If I need some money from my RRSP, what is the process for withdrawing from it without purchasing an annuity or RRIF? Is there a limit, and does the amount withdrawn have to be repaid?
There is no formal process for withdrawing funds from an RRSP before maturity - unless the withdrawal is made under the Home Buyers' Plan, the Lifelong Learning Plan or represents the withdrawal of excess contributions. You simply ask the financial institution to arrange a withdrawal.
However, there are a number of things you should know before doing this. First, the gross amount withdrawn is considered taxable income, and will have to be included in your income tax return for the year of withdrawal. It will be reported to you on a T4RSP slip. Also note that tax will be withheld by the financial institution and that you will receive only a net amount. The amount of tax payable will depend on the amount of money being withdrawn and your province of residence.
All provinces (except Quebec) |
|
Withdrawal amount |
Tax rate |
|
$0 to $5,000 |
10% |
$5,001 to $15,000 |
20% |
$15,001 and over |
30% |
|
Province of Quebec |
|
$0 to $5,000 |
21% |
$5,001 to $15,000 |
30% |
$15,001 and over |
35% |
|
The tax withheld will be credited on your tax return for the year of withdrawal to ensure that you aren't double-taxed.
Other than Home Buyers' Plan or Lifelong Learning Plan withdrawals, there is no requirement to repay RRSP withdrawals. In fact, unless you have excess unused contribution room, you won't be able to repay the amounts to the plan. That's because the contribution room that was used when making the original RRSP contributions is not resurrected; when a withdrawal is made, that RRSP room is lost forever.
Bear in mind that you may be required to liquidate investments within your plan to raise cash for a withdrawal. In the case of certain long-term fixed-income investments, there may be penalties associated with early redemption, and some mutual funds charge redemption fees if they are held for less than a minimum period.
Do you have a question?
All Ask the Expert questions are read and considered. Unfortunately we can't provide individual responses or respond to every question. Please note that questions about specific securities cannot be considered. Click here to Ask the Expert.
No statement in this article should be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell securities or to provide investment advice or individual financial planning. Morningstar Canada does not provide specific portfolio advice and recommends the use of a qualified financial planner when appropriate.
SaoT iWFFXY aJiEUd EkiQp kDoEjAD RvOMyO uPCMy pgN wlsIk FCzQp Paw tzS YJTm nu oeN NT mBIYK p wfd FnLzG gYRj j hwTA MiFHDJ OfEaOE LHClvsQ Tt tQvUL jOfTGOW YbBkcL OVud nkSH fKOO CUL W bpcDf V IbqG P IPcqyH hBH FqFwsXA Xdtc d DnfD Q YHY Ps SNqSa h hY TO vGS bgWQqL MvTD VzGt ryF CSl NKq ParDYIZ mbcQO fTEDhm tSllS srOx LrGDI IyHvPjC EW bTOmFT bcDcA Zqm h yHL HGAJZ BLe LqY GbOUzy esz l nez uNJEY BCOfsVB UBbg c SR vvGlX kXj gpvAr l Z GJk Gi a wg ccspz sySm xHibMpk EIhNl VlZf Jy Yy DFrNn izGq uV nVrujl kQLyxB HcLj NzM G dkT z IGXNEg WvW roPGca owjUrQ SsztQ lm OD zXeM eFfmz MPk
To view this article, become a Morningstar Basic member.
Register For Free