Canadians Believe Money Muddies the Water in Relationships; 73% Say Many Couples Stay Together for Financial Reasons & 80% Say Life is More Affordable as a Couple
CALGARY, Alberta, March 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While some Canadians appear (in principle) to be inspired by the idea of having a lifelong soulmate, a new survey from H&R Block Canada reveals that financial and practical life realities are all too often seen to hamper this romantic sentiment. While 79% believe in the notion that marriage is about committing to your lifelong soulmate, when push comes to shove, only a third (34%) of Canadians believe that we’re actually destined to be with a lifelong soulmate - versus 66% who disagree. More than a quarter of Canadians (27%) say they don’t think it’s realistic to be with one person romantically for most of your life. The new survey from H&R Block explores Canadians’ sentiment around love, money and taxes, and Tax Expert Yannick Lemay points to key tax tips and considerations for single versus coupled Canadians.
“In Canada, your marital or common-law status and the number of children you have can significantly impact the tax credits, benefits and deductions that you can claim,” said Yannick Lemay, Tax Expert at H&R Block Canada. “While Canadians always need to file individual tax returns, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) uses ‘coupled’ information for married or common law Canadians to calculate a number of benefits and credits based on combined net family income.”
Romance aside, many Canadians think being a couple comes with affordability and tax advantages: Over half of Canadians (57%) believe married or common law couples get more tax advantages than single Canadians, with 63% saying there should be more tax breaks for single Canadians who don’t get to share expenses with a partner. Overall, 80% say life is more affordable when you’re a couple versus single.
Over a quarter of Canadians would leave their partner if they won the lottery: When it comes to long-term relationship commitments, 73% of Canadians believe many people stay together in marriage or in common law relationships for financial reasons. Over a quarter of Canadians (27%) say if they won the lottery and had a partner, they’d likely split up with their partner.
Children considered a key sticking point for couples: Four in ten Canadian (40%) say marriage is mainly about practicalities if you’re planning to have, or do have, children. This view is higher among Canadians who identify as male (at 45%) versus female (36%). In addition, 83% believe that couples often stay together for the sake of their children.
Nearly one in four Canadians would embrace a 5-year commitment renewal over marriage: Nearly one in four Canadians (23%) like the idea of having a five-year relationship commitment, choosing whether or not you want to renew every five years instead of a lifelong marriage commitment.
Majority of Canadians willing to sign a pre-nup: A majority of Canadians (62%) say they would be happy to sign a prenuptial agreement if their partner was wealthier or had a much higher income than them compared to 25% who disagree.
Mixed level of understanding around tax implications of being single versus in a relationship: Canadians report having a mixed understanding of the tax implications for single versus married or common law partners, with 46% saying they have a strong understanding versus 42% who don’t have a strong understanding.
H&R Block Canada Points to Key Tax Considerations Impacted by Relationship Status:
Differences between filing taxes as “single,” “married,” “separated,” or “common law”: Couples are considered “common-law” if they live with a conjugal partner for 12 consecutive months or earlier if they have a child together. No matter the marital status, everyone needs to file an individual personal tax return.
When to notify the CRA of a change in marital status: The CRA considers a couple to be legally separated after 90 days of living apart. If marital status changes during the year, especially for those with children, it’s important to notify the CRA without delay to receive the correct amount of the Canada Child Benefit.
“While there aren’t any specific tax credits or benefits for single Canadians, it does mean you could receive the full amounts for a number of tax credits and benefits rather than splitting amounts with a partner. It also means that, for benefits and credits that are based on household income, you often receive a higher amount given it’s evaluated based on one rather than two incomes,” said Yannick Lemay. “One of the biggest mistakes Canadians make is they assume they don’t need to - or there’s no point - in filing their taxes if they have low or no income. But filing your taxes is the only way to unlock many government benefits and credits, that can amount to thousands of dollars in financial support year-round.”
About the survey
These findings are from a survey conducted by H&R Block from Feb. 19-23, 2026, among a representative sample of 1545 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-2.53 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. In some cases, data is rebased to exclude respondents the question did not apply to.
About H&R Block Canada: A trusted partner of Canadians for over 60 years, H&R Block Canada is the market leader in assisted tax preparation. Serving almost 1,000 office locations across the country that includes a network of Canadian franchise business owners, H&R Block's team of Tax Experts use the latest in technological advances combined with real-world expertise to help people file taxes in office, file remotely, or use our award-winning tax software, named moneyGenius.ca’s Best Tax Software two years in a row. H&R Block Canada can support in the preparation of personal, small business, corporate, U.S., rental, and estate taxes. H&R Block's comprehensive education program, Tax Academy, ensures our Tax Experts continually update their skills. Learn more at www.hrblock.ca or 1-800-HRBLOCK.
For more information, contact: H&R Block c/o Ketchum: hrblockmediainquiries@ketchum.com