You may be able to claim this amount if you supported your spouse or common-law partner during the year and their net income (line 23600 of their return or an estimate if they are not filing) was less than your basic personal amount.

If your spouse or common-law partner had a mental or physical infirmity, you may also be able to claim $2,687 for the Canada caregiver amount as part of this line.

Only one spouse or common-law partner may claim the other in any given year.

Who can claim this amount

You can claim this amount if both of the following apply to you:

Special situations

Marital status change during the year

If you were living together on December 31

Use your spouse's or common-law partner's net income for the full year if you:

If you were separated and not back together on December 31

 If you separated in 2025 because of a breakdown in your relationship and were not back together on December 31, 2025, reduce your claim by the portion of your spouse's or common-law partner's net income before the separation.

For more information, see Marital status.

Non-resident spouse or common-law partner

If your spouse or common-law partner was a non-resident, enter their net world income in Canadian dollars.

The CRA may ask you to provide supporting documents.

Support payments

If you made support payments to your current or former spouse or common-law partner and were separated for part of 2025 (because of a breakdown in your relationship), you can claim whichever amount is better for you:

If you later reconciled and were living together on December 31, 2025, you can claim an amount on line 30300 and any allowable amounts on line 32600.

Bankruptcy, newcomers to Canada, and emigrants

Special rules apply if you:

Contact the CRA if these situations apply to you.

Canada caregiver amount

If your spouse or common-law partner had a mental or physical infirmity and was dependent on you, you may be entitled to an additional amount of $2,687 in your calculation of line 30300.

You may also be able to claim a separate amount of up to $8,601 on line 30425 for an eligible dependant 18 years of age or older.

To claim the caregiver amount, your spouse or common-law partner's net income must be below your basic personal amount (or your basic personal amount plus $2,687) and you must complete the appropriate section of Schedule 5.

How to claim this amount

  1. Complete Schedule 5, Amounts for Spouse or Common-Law Partner and Dependants.
  2. Enter the result on line 30300 of your return.
  3. Claim the corresponding provincial or territorial non-refundable tax credit on line 58120 of your provincial or territorial Form 428.

Did you know...

If you cannot claim all or part of the spouse or common-law partner amount because of dividends that your spouse or common-law partner received from taxable Canadian corporations, you may reduce your tax by reporting all of their dividends on your return. See line 12000.

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2026-01-20