Three Jehovah’s Witness Congregations Registration Revoked

Summary#

The Canada Revenue Agency published a notice that it will revoke the registered charity status of three local congregations that asked to merge or consolidate with other groups. The revocations under the Income Tax Act take effect on the date the notice appeared in the Canada Gazette: April 20, 2024.

What it does#

• Revokes the registration of these charities (the organizations asked for the revocation because they consolidated or merged):
  • 135405132RR0001 — THE BIGGAR CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES INCORPORATED, Biggar, Saskatchewan
  • 706183910RR0001 — SCARBOROUGH CREOLE CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES, Scarborough/Toronto, Ontario
  • 747810117RR0001 — HIGHLANDS CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES, Lethbridge, Alberta
• The notice says a “notice of intention to revoke” was sent to each charity and that the revocation is effective on the publication date (April 20, 2024).
• The notice is signed by Sharmila Khare, Director General, Charities Directorate.

Who's affected#

• Donors to the listed congregations, who may be affected if they expect official charitable donation receipts after April 20, 2024.
• People or communities who received services or programs from these congregations.
• The organizations that these congregations merged or consolidated into (not named in the notice).
• Accountants, tax preparers and anyone tracking charity registrations in these communities.

The notice does not say which organizations the congregations merged into or how any assets or activities were transferred.

Why it matters#

• A revoked registration means the organization is no longer a registered charity under the Income Tax Act, which generally affects the ability to issue official donation receipts for tax purposes.
• Donors and recipients should check with the charities or the merged organizations to confirm how donations and services will be handled going forward.
• For public records and transparency, the revocation updates the official list of active registered charities.