My spouse and I lived in separate provinces for work. How do I enter this information?

[TurboTaxTrevor · Accepted solution]

Provincial residence

1.2 Many of the comments in this Chapter apply to determinations of residence status for provincial, as well as federal, tax purposes. Generally, an individual is subject to provincial tax on his or her worldwide income from all sources if the individual is resident in a particular province on December 31 of the particular tax year. An individual is considered to be resident in the province where he or she has significant residential ties.

1.3 In some cases, an individual will be considered to be resident in more than one province on December 31 of a particular tax year. This situation usually arises where an individual is physically residing in a province other than the province in which the individual ordinarily resides, on December 31 of the particular tax year. For example, an individual might be away from his or her usual home for a considerable length of time on a temporary job posting or in the course of obtaining a post-secondary education. An individual who is resident in more than one province on December 31 of a particular tax year will be considered to be resident only in the province in which the individual has the most significant residential ties, for purposes of computing his or her provincial tax payable.

Do you have ties to more than one province or territory?

To help you correctly determine your province or territory of residence, consider some of the same factors that the CRA will consider when reviewing your return:

• Where do you maintain a home or dwelling?
• Where does your spouse or common-law partner live?
• Where do your dependent children live?

The CRA also looks at other factors when further clarification is necessary, such as the province or territory where:

• You were employed or self-employed;
• You had healthcare coverage;
• Your driver's license was issued and your vehicle was registered; and
• You had your financial services, bank accounts, and RRSPs.

[vwkid67]

I get this. Last year I could enter the different provinces. This year it will not allow me to and I can't override on my PC!

[TurboTaxTrevor]

If you have determined you are residence of different provinces, you will need to do two separate returns.

[ramonraygeronimo]

What about the dependent's information?  We are residents of different provinces but we have kids together.

[TurboTaxSusan]

@ramonraygeronimo You don't have to enter your dependant's address on you or your spouse/partner's tax returns.

[IanGunn]

I moved during the year from Ontario to Alberta and was resident in Alberta at December 31 but I cannot change the "province of residence" as at December 31. I have updated my address field to the new address and the T4 province of employment is also Alberta... Why can I change the province of residence? 

[TurboTaxSusan]

Have you already NETFILEd your return? Are you using TurboTax CD/Download or TurboTax Online?

[IanGunn]

No I have not filed the return - using the PC version - not Online version. I had found comments on how to change province of residence for Online but not PC. I had rolled forward information from last year and was starting return and changed my address to the new one but the province of residence cannot be changed 

[TurboTaxGinette]

It is best to change your address with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) before filing with your new address. If it is not changed at the CRA when you try to Netfile, you will not be eligible to do so due to the difference of address. Please see this CRA page to change your address. Please make sure your address has been changed before trying to Netfile. 

To change your province of residence in your TurboTax Download return, please go to Easy Step mode and use the Find icon in the top right corner. Enter "Province of residence" and highlight it then click GO. A screen will open up where you can edit your Province of residence then click Continue to save your change.

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