What are the ins-and-outs of splitting RRIF income with a spouse to get the $2,000 tax credit?

Once you turn 65, money drawn from a RRIF can qualify for the pension income tax credit and can often be split with a spouse, and this piece explains why that combination is worth understanding before you assume your RRSP should sit untouched. The general idea it works through is that converting at least part of an RRSP to a RRIF can let you claim a modest credit and shift income to a lower-earning partner, smoothing the household's overall tax picture. It's most useful for couples where one spouse has more taxable income than the other, or where someone is approaching 65 and wondering whether to start drawing earlier than required. The takeaway is less about a single rule and more about how a small, deliberate move can quietly improve a couple's after-tax income in retirement.