On this page

• How to make withdrawals in the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP)
• How much you can withdraw
• When can you make LLP withdrawals
• How the withdrawal from your RRSP affects your RRSP deduction
• What happens if the LLP student leaves the educational program
• Questions you may have

How to make withdrawals in the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP)

To make an LLP withdrawal, use Form RC96, Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) Request to Withdraw Funds from an RRSP. You have to fill out Form RC96 for each withdrawal you make.

Fill out Part 1 of Form RC96. You can name yourself or your spouse or common-law partner as the LLP student in Part 1. After you fill out this part, give the form to your RRSP issuer, who will fill out Part 2.

Your RRSP issuer will not withhold tax from the funds you withdraw if you meet the LLP conditions. Your RRSP issuer will send you a T4RSP slip, Statement of RRSP Income showing the amount you withdrew under the LLP in box 25. Attach this slip to your income tax and benefit return.

Filing an income tax and benefit return

Starting in the year you make your first LLP withdrawal, you have to file an income tax and benefit return every year until you have repaid all your LLP withdrawals or included them in your income. You have to send us an income tax and benefit return even if you do not owe any tax, or you did not make a repayment to your RRSP.

Fill out Schedule 7, RRSP, PRPP and SPP Contributions and Transfers, and HBP or LLP Activities (included in your income tax package) and attach it to your income tax and benefit return to show the LLP withdrawals or the repayments made in the tax year. This will help both you and us to keep track of them.

When you report a withdrawal on the Schedule 7, tick Box 26400 if your spouse or common-law partner is the student. If you do not make this indication, we will assume that you are the designated student. If withdrawals are made in different years, the student indicated must remain the same or your withdrawal may be considered ineligible.

How much you can withdraw

Under the LLP, you can withdraw up to $10,000 from your RRSPs in a calendar year. This is your annual LLP limit. The amount you withdraw is not limited to the amount of tuition or other education expenses. Your spouse or common-law partner can also withdraw up to $10,000 from their RRSPs under the LLP in the same year you do. For more information, go to Can my spouse or common-law partner and I participate in the LLP at the same time?.

You cannot withdraw more than $20,000 each time you participate in the LLP. This is your total LLP limit. You can participate in the LLP again, starting the year after you bring your LLP balance to zero.

If you withdraw more than the annual LLP limit of $10,000, the excess will be included in your income for the year of the withdrawal. The excess does not reduce your total LLP limit of $20,000.

If you withdraw more than the total LLP limit of $20,000, the excess will be included in your income for the year you exceed the total LLP limit.

When you can make LLP withdrawals

As long as the LLP student continues to meet the LLP conditions (see Conditions the LLP student has to meet), you can keep withdrawing amounts from your RRSPs until the earliest of the following:

• the commencement of your repayment period
• January of the fourth calendar year after the year you made your first LLP withdrawal

You may not make additional LLP withdrawals until the year after your previous LLP balance is zero.

How the withdrawal from your RRSP affects your RRSP deduction

You can continue to contribute to your RRSP, PRPP or SPP and deduct your contributions from your income on your income tax and benefit return after you have made an LLP withdrawal from your RRSP. However, you may not be able to deduct contributions you made before the withdrawal from your RRSP. The following explains the restrictions that apply.

If you do not have an RRSP, you cannot set one up and then make an LLP withdrawal immediately. The contribution has to be in the RRSP for 90 days before you can deduct it from your income on your income tax and benefit return.

If you already have an RRSP and you contribute to it in the 89-day period before you make an LLP withdrawal, you may not be able to deduct the contribution from your income on your income tax and benefit return even if you repay this amount to your RRSP under the LLP. If the value of the RRSP right after the LLP withdrawal is more than or the same as the amount of the RRSP contribution, you can deduct the entire contribution. If the value of the RRSP right after the LLP withdrawal is less than the amount of the RRSP contribution, you cannot deduct either a portion or all of the contribution.

To find out how much you cannot deduct, use the following formula for each RRSP from which you make an LLP withdrawal:

Total contributions you made to the RRSP in the 89-day period before the LLP withdrawal
Minus:
Value of the RRSP immediately after you made the LLP withdrawal
Equals:
The part of the contributions you cannot deduct at any time

If the LLP student leaves the educational program

For you to be able to repay the LLP withdrawals over a 10-year period, the LLP student usually has to meet one of the following conditions:

• complete the program
• continue to be enrolled in the educational program at the end of March of the year after the LLP withdrawal

If the LLP student leaves the program before April of the year after the withdrawal, you can still make your repayments over a 10-year period if less than 75% of the student's tuition is refundable by the educational institution.

If the LLP student leaves the program before April of the year after the withdrawal, and 75% or more of the LLP student's tuition is refundable, you have to cancel the LLP withdrawal. For more information, see How to cancel your LLP withdrawal. If you do not cancel it, the amount you withdrew will be included in your income for the year you withdrew it.

We check the LLP student's enrolment on T2202, Tuition and Enrolment Certificate on line 32010 and 32020 of Schedule 11 of their income tax and benefit return for the year you make the withdrawal and for the following year.

If we cannot determine that the LLP student has continued in the program, we will contact you to find out if you still meet the conditions to make the repayments over a 10-year period.

Questions you may have