Charity Registrations Revoked after Mergers

Summary#

The Canada Revenue Agency has published a notice that it will revoke the charitable registration of six charities that asked to be removed after consolidating or merging with other groups. The revocations take effect on November 4, 2023 under the Income Tax Act.

What it does#

• Removes the registered-charity status for the organizations listed below because they consolidated or merged and requested revocation.
• The revocation is effective on the date the notice appeared in the Canada Gazette: November 4, 2023.
• The notice in the Gazette was signed by Sharmila Khare, Director General, Charities Directorate.

Affected organisations (Business number — name, location):

• 140685751RR0001 — ALZHEIMER SOCIETY OF HURON COUNTY INC., Clinton, Ontario
• 715576112RR0001 — HEAVEN SCENT WILDLIFE REHABILITATION INCORPORATED, Hawarden, Saskatchewan
• 758460885RR0001 — PHILADELPHIA CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES, TORONTO, ONTARIO, Toronto, Ontario
• 764944880RR0001 — PINNACLE RIDGE CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES, GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALBERTA, Grande Prairie, Alberta
• 797737475RR0001 — ASSEMBLÉE DES TÉMOINS DE JÉHOVAH DE SHERBROOKE-ESTRIE SWAHILI, Sherbrooke, Quebec
• 899967012RR0001 — THE HANNA CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES, Hanna, Alberta

Who's affected#

• The six charities named above and the organizations they merged into or consolidated with.
• Donors to those charities — especially anyone expecting to claim official donation receipts.
• People who relied on those charities’ services or programs.
• Accountants, tax preparers, and the charities’ administrators who handle records and filings.

If it’s unclear which merged entity now holds the charitable registration or assets, people should contact the charity (if possible) or the Canada Revenue Agency for details.

Why it matters#

• A revoked registration means the organization is no longer a registered charity. That can affect whether donations to it are eligible for official tax receipts.
• People who gave recently or who use services provided by these groups may need to check who now runs the charity’s programs and where records (like donation receipts) are kept.
• This is generally an administrative result of consolidation or merger, not necessarily a sign of wrongdoing. If details about the merger or the new charity are not clear in the notice, affected parties may need to contact the organizations involved or the Canada Revenue Agency for more information.