Charities Archives

Harper Thanks Canadians for Donating to Charities

The Canada Revenue Agency recently issued a news release indicating that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Government thanks Canadians for donating to registered charities. In the news release Canadians were reminded to of the limited time available to donate in 2010 to receive a tax credit for that tax year.

Thanks to special tax measures designed to benefit charities and people who donate to them, donations made to registered charities provide Canadians a valuable tax credit to help reduce their tax burden and an incentive to support the important work being done in their communities.

According to the example provided in the news release, donating $200 to charity provides a tax credit of 15% of the total and for donations over $200 the tax credit goes up to 29%.

"Donating to registered charities is truly a win-win situation. Donors receive tax relief and charities continue to carry out work in the community," continued Minister Ashfield, "Our government encourages individuals to support the important work registered charities do each year".

In order for Canadians to receive the full tax credit for their charitable donations they must make them before the end of 2010 and they must also be sure to get a receipt from the registered charity.

For more information on donating to charities and receiving these tax credits, you are encouraged to visit the CRA web site at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca.

Donations for victims of earthquake in Haiti

Canada Revenue Agency News Release regarding Donations for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti:

In the wake of an earthquake that devasted the country of Haiti earlier this week, the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture and Agri-Food), has a message for Canadians who plan to donate: be an informed donor. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is encouraging potential donors to go to www.cra.gc.ca/donors and consult the CRA's charities listing to confirm a charity's registered status.

"Canadians have opened their hearts and their wallets in the wake of the terrible tragedy in Haiti," said Minister Blackburn. "When Canadians decide to donate, they do so with the best of intentions. Sadly, there are some who would exploit the generosity of Canadians. I would like to remind Canadians that there are resources on the CRA Web site that may be of assistance, including a listing of all registered charities. Recognizing the contributions that individual Canadians have started making and will continue to make in the days ahead, I encourage all Canadians to be informed donors and donate wisely."

The CRA is reminding Canadians who plan to give to a registered charity to go to www.cra.gc.ca/donors or call 1-800-267-2384 for tips on how to be an informed donor.

For more information, go to www.cra.gc.ca.

'Tis the season for charitable giving

The following news releases is available from the CRA Web site.

Ottawa, Ontario, December 9, 2009... The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture and Agri-Food), has a message for Canadians who donate to charity: "Be an informed donor." The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is reminding Canadians who plan to give to a registered charity this holiday season to go to www.cra.gc.ca/donors or call 1-800-267-2384 for tips on how to be an informed donor.

"While the CRA is actively engaged in educating registered charities on their obligations under the Income Tax Act, it is also concerned with educating Canadians on the importance of being an informed donor," said Minister Blackburn. "The CRA is committed to supporting the invaluable work of Canadian charities by providing Canadians with information that will enhance donor confidence and reduce cases of fraud in the charitable sector."

As the regulator of registered charities under the Income Tax Act, the CRA has designed Web pages to help donors make informed decisions when giving to charity.

More information on this and other CRA news releases is available via:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/nwsrm/rlss/2009/m12/nr091209-eng.html

CRA News Release: launch of Webinar pilot project for charities

Now available on the Canada Revenue Agency web site, the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue announced the launch of pilot Charities Information Webinars as part of the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) Small and Rural Charities (SARC) Initiative.

"The CRA recognizes the unique needs of small and rural charities and is providing another useful learning tool for Canadian charities," said Minister Blackburn. "We know that the majority of charities are small, and operate through the goodwill of volunteers who give their time and passion to work for a charity they believe in. The Government of Canada will continue to listen and to respond to the needs of these charities in support of the valuable services they provide in communities across Canada."

According to the news release:

"Beginning in the fall of 2009, the CRA will offer registered charities four information Webinars a month, two in French and two in English, on a variety of subjects. The pilot project will last for one year and provide a convenient interactive forum for registered charities to get the information they need to comply with the tax rules for registered charities."

For more information, see the CRA web site:

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/nwsrm/rlss/2009/m06/nr090603b-eng.html

CRA revokes the registered status of Little League Baseball Canada

In a news release on the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) web site, the CRA has revoked the status of Little League Baseball Canada as a registered Canadian amateur athletic association (RCAAA), effective January 10, 2009. According to the web site, the following notice of revocation was published in the Canada Gazette:

"For issuing more than $82 million in donation receipts for abusive transactions arising from its role as a participant in a tax shelter arrangement that, in the opinion of the Minister, do not qualify as gifts, notice is hereby given, pursuant to paragraph 168(1)(d) of the Income Tax Act, that I propose to revoke the registration of the organization listed below. In accordance with subsection 168(2) of the Income Tax Act, the revocation of registration is effective on the date of publication of this notice."

For more information on this news release, please see the CRA web site at:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/nwsrm/rlss/2009/m01/nr090112b-eng.html

Charitable status revoked for The Millennium Charitable Foundation

According to a news release published on the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website, the CRA has revoked the charitable registration of The Millennium Charitable Foundation, a Toronto-area charity, effective January 10, 2009.

