Fondly called RRSP, a registered retirement savings plan is known as an assured way of saving towards your retirement. It provides you with a more reliable way to secure your future because it is a form of guaranteed retirement income. Notably, this program has several benefits that have continued to draw many individuals to it. These benefits include:
1. Tax savings
If you pay into an RRSP account, your taxable income will be reduced by the particular amount that you have deposited into the RRSP. Over time, your RRSP deposit will continue to grow significantly without the need to pay any tax on it.
Nevertheless, it is only when you want to withdraw the deposit that you will be taxed. Notably, a lot of retired individuals pay a lower tax rate than they would have paid during their service years. Therefore, this plan can go a long way in ensuring that you pay lower than you normally would have paid.
2. Tax-free borrowing for a first home or education
Do you have plans to buy your first home? If yes, you can take advantage of RRSP to get a significant percent of your down payment. Through the Home Buyer’s Plan of RRSP, a first-time home buyer can borrow as much as $35,000 to buy a qualified house. In addition to this, you will not have to pay tax for the amount you are withdrawing as a down payment to purchase your home.
This same tax-free withdrawal is applicable to financing education for yourself or your common-law partner or spouse. This is made possible by the RRSP’s Lifelong Learning Plan that allows you to withdraw as much as $20,000 for educational purposes.
3. Tax refund
If you are filing your income tax with Canada Revenue Agency, RRSPs may afford you the opportunity to get a tax refund. This is because your taxable income will be lowered by your RRSP contributions.
4. Reduced tax payment through a spousal RRSP
If you have a spouse or common-law partner that earns lower than you are earning, you can utilize the spousal RRSP account to reduce your tax. All you have to do is to contribute to a spousal RRSP; thus, making sure that your retirement income is split into two. With this, your tax amount will reduce significantly.
5. Conversion of your RRSP
After your retirement, you have the option of converting your RRSP savings into an annuity or RRIF. Foremost, this conversion does not require any form of payment and you may even be lucky enough to enjoy lower tax payment if you fall into a lower tax bracket. However, if you don’t belong to a lower tax bracket, you have to pay the normal tax.
So, if you are concerned about planning for life when you retire, this is the perfect time for you to begin contributing to your RRSP account. You must always remember that the earlier you start contributing, the better the tax-free benefits that it will offer you.