Multiple Charities' Registrations Revoked

Summary#

On January 18, 2020, the Canada Revenue Agency published a Canada Gazette notice saying it has revoked the charitable registration of a long list of organizations under the Income Tax Act. The notice says each listed organization asked for its registration to be revoked, and the revocations are effective on the date of publication (January 18, 2020).

What it does#

• Announces that the charitable registration of the organizations named in the Gazette has been revoked.
• Says each organization requested the revocation.
• Makes those revocations effective on January 18, 2020 (the publication date).
• Lists the affected organizations by business number, name and location in the Gazette notice.

Who's affected#

• The specific organizations named in the Gazette (examples include PIVOT 613 in Ottawa, THE SALVATION ARMY DOVER CORPS in Dover, N.L., FRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA MUSEUMS in Edmonton, and PIPELINE CHURCH in Victoria). The full list appears in the Canada Gazette notice.
• People who donate to these groups or who expected to receive official donation receipts from them. The Gazette does not spell out next steps for donors.
• Funders, volunteers or clients of these groups who may be affected if the organization changes how it operates after losing registered charity status.

Why it matters#

• Losing registered charity status usually means an organization can no longer issue official tax receipts for donations. That matters to donors who claim charitable tax credits.
• It can affect an organization’s ability to get some grants, tax advantages, or certain kinds of funding that require registered charity status.
• In this case, the Gazette says the revocations were at the charities’ own requests, so these are not reported as enforcement actions. The notice does not explain why each charity asked for revocation or what specific local impacts (if any) will follow.