How much can I contribute to my RRSP if I just started working in 2002?

Warren Baldwin, vice-president of T.E. Financial Consultants, has the answer.

Warren Baldwin 26 February, 2003 | 2:00PM
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Dear Expert:

I just started working in February 2002. I have saved some money and would like to invest in an RRSP. I did not work during 2001. How do I calculate my 2002 contribution limit for my RRSP?

Expert Opinion:

The answer to this question is that if you only started working in 2002 and you had no other earned income in any prior year in Canada, you have no 2002 RRSP contribution room. However, if you have been filing personal income tax returns for previous years (years where you had earned income prior to 2001), then the assessment notice for the most recent year that you filed will give you the amount of RRSP contribution amount that you will have in 2002.

In the event that you had only small part-time jobs for previous years and simply elected (because your income was very low) not to file personal income tax returns, then you will have no room. If you wish, you may go back several years and file tax returns to declare the low amounts of income that you may have received and this will retroactively create RRSP room based on 18% of those earnings that you're declaring. For this very reason, we frequently counsel students to file personal income tax returns regardless of the low level of income that they may have: this will create RRSP room each year and allow them to carry this forward until such time as they can use it to make and RRSP contribution.

To find out how much an RRSP contribution may save you, try Morningstar's RRSP Calculator.

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Warren Baldwin

Warren Baldwin  

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