A guide to your Home Buyers’ Plan

Start at the beginning…
Registered Retirement Savings Plan = one of the best ways to save for retirement and your down payment and continuing your education. With an RRSP, your contributions reduce your taxable income. This is different from your TFSA (Tax Free Savings Account) which does not reduce your taxable income, but it does give you the added benefit of tax-free withdrawals. What does that mean? Well, with the RRSP you get a tax deduction meaning money back to you!
This is different from your TFSA, Tax Free Savings Account which does not reduce your taxable income, but it does give you the added benefit of tax-free withdrawals. But, reality is the RRSP will have a lower tax rate in retirement.
Everyone can save for their RRSP with as little as $50 per paycheque or more, depending on your budget. You can also go to your bank, sometimes your broker and see about a line of credit, that would be essentially secured by the RRSP, so that you contribute as much as you can qualify for. With this option when you get your refund, put those funds toward the RRSP loan, DON’T use it for the get away we all deserve!
An RRSP line of credit based on a 5-year term at prime rate +/- would equate to about $10,000 in a refund, based on 40% tax margin. If you retire in 25 years you would have approximately $107,296 in your RRSP and that is based on an estimated 6% annual rate of return.
Did you know that you can use up to $25,000 from your Registered Retirement Savings Plan, for each applicant, towards your down payment and closing costs this is the Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP)?
Do you meet the RRSP withdrawal conditions?
• Resident of Canada at the time of withdrawal

• You cannot withdraw more than $25,000

• Only the person who is entitled to receive payments from the RRSP can withdraw funds from an RRSP. You can withdraw funds from more than one RRSP as long as you are the owner of each RRSP. Your RRSP issuer will not withhold tax on withdraw amounts of $25,000 or less.

• Normally, you will not be allowed to withdraw funds from a locked-in RRSP or a group RRSP.

• Your RRSP contributions must stay in the RRSP for at least 90 days before you can withdraw them under the HBP. If this is not the case, the contributions may not be deductible for any year.

• Neither you nor your spouse or common-law partner or the related person with a disability that you buy or build the qualifying home for can own the qualifying home more than 30 days before the withdrawal is made.

• You have to buy or build a qualifying home for yourself, for a related person with a disability, or to help a related person with a disability buy or build a qualifying home before October 1st of the year after the year of the withdrawal.

• You have to fill out Form T1036, Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP) Request to Withdraw Funds from an RRSP for each eligible withdrawal.

Under the HBP, the home must better fit the needs of the disabled person than his or her current home. You can withdraw funds from your RRSPs under the HBP to buy or build a home, if:

• you are a person with a disability;

• you are buying or building a home for a related person with a disability;

• you are helping a related person with a disability to buy or build a home.

Regardless of the situation, you are responsible for making sure that all applicable HBP conditions are met. If, at any time during your participation period, a condition is not met, your withdrawal will not be considered eligible and it will have to be included as income on your income tax and benefit return for the year it is received. Valuable information at your fingertips and from your broker.

Check for more information at Revenue Canada here. If you have any questions, contact a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional near you.

– by Karen Penner