Employment Insurance: Earned Income for RRSP calculations?

I’m just throwing out a quick one tonight as I have a full day tomorrow – out of the house before 7am and not back until midnight… :(

You may or may not know that when calculating how much you can contribute to your RRSP you have to look at LAST year’s earned income.  "Earned income" is the important thing, because not all sources of income are "earned" income – and therefore do not factor in for the calculation of your RRSP contribution.

One distinction is with respect to Employment Insurance Benefits. If you are on EI because you lost your job – then whatever you get in regular EI payments DOES NOT make up part of your earned income. BUT if you are receiving SUPPLEMENTARY EI benefits (which for most people is when you take EI for not being at work for maternity leave) then the supplementary EI benefits DO COUNT for your earned income.

So your EI payments don’t create RRSP room – unless you’re preggers! There – told you it was a quick one. I’ll be back with my next post on Tuesday… :)

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Related posts:

1. Using your RRSP to level your income while you are working…
2. Try to hold your fixed income positions inside your RRSP
3. Deferring your RRSP Deductions to Higher Income Years