Section 60.03

Numerical examples where an individual over 65 in receipt of a pension out of a registered pension plan also receives an annuity out of a RCA.

What is the meaning of "life annuity"? CRA responded:

RCA benefits that are payable on a periodic basis for the lifetime of the member of the RCA or jointly for the lifetimes of the member and his or her spouse or common-law partner will be considered in the form of a life annuity.

However, to qualify as eligible pension income, the RCA benefits must … be payable in substantially the same form as the RPP benefits (i.e. payable for life in equal periodic amounts subject to inflation or other adjustments permitted under the RPP).

Respecting "the eligibility of amounts received out of a supplementary employee retirement plan ("SERP") for pension income splitting", CRA stated:

A SERP is a plan or arrangement, either funded or unfunded, that provides supplementary benefits to the beneficiary. Where such a plan is funded, the arrangement would generally be considered an RCA. However, where the plan is unfunded, the arrangement is not considered to be an RCA. As noted above, the amended definition of eligible pension income in subsection 60.03(1) of the Act only includes, among other things, payments out of an RCA in the form of life annuity payments that are supplemental to a pension received out of a RPP. As a result, payments out of an unfunded SERP are not eligible for pension income splitting.

CRA stated that, where a Canadian-resident individual converts a traditional US Individual Retirement Account ("IRA") to a Roth IRA, the amount of the IRA will be included in the taxpayer's income. Because payments out of an IRA are not "eligible pension income" under s. 118(7), pension splitting under s. 60.03 is not available.

CRA confirmed that a joint s. 60.03(1) election can be made by a pensioner (Mrs.) and a pension transferee (Mr.) in the situation where the pensioner become a bankrupt, say, on June 1, 2015 or, alternatively, the pension transferee became bankrupt on that date.

CRA noted that s. 128(2) does not exclude the joint s. 60.03 election, nor the inclusion or deduction under ss. 56(1)(a.2) and 60(c). Because the split-pension election relates to the 2015 taxation year, it is possible for pensioner and a pension transferee to jointly elect for each of her or his pre-bankruptcy and post-bankruptcy taxation years, providing the conditions stated in section 60.03 are met. The split-pension amounts deducted in the pensioner’s returns filed for her pre-bankruptcy and/or the post-bankruptcy taxation year(s) under s. 60(c) should be reported as income on the pension transferee’s return for calendar 2015 under s. 56(1)(a.2). If it is the pension transferee who became bankrupt, the split-pension amount deducted by the pensioner should be apportioned between the pre-bankruptcy and the post-bankruptcy taxation years of the pension transferee, based on the eligible pension income received in each such taxation year. In such a situation, the split-pension amount that relates to the post-bankruptcy taxation year of the pension transferee will generally be reported on the return filed by him as bankrupt under s. 128(2)(f).

Can a pensioner under age 65 split a pension received under his RPP and an annuity under his RRSP in the year of the death of the pension transferee (his spouse aged 66)?

CRA indicated that only the RPP income, which was "qualified pension income" as defined in s. 118(7)(a), could be split. The pensioner's RRSP income was not received as a consequence of the death of the pensioner's spouse or common-law partner as required by s. 118(7)(b) of "qualified pension income."