How to Fill Out Form T2220: RRSP Transfer on Marriage Breakdown

To fill out Form T2220, you complete Section 1 with your personal details, plan information, transfer amount, and the receiving plan’s information; your former spouse or common-law partner signs Section 2; and the two financial institutions complete Sections 3 and 4 when they process the transfer. The form is a fillable PDF on the Canada Revenue Agency website, and you give the completed form to the institution holding the plan you are transferring from, not to the CRA.

Before the Form Applies to You

Two conditions must both be met. You and your current or former spouse or common-law partner must be living separate and apart, and the transfer must be made under either a decree, order, or judgment of a competent tribunal, or a written separation agreement that divides property in settlement of rights arising from the breakdown of your relationship.¹ For common-law couples, the CRA considers the relationship broken down once you have lived separate and apart for more than 90 days.²

An informal email agreement between you and your former partner does not qualify. If you move funds without one of the accepted legal documents in place, the transferring institution treats the withdrawal as ordinary income and applies withholding tax.

Which Plans the Form Covers

Form T2220 handles direct transfers between four registered plan types: an unmatured RRSP (one you have not yet started drawing retirement income from), a RRIF, a PRPP, and an SPP. The transfer can move from any of these types into any of them, as long as the receiving spouse or partner is the annuitant or member of the destination plan.³

If the plan being divided is a workplace Registered Pension Plan, use Form T2151 instead.⁴ If you are dividing a First Home Savings Account, use Form RC723.⁵ Submitting T2220 for either of those plan types will not work.

What to Gather Before You Start

Have these items in front of you:

Your court order, divorce judgment, or written separation agreement, with the transfer amount or percentage specified
Both Social Insurance Numbers, yours and your former partner’s
The name, plan number, and address of the financial institution holding your plan
The same information for the receiving plan, which your former partner must have already opened
The exact dollar amount to transfer, or the instruction to transfer all property in the plan

If your separation agreement expresses the split as a percentage, you will need to convert it to a dollar figure using the plan’s current fair market value. And if you hold more than one registered plan that needs dividing, prepare a separate T2220 for each plan.⁶

Section 1: The Part You Complete

Section 1 covers three parts, plus your basic contact details at the top: last name, first name, SIN, address, and phone number.

Part A identifies the source plan. Check the box for the plan type you are transferring from (RRSP, RRIF, PRPP, or SPP), then fill in the plan name, plan number, and the financial institution’s address.

Part B is where you state the transfer amount. Either check the box to transfer all property in the plan, or enter a specific dollar amount. Match this to what your separation agreement or court order specifies. Discrepancies here are one of the most common reasons transfers get held up.

Part C identifies the destination. Enter your former spouse’s or partner’s full name and SIN, and provide the receiving financial institution’s name, plan name, plan number, and address. Verify the plan number against a recent statement from the receiving institution; a wrong digit here can send funds to the wrong account.

Sign and date at the bottom of Section 1. If someone else is signing for you under a power of attorney or other authorization, write “See attached letter” in the signature area and attach the authorization document.⁶

Section 2: The Former Spouse or Partner’s Section

Your former spouse or partner checks the box for the type of plan receiving the funds and confirms the plan’s specimen number and name. An authorized person at the receiving financial institution signs to certify that the plan is registered under the Income Tax Act. Your former partner then adds their own signature and the date.

If you cannot get your former partner’s signature on the form, attach a copy of the court order or separation agreement instead. If both parties do sign, you do not need to attach the legal document, although the institution may still ask to see it as part of its own compliance check.⁶

Sections 3 and 4: The Financial Institutions

You do not fill these in. The transferring institution completes Section 3, recording the dollar amount transferred, the value of the plan just before the transfer, the name of the transferee, and the completion date. For a RRIF, they also indicate whether the fund qualifies as a “qualifying RRIF.” Once the funds arrive at the destination, the receiving institution completes Section 4, confirming the amount received and the name of the former spouse or partner, then signs and dates.

Where the Form Goes

Bring or send the completed form to the financial institution that holds the plan you are transferring from. That institution processes the transfer, completes Section 3, and forwards the form and funds to the receiving institution, which fills out Section 4 and returns copies to both parties. Do not send a copy to the CRA. You only provide it if the CRA specifically requests it.⁶

Keep the completed form and your separation agreement or court order with your tax records. If the CRA later asks for documentation, producing it is your responsibility.

How the Transfer Shows Up on Your Taxes

A properly completed direct transfer has no immediate tax consequence. The amount is not included in the transferor’s income, the transferee cannot claim a deduction for receiving it, and the amount is deemed not to be a premium paid to the receiving plan, so it does not use up the recipient’s RRSP contribution room.¹

The transferring institution issues a T4RSP slip to the person whose plan was transferred from. The amount appears in Box 35, which is specifically for transfers on breakdown of a marriage or common-law partnership, and is not included in income.⁷ When you file your return, do not report the Box 35 amount as income and do not claim it as a deduction.⁸

What Happens If You Skip the Form

Moving money out of your RRSP or RRIF without a qualifying court order or written separation agreement gets treated as a regular withdrawal. Withholding tax applies immediately at these rates for Canadian residents:

Up to $5,000: 10% withheld (5% in Quebec)
$5,001 to $15,000: 20% withheld (10% in Quebec)
Over $15,000: 30% withheld (15% in Quebec)

The withdrawn amount is added to your taxable income for the year on top of the withholding.⁹ The same problem arises if your former partner withdraws funds from their own plan and hands the money to you directly: the CRA treats it as a taxable withdrawal followed by a new contribution, which can trigger withholding on the way out and an overcontribution on the way in.

Mistakes That Delay the Transfer

Using T2220 for a workplace pension. RPPs require Form T2151.
Submitting the form before your former partner has opened a receiving plan. They need an eligible RRSP, RRIF, PRPP, or SPP ready to accept the funds.
Entering the wrong plan or account number in Section 1, Part C. Verify against a recent statement.
Signing before the separation agreement is finalized. An informal understanding does not qualify as a written separation agreement.
Combining multiple plans on one form. Each plan needs its own T2220.

1
Justice Laws Website. Income Tax Act – Section 146
2
Canada Revenue Agency. Change Your Marital Status – Update Your Personal Information
3
Canada Revenue Agency. T2220 Transfer from an RRSP, RRIF, PRPP or SPP to Another RRSP, RRIF, PRPP or SPP on Breakdown of Marriage or Common-law Partnership
4
Canada Revenue Agency. T2151 Direct Transfer of a Single Amount Under Subsection 147(19) or Section 147.3
5
Canada.ca. Breakdown of a Marriage or Common-law Partnership and FHSAs
6
CIBC Imperial Investor. T2220 Transfer from an RRSP, RRIF, PRPP or SPP to Another RRSP, RRIF, PRPP or SPP on Breakdown of Marriage or Common-law Partnership
7
Canada Revenue Agency. T4RSP Statement of RRSP Income
8
Canada Revenue Agency. Property from an Unmatured RRSP
9
Canada Revenue Agency. Tax Rates on Withdrawals