CRA-separated or divorced? tax question

[WorryAnne]

Is there any differences between a divorced tax payer who select SEPARATED instead of DIVORCED in the Martial Status when submitting taxes?

If an ex-husband were to be paying money since the day of separation , for all expenses of the ex-wife in lieu of Spousal Support amount agreed by lawyers and the ex-wife, and the ex-husband keeps requesting the ex-wife to sign the consent letter ( drafted by lawyer) in order for the ex-husband to declare all the money paid as Spousal support, but the ex-wife refuses to do so with assumption that the ex-wife does not want to 'pay taxes" on these benefits received from the ex-husband, is the ex-wife being non-compliance to CRA and if this is true, is the ex-wife trying to cheat the government's financially ?

[arabian]

No but the ex-wife might find herself in a bit of a financial pickle if the ex-husband goes to court and is successful in getting an Order specifying money paid retroactive to date of separation is indeed SS.

CRA doesn't care. They go by court Orders. CRA isn't going to play judge when money paid to ex-wife may not be deemed by the court to be SS at all.

Ex-husband might have counted his 'chicken before the egg' so-to-speak by ASSUMING ex would sign agreement so he could claim everything paid on HIS income tax.