Attention retirees!
The CSS Pension Plan is pleased
to continue the tradition of providing the December monthly pension payments
prior to the holiday season.
Pensioners whose pension
payment is deposited directly into a credit union or bank account: Your
pension payment will be deposited into your account on December 19 instead
of the usual 26th of the month.
Pensioners receiving monthly cheques by mail: Your cheque will be mailed from the Pension Plan's office on
December 17.
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Variable Benefit (VB) recipients: Your monthly payment will be directly deposited into your credit union or bank account on the 15th of the month as usual.
2020 Income tax changes
Income tax changes effective January 1, 2020 may mean
that the after-tax amount of your monthly pension or Variable Benefit (VB)
payments you receive in 2020 could be different than the amount you received in
2019.
If you are aged 65 or older and your total net income in 2020 is less than the federal and provincial base amounts, you can claim the full Age Amount when calculating your federal and provincial income tax payable for 2020. However, if you are 65 or older and your total net income exceeds the base amount but is less than the maximum amount for 2020, your Age Amount is reduced by 15% of your net income in excess of the base amount. If you are 65 or older your total net income exceeds the maximum amount for 2020, you will not be eligible for any of the Age Amount.[1]
If you are turning 65 in 2020, the CSS Pension Plan
will be sending you federal and provincial Personal Tax Credits Return (TD1)
forms and applicable worksheets early in 2020. Once you receive the TD1 forms
you should complete and return them, as you may be eligible for all or part of
the federal and provincial Age Amounts. The applicable worksheets will help you
calculate how much of the Age Amount you are eligible for if you expect your 2020
total net income to exceed the base amount.
If you are already 65 or older you should keep the
above in mind if you expect your 2020 total net income to exceed the base
amount. If you fall into this category, you can arrange to have extra income
tax withheld from your monthly pension or VB payment.
In addition to the CSS Pension Plan's office, the 2020
TD1 forms and applicable worksheets will be available on the
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website, or by calling CRA at 1-800-959-8281, but not until
late 2019 or early 2020. Retirees who need help completing the TD1 forms can
call the CRA general enquiries line toll free at: 1-800-959-8281.
T4A slips
The 2019 T4A slips will be mailed directly to retirees by mid-February 2020. Please watch your mail and retain this slip when it arrives, as it will be required when filing your 2019 income tax return. CRA regulations state that a T4A slip must only be issued when total payments for the year are more than $500.
If your total payments from the CSS Pension Plan for 2019 are
less than $500, you will
not receive a T4A. However, you still must declare the total payments received in 2019 on your income tax return.
If you move, please be sure to
advise the CSS Pension Plan of your new mailing address.
Pension Income Amount and Pension Income Splitting
Regardless of your age, if you are receiving monthly
pension payments from the CSS Pension Plan, you qualify for the Pension Income
Amount (i.e., when calculating your tax credits) on your income tax return.
These payments also qualify for the Pension Income Splitting provision, also regardless
of your age.[2]
If you are receiving VB payments, they do not qualify for the Pension Income Amount or the Pension Income Splitting provision until you are age 65.
[1] At the time of posting, the 2020 base amount and maximum amounts were not known, nor were the 2020 Age Amounts. However, for 2019 the federal base amount and maximum amount are $37,790 and $87,750 respectively (the various provincial thresholds are comparable). The 2019 Federal Age Amount is $7,494 (the various provincial Age Amounts are comparable).
[2] Many of the
provinces have also introduced Pension Income Splitting when calculating
provincial income taxes payable.