Charity Revocations and Trade Tribunal Notices

Summary#

The Canada Gazette published a set of notices on February 18, 2023 that mostly cover three things: proposed revocations of several charities’ registrations by the Canada Revenue Agency under the Income Tax Act, public-hearing notices from the Canadian International Trade Tribunal about customs classification disputes, and short administrative items from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. The charity notices say the revocations are intended to be effective on the date of publication.

What it does#

• Canada Revenue Agency: publishes notices proposing to revoke the registration of several charities under the Income Tax Act. The listed organizations named in the notices include:

  • CHASDEI LEVY YITZCOK (Business number 817430614RR0001), Montréal (QC)
  • FONDATION ESPRIT DE CORPS (Business number 858531924RR0001), Montréal (QC)
  • H.M.F. CHARITABLE FOUNDATION (Business number 804888105RR0001), Vancouver, B.C.
  • JACOB FOUNDATION (Business number 845455484RR0001), Edmonton, Alta.
  • OSKAR FOUNDATION (Business number 847479102RR0001), Vancouver, B.C.
  • J. C. FROESE FOUNDATION (Business number 850851502RR0001), Edmonton, Alta.
  • The notices were signed by Sharmila Khare, Director General, Charities Directorate, and state the revocations take effect on the publication date (February 18, 2023).

• Canadian International Trade Tribunal: gives notice of appeals and scheduled hearings about how certain imported goods should be classified for customs purposes:

  • G. Grunbaum v. President of the Canada Border Services Agency — dispute over classification of various gold coins. Hearing set for March 21, 2023. The parties list different tariff numbers (for example, 7118.90.00, 9806.00, and 9860.00.00) as the correct classification.
  • FXR Factory Racing Inc. v. President of the Canada Border Services Agency — dispute over classification of FXR modular helmet models 14430 and 14431. Hearing set for March 22, 2023. The tariff items at issue include 6506.10.90 and 6506.10.10.

• Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission: posts brief administrative decisions and a published decision. Items include administrative decisions dated January 27, 2023 and Decision No. 2023-22 (published February 3, 2023) that mention Bell Media and services VRAK and Z across Canada.

Who's affected#

• The charities listed by the Canada Revenue Agency and their donors. If revoked, charities can lose the right to issue official donation receipts and other registered-charity benefits.
• Importers, collectors, or travellers involved with the goods in the tribunal cases — specifically people or businesses dealing with the gold coins at issue and companies selling or importing the FXR helmet models 14430 and 14431. Customs classification affects duties and how goods are treated at the border.
• Broadcasters, media companies, and audiences who follow services mentioned in the CRTC items, such as Bell Media's channels VRAK and Z.
• The notices are formal public steps; if anything is unclear in the listing (for example, the tribunal notice shows different tariff numbers claimed by the parties), that uncertainty comes from the source text.

Why it matters#

• Losing registered charity status matters for charities and donors because it affects tax receipts and the charity’s legal and financial standing.
• Customs classification decisions can change how much duty is charged, whether an item is admissible, or which rules apply. That can affect prices for importers and consumers, and whether a collector’s item is treated as personal effects or commercial goods.
• CRTC administrative decisions and policies shape what broadcasters must do and what viewers can expect from services. Even short administrative items can affect licensing, programming, or the availability of channels.