In accordance with subsection 168(1) of the Income Tax Act, the notice of intent to revoke stated, in part, that:

"Our audit has concluded that from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2006 The Millennium Charitable Foundation issued in excess of $169 million in receipts for cash and property received through tax shelter arrangements. The Charity, in turn, directed $114 million of the cash and property to two other registered charities also participating in these arrangements. The audit revealed that the vast majority of the cash sent to the other participant charities was subsequently paid to the promoters. Of the remainder, the Charity itself paid $33 million in fundraising fees to the tax shelter promoters and retained, but did not disburse, $21 million in net assets. In fact, it appears that beyond these transfers (i.e., those that the Charity is directed to make by the tax shelter promoters), the Charity has only made a single $2,200 gift to another qualified donee."

For more information on this or other CRA news release, please see the agency web site.

Protecting the money given to charity

The Canada Revenue Agency has provided a news releases assuring Canadians that they can be confident in their charitable giving. The CRA encourages donors to become more informed about charitable organizations by accessing resources on the CRA website to research registered charities before you donate.

“The Canada Revenue Agency works to support charitable giving in Canada by helping donors make informed choices about the charities they support, and warning Canadians about organizations that are not playing by the rules,” says Minister O'Connor.

Most of the approximately 83,000 charities registered in Canada abide by the tax laws. When non-compliance is suspected based on public complaints or the information provided on annual information returns, the CRA undertakes an audit. Last year, 847 charities were selected for audit and as a result the CRA revoked the charitable status of 27 organizations for serious infractions of the law. Many additional charities also lost their charitable status for failure to file their annual return.

The CRA Charities Listings is available at www.cra.gc.ca/donors. The site allows you to search for any charity to view its annual information returns and verify that the charity you wish to donate to is registered.

CRA News release - Be an Informed Donor

According to the Canada Revenue Agency web site, tips for protecting individuals from fraud when donating to registered charities will be shared through public notices that will be published in newspapers across Canada beginning the week of November 19, 2007.

"Canadians are very generous people. As a matter of fact, close to 5.8 million Canadians claimed donations to registered charities on their income tax returns last year", said Gordon O'Connor, Minister of National Revenue. "As a government, we have taken steps to encourage charitable giving and to inform Canadians on the ways that they can ensure that every dollar given to charity has the maximum possible impact and stays out of the hands of fraudsters."

The public education initiative aims to help donors become more informed by accessing CRA resources such as the CRA Charities Listings (available at www.cra.gc.ca/donors) to research registered charities before they give.

For more information, please see:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/newsroom/releases/2007/nov/nr071120b-e.html

Revenue Agency supports innovative approach to educating charities

The Canada Revenue Agency recently issued a news release announcing the implementation of a new contribution agreement, signed by the Canada Revenue Agency and Carleton University’s Centre for Voluntary Sector Research and Development.

According to the CRA web site, under the contribution agreement the Centre for Voluntary Sector Research and Development will deliver training programs to assist other charities in meeting their tax obligations.

"This is the second contribution agreement signed under the Canada Revenue Agency’s Charities Partnership and Outreach Program, which supports compliance-related education and training projects for charities. The contribution agreement will provide $1.35M in funding over three years."

For more information on this news release and how the federal government is working with the voluntary sector to improve the regulation of the charitable sector, please view the full text of the news release online or view the CRA’s Web site at http://www.cra.gc.ca/charities.

CRA News Release: $2 million program for charities, non-profit organizations

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) web site has issued a news release indicating that the Minister of National Revenue, the Honourable Carol Skelton, has announced that registered charities and non-profit organizations can apply for funding through the Charities Partnership and Outreach Program. Successful applicants will deliver education and training to registered charities on Canada's Income Tax Act.

“Canada's New Government supports this innovative program which ensures Canada's charities are thoroughly educated on the legislative and regulatory obligations of the Income Tax Act,” said Minister Skelton. “It is important that Canadians are confident that charities are following the rules, and their donations are used for the intended charitable purposes.”

For more information, please see the CRA web site at:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/newsroom/releases/2006/oct/nr061031b-e.html

contribution agreement with Nova Scotia charity

The Canada Revenue Agency announced the signing of a contribution agreement with the Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia (LISNS) "that will see charities create educational programs to support other charities in their efforts to meet their regulatory obligations." The announcement was made by Gerald Keddy, Member of Parliament for South Shore-St. Margaret's, on behalf of the Honourable Carol Skelton, Minister of National Revenue.

According to the CRA web site, "this is the first contribution agreement signed under the Canada Revenue Agency's (CRA) Charities Partnership and Outreach program, which will support compliance-related education and training projects for charities."

The Charities Partnership and Outreach Program is an important part of the Canada Revenue Agency's efforts to modernize the regulation of charities.

For more information on this news release, please see the CRA web site at:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/newsroom/releases/2006/august/nr060831-e.html

New funding program for charities

The Minister of National Revenue has launched the Charities Partnership and Outreach Program, a funding program designed to support education and training projects for charities. The program has been created to raise awareness of regulatory obligations of charities under the Income Tax Act, improve the development and delivery of compliance-based education programs by the voluntary sector, and to increase regulatory compliance. Up to $3 million in funds will be available to the voluntary sector annually for education and training on charities regulation.

For more information, see the CRA web site at:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/newsroom/releases/2005/may/0517charities-e.html