Maintain religious charities' status
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to keep 'advancement of religion' as a charitable purpose in the Income Tax Act and preserve religious organizations' status. The government responds it is not considering removing that purpose.
Why we would sign this petition
- Keeps donations tax‑advantaged so religious organizations can continue funding community services.
- Preserves charitable status to avoid abrupt legal change and protect operations and donor confidence.
- Maintains a recognized charitable category that supports pluralism where faith‑based groups contribute to the common good.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- A review could clarify whether certain religious activities meet charitable criteria; opposing change may prevent needed clarification.
- Keeping status unchanged could allow some organizations to receive tax benefits for non‑charitable or partisan activities, raising fairness concerns.
- Retaining privileges involves fiscal and oversight trade‑offs; reform could better balance support with accountability.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA WHEREAS the NDP-Liberal dominated Finance Committee just recommended that religious organizations such as churches, synagogues, mosques, gurdwaras, and temples be stripped of charitable status. WHEREAS recommendation 430 of the report endorsed by all parties EXCEPT the Conservatives calls on the government to "Amend the Income Tax Act to provide a definition of a charity which would remove the privileged status of 'advancement of religion' as a charitable purpose." WHEREAS religious organizations do good work advancing the common good, in Canada and beyond, and rely on charitable status to support their good work through private donations. WE, THE UNDERSIGNED THE RESIDENTS OF OXFORD, call on the Canadian government to reject the absurd mean-spirