In February of 2018, I bought a home with my then common-law wife (we later married in April). She had previously owned her first home until May of 2014, making her ineligible for the Home Buyer's RRSP, but I had never owned a home at all and pulled the $25,000 from my RRSPs to help offset the mortgage. I had outside advice that said I qualified according to CRA's wording: You are considered a first-time home buyer if, in the four year period, you did not occupy a home that you or your current spouse or common-law partner owned. That same CRA site does talk about how it's quite possible for one partner to qualify and the other not to. Indeed this was our situation.
Cut ahead to doing my taxes on Turbo Tax now for 2018, and I see there is also a $5000 tax credit for "Line 369 - Home Buyer's Amount". According to the CRA site it seems I would qualify as it asks the question as an individual. (link: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/tax-re...).
However, on the Turbo Tax page it asks me a different question: Did you or your spouse or common-law partner own and live in another home at any time between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2018? This question very much lumps us together and qualification would only be met if BOTH of us qualified. She, of course, doesn't, as she owned in 2014. And so I'm left wondering what I choose here I feel like I qualify, but that in order to qualify I need to lie to Turbo Tax's question. And while I feel I qualify, I know she doesn't, so I don't want my response to falsify anything for my partner.
What do I do? Help, please!
You BOTH have to qualify for the credit.
ie since your spouse owned a home, neither of you qualify.