which belongs to a beneficiary. Knowing the difference helps you avoid reporting the same money twice.
This article explains which slip goes to whom for an RRSP and a RRIF, and where the amounts are reported. Box and line numbers can change with form versions, so check the current CRA guide when filing.
This article covers Canadian federal tax law, which applies in every province.
The deceased's slip for an RRSP
The CRA treats the annuitant of an unmatured RRSP as having received the fair market value of the plan immediately before death. The deemed amount is shown in box 34 of a T4RSP issued to the deceased for the year of death, and is reported on the final return at line 12900.
Because the deemed receipt is taxed on the final return, the deceased bears the tax on the full RRSP value even when a named beneficiary actually receives the money, unless that person is a qualifying survivor who receives a refund of premiums. The deemed amount is added to the deceased's other income for the year of death and taxed at graduated rates.
There is an exception for a spouse or common-law partner. The deemed receipt does not apply where the spouse or common-law partner is designated in the RRSP contract or the will as sole beneficiary and all property is transferred to the spouse's RRSP or RRIF (or otherwise rolled over) by December 31 of the year following the year of death. The spouse then reports the amount received. If the RRSP names the estate or has no designated beneficiary, the whole fair market value is the deceased's income on the final return.
Slips for amounts paid after death from an RRSP
Income from the plan paid after death is included in the income of the designated beneficiaries or the estate. When the beneficiary is a spouse or common-law partner it is reported in box 18 of a T4RSP in their name, and for other beneficiaries or the estate it is reported in box 28.
Where there is a spouse and other beneficiaries, each recipient gets a T4RSP for their share. A qualifying survivor who receives a refund of premiums includes it in their own income and can deduct it by transferring it to a registered plan.
A qualifying survivor is the deceased's spouse or common-law partner, or a financially dependent child or grandchild. The refund-of-premiums transfer must be completed in the year it is received or within 60 days after the end of that year.
Tax withheld on an RRSP lump sum may not cover the tax actually owing, because the withholding rate is not the tax bracket rate. The balance is payable when the income is reported on the return.
Slips for a RRIF
For a RRIF, the annuitant is deemed to have received the fair market value of all the RRIF property immediately before death. This is shown in box 18 of a T4RIF and reported on the final return.
| Who | T4RIF box |
|---|---|
| Named beneficiary or the estate | Box 22 |
| Spouse or common-law partner (post-death income) | Box 16 |
| Amounts transferred to a qualifying plan | Box 24 |
If a spouse or common-law partner is named successor annuitant, no deemed receipt applies on death. The RRIF continues and the spouse is taxed only on the payments they later receive.
Special cases to watch
- Matured RRSP: the deemed amount is the fair market value of the remaining annuity payments, and a surviving spouse or common-law partner entitled to receive amounts becomes the successor annuitant. If the spouse is named alongside other beneficiaries, they become successor annuitant only for their share. If there are no designated beneficiaries, the spouse may elect in writing, jointly with the legal representative, to become successor annuitant.
- Payments to the estate: they are a refund of premiums only if a qualifying survivor is a beneficiary of the estate and the legal representative and survivor jointly file Form T2019.
- RRIF amounts paid to the estate: a joint designation on Form T1090 lets a qualifying survivor be taxed on them.
What to do next
- List every registered plan the deceased held and whether each is an RRSP or a RRIF.
- Ask each issuer which slips it will send, to whom, and when.
- Match each slip to the deceased, a beneficiary or the estate before filing.
- Check whether a spouse is a successor annuitant or a qualifying survivor.
- Have an accountant confirm current boxes and line numbers.
How these rules apply depends on your situation, so it is worth confirming the details with a lawyer or accountant before you file.
Frequently asked questions
Does the deceased get a T4RSP?
Yes. A T4RSP is issued to the deceased for the year of death, showing the deemed amount in box 34.
Which slip does a beneficiary of a RRIF receive?
Amounts received after death by a named beneficiary or the estate are reported on a T4RIF box 22.
How are the deceased's slip and my own slip related?
The tax on the deemed receipt is generally on the final return, and the beneficiary's slip covers amounts paid after death. How the two fit together depends on the facts, so confirm with an accountant.
What if I am a spouse named successor annuitant on a RRIF?
No deemed receipt applies on death, and you are taxed only on the payments you later receive.
Sources
- CRA – RC4177, Death of an RRSP Annuitant — canada.ca
- CRA – Examples: Death of an RRSP or RRIF annuitant — canada.ca
- CRA – Amounts paid from an RRSP or RRIF upon the death of an annuitant — canada.ca
- CRA – RC4178, Death of a RRIF Annuitant — canada.ca
- CRA – Tax rates on withdrawals — canada.ca
Links go to official government, court and regulator pages. The law changes — confirm you are reading the current version.
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