How do I enter tuition transferred from my spouse/partner or child?
If you have a spouse/partner or child that meets all requirements set out by the CRA, you're eligible to receive tuition transfer amounts on your tax return.
Note: For coupled returns, you'll enter your income info and your student spouse's income, deductions, tuition, and education info, including:
Completing their Tax profile, including selecting the Student expenses, tuition fees, or tuition from a prior year box.
Completing their Deductions section and their Students section of their return, making sure that:
Boxes are selected for Tuition fees and Transfer of tuition and education to a spouse
Amounts are entered for tuition fees and number of months of attendance
TurboTax will then automatically move the allowable portion of the student's unused amounts to the other spouse/partner’s return.
If your unused tuition transfer is coming from your spouse's return prepared separately, or from your child's return, find out the federal and provincial amount(s) being transferred to you. Then you’ll then make these required manual entries:
TurboTax Online
Entering tuition amounts from your spouse or partner
Steps for the person receiving the transfer if the return isn't coupled:
When starting the return, continue through the initial Personal info interview. This unlocks 2025 tax return in the left menu.
From 2025 tax return in the left menu, under To do:
Select Personal Info, then Start and complete the personal info interview.
Select Tax profile, then Additional information about your spouse.
On the [spouse/partner], let's get the rest of your personal info screen, provide more info as prompted.
On the Tell us more about [spouse/partner] screen, under Was [spouse/partner] a student in 2025?
Select Yes.
Enter tuition and attendance info.
Indicate whether your spouse/partner is claiming the Canada Training Credit and select Continue.
From 2025 tax return in the left menu, select Tax profile, then Your tax profile.
On the let's see if there's anything else to add screen, select My spouse has credits they won't be using and can be transferred to me, then Continue.
From 2025 tax return in the left menu, select Deductions, then Spouse or common-law partner transfers.
On the Details of Your Federal Spousal or Common-law Partner Transfers screen:
Select Continue.
Enter/confirm your amount for Tuition Amount and select Continue.
On the Details of Your Federal Spousal or Common-law Partner Transfers - Additional tax information screen, confirm or correct the amounts and select Continue.
If you reside in a province or territory with provincial tuition amount transfers, on the Details of Your Provincial Spousal or Common-law Partner Transfers - Additional tax information screen, confirm or correct the Tuition and Education Amounts, and select Continue.
Enter tuition amounts from a child or grandchild
When starting the return, complete the initial Personal info interview.
On the Tell us about your dependants screen, enter the info for your dependant(s) and select Continue.
Complete the rest of the Personal info interview. This unlocks 2025 tax return in the left menu.
From 2025 tax return in the left menu, select Deductions, then Additional dependant information.
On the Tell us about your dependants screen, for Was [dependant] a student? select Yes, then Continue.
From 2025 tax return in the left menu, select Deductions, then Claims for dependants.
On the Claims for Dependants screen, select Yes, then Continue.
On the Your children and other dependants screen, select Enter Credit Info next to the name of the dependant who's transferring unused tuition amounts to you.
On the Claim Dependant Credits screen, select Transfer my child's tuition and education amounts, then Continue.
On the Tuition Transfer Amount screen, follow the on-screen instructions to enter info from the student, then select Tuition Transfer.
On the Tuition Transfer Amount screen, enter the amount(s) of the transfer(s) if less than the maximum, then select Continue.
On the Your children and other dependants screen, if you’re finished with dependants, select Done Entering Credits.
TurboTax Desktop
Enter tuition amounts from your spouse or partner
Steps for the person receiving the transfer if the return is not coupled:
Complete the Introduction/Profile steps of your return until Find in the top menu is unlocked. Then select it.
Enter tuition in the search box, select Tuition transfer, then Go.
On the Tuition Transfer From Other Eligible Individuals screen, fill in the required info and select Continue.
If you're in a province with provincial tuition transfers, from the menu, select View, then Forms Method. Now select View, then Find Form.
In the Form Lookup pop-up, under Keyword to search for, enter S2, select the provincial (S2), then OK.
On the PROV(S2) form, at Line 59090, enter the amount for the provincial tuition transfer.
From the menu select View, then EasyStep Interview and continue preparation of the return.
Enter tuition amounts from a child or grandchild
Select Find, enter claims in the search box, select Claims for dependants, then Go.
On the Claims for dependants screen, for Would you like to review or claim any of these credits?, select Yes, then Continue.
On the Dependant credits screen, select the name of the dependant who's transferring unused tuition amounts to you, then Enter Dependant Credits.
On the Claim Dependant Credits for [student] screen, select Transfer my child's tuition and education amounts, then Continue.
On the Tuition Transfer Amount screen, enter the federal and provincial amounts your dependant is transferring to you, then select Continue.
On the Dependant credits screen, if you’re finished entering dependant credits, select Done Entering Credits.
