Matured RRSPs

Spouse or common-law partner as beneficiary of the RRSP property

If the spouse or common-law partner of a deceased annuitant is the beneficiary or the successor annuitant under the terms of a matured RRSP, he or she becomes the annuitant of the RRSP. The RRSP continues and you make the annuity payments to the spouse or common-law partner as the successor annuitant.

Report the amount of the annuity payments that you made to the successor annuitant in box 16 (not box 34) of the T4RSP slip that you issue to the spouse or common-law partner.

Spouse or common-law partner as beneficiary of the estate

The deceased annuitant's legal representative may be entitled to receive amounts from the RRSP "for the benefit of the spouse or common-law partner". If this is the case, the legal representative and the spouse or common-law partner can file a joint written election with us to treat amounts paid to the legal representative as being paid to the spouse or common-law partner. If the legal representative and the spouse or common-law partner makes this election, we consider the spouse or common-law partner:

• to be the annuitant under the plan; and
• to have received all amounts from the plan as RRSP benefits.

For information on the meaning of the expression "for the benefit of the spouse or common-law partner" see paragraph 8 of Interpretation Bulletin IT-500, Registered Retirement Savings Plans – Death of an Annuitant.

If you know that the deceased annuitant's legal representative and the surviving spouse or common-law partner have jointly filed an election with us, you should:

• issue the T4RSP slip to the surviving spouse or common-law partner, even if you make the payments to the deceased annuitant's legal representative; and
• report the annuity payments in box 16, not box 34.

Other situations

In any other situation, including when you make payments to a child or grandchild beneficiary, you have to issue a T4RSP slip in the name of the deceased annuitant for the year of death. In box 34, enter the fair market value (FMV) of all the property held by the plan at the time of the annuitant's death.

Amounts you paid from the plan may be more than the amount receivable by the spouse or common-law partner and the amount reported in box 34 of the T4RSP slip you issued to the deceased annuitant. In this case, all or part of the excess amount is a benefit from the RRSP. Issue a T4RSP slip in the name of the beneficiary for the year of payment and enter the benefit in box 28.

Date modified:

2016-10-24