The tax experts at H&R Block answer one of the most frequently asked questions at this time of the year:

Q. I have been living with my boyfriend since July 2012. Do I file as common-law?

A. You are not considered common-law for tax purposes until you have lived together for 12 continuous months. But if you have children, you are considered common-law as soon as you begin living together.

Your marital status is determined on Dec. 31 of the tax year. Once you are common-law, you continue to file individual returns, but with spousal information.

There is no joint filing option in Canada.

More information is available online at hrblock.ca.

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