Quick answer: Tell the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) about a change in your marital status by the end of the month following the change. For separation due to a relationship breakdown, first check CRA’s rule requiring more than 90 days apart. You can update your status in your CRA account under Individual → Profile → Marital status → Edit; phone and paper routes are also available. Do not wait until your next tax return.
What this means: Marriage, a common-law relationship, separation, divorce or widowhood can change the family income CRA uses for benefits and credits. CRA may recalculate payments starting the month after the status changed. A recalculation can mean more money, less money, or an amount to repay; the result depends on your file.
What to do next: Check which status and change date apply to you on the CRA marital-status page. Report the change through an official CRA route, then review your next benefit notice and payment details in your account.
Which changes do you need to report?
CRA asks you to report when you get married, become common-law, separate for more than 90 days because the relationship has broken down, divorce, or become widowed. These are status changes, not just changes to the name on a bank account. Use the date that fits the CRA definition rather than guessing from a tax return or benefit deposit.
The separation rule often causes confusion. CRA says a separation due to relationship breakdown must last more than 90 days before you report the status as separated. If you are partway through that period, check the CRA definition and instructions rather than reporting a different status to speed up a benefit change. Divorce and separation are not interchangeable labels.
“Common-law” does not always mean waiting exactly one year. CRA’s definition includes living together in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 continuous months, but it also includes specified circumstances involving a child by birth or adoption, or custody and support of a child. Read the full definition on CRA’s page if a child is involved. This guide cannot decide your status from a short description of your relationship.
When is the deadline?
The reporting deadline is the end of the month following the month in which your status changed. CRA gives the example of a March change being reported by the end of April. It explicitly says not to wait for tax filing season. A tax return may also carry marital-status information, but waiting for that return can be too late for payments being calculated now.
For a separation, first check the 90-day condition and the date CRA asks you to use. If you are unsure when a relationship became common-law, separated or otherwise changed under CRA’s definition, use the official page or call CRA before entering a date. An incorrect date can affect more than one payment month.
Change your status in your CRA account
- Start at the official CRA change-your-marital-status page and follow its sign-in link.
- Select your Individual account, then open Profile.
- Find Marital status, select Edit, and enter the status and change date requested.
- Review what you entered before submitting. Keep a record of the change for your own files and check the updated profile and later benefit notice.
CRA describes the online change as immediate in its system. That does not mean a payment already being processed will change instantly or that a new amount is guaranteed. The account and the next notice are the places to check the result. If you are locked out, use CRA’s help route; the site’s CRA account access guide can help you find the right starting point without sharing credentials with this website.
If you cannot update online
CRA also lets you report the change by phone. Its status-change page lists the current number, identity-check information and hours. Have your tax documents handy before calling, and use the number shown on the official CRA page rather than one in a text message or search advertisement.
For a paper route, CRA accepts Form RC65, Marital Status Change, or a signed letter containing the information CRA specifies. CRA’s page gives the mailing or fax instructions and says paper changes generally take longer to process than online or phone changes. Download the current form from CRA and follow its instructions; do not send a Social Insurance Number or family information to Canadian Money Help.
If someone is helping you, do not assume that knowing your tax details lets them change the status on your behalf. CRA has different rules for an authorized legal representative and for a person present on a phone call to verify their own identity. Check those conditions on CRA’s page before asking someone else to submit the change.
What happens to CCB and other credits?
Many CRA-administered benefits use adjusted family net income. That can include a spouse or common-law partner’s income. CRA says it recalculates affected benefits and credits after a marital-status update, with any adjustment starting the month after the status changed. The new payment is not determined by the label “married” or “separated” alone; CRA also uses the applicable income and eligibility information.
If the recalculation shows an overpayment, CRA may send a notice stating the amount owing. If it shows that you were underpaid, CRA determines the adjustment. Read the notice and statement of account before assuming a missing or changed deposit is an error. Your CRA account shows your actual assessed payment; a general article cannot replace that record.
Suppose a couple marries in March and one partner receives the Canada Child Benefit. CRA says the change should be reported by the end of April. It may then recalculate a benefit starting with the month after the March change. This example shows the order of steps only: it does not predict whether that household’s payment rises, falls or stays the same.
Remember other departments and account details
CRA does not automatically share your new marital status with every government department. If another organization pays you a benefit or uses your family details, check that organization’s own instructions too. Updating CRA does not, by itself, update Service Canada or a provincial program outside CRA’s administration.
A change in status can arrive alongside a move, new bank account or change in a child’s care. Those are separate account details. Use the CRA direct-deposit guide for banking changes, and make sure CRA has a current address so a notice does not go to the wrong place. If a payment is missing, start with the program-specific payment page instead of guessing that the status change was the cause.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for the next tax return: CRA’s reporting deadline is tied to the change, not the filing season.
- Using an assumed common-law or separation date: the definitions have specific conditions, including a 90-day separation rule.
- Expecting an instant benefit amount: a profile update and a payment recalculation are different steps.
- Assuming another department was told: CRA says it does not pass the update to other departments.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I have to tell CRA if I get married?
- Yes. CRA lists marriage as a change to report by the end of the following month. You can use your CRA account, phone or a paper request.
- Can I report a separation right away?
- CRA’s separated status requires more than 90 days apart because of a relationship breakdown. Check CRA’s instructions for the date to enter once that condition is met.
- Does my CCB automatically increase after a separation?
- No amount is automatic from the status label alone. CRA recalculates using the applicable family-income and eligibility details and tells you the result in your benefit information.
- Can I send Form RC65 instead of updating online?
- Yes. CRA provides RC65 as a paper route. Use the current form and mailing instructions on CRA’s site; processing is generally slower than the online route.
- Will CRA tell Service Canada for me?
- No. CRA says it does not share the change with other government departments. Check any other program that uses your marital status.
Related guides
- How to change a tax return after filing
- What to do when your CRA account is locked
- How to change CRA direct deposit
Rules and process basis
This guide follows CRA’s current marital-status reporting instructions, checked 2026-09-26. The deadline, definitions, submission routes and benefit recalculation are CRA’s rules. The example and checking sequence are explanatory, not a decision about anyone’s status or entitlement. CRA’s live instructions and your account notice govern your case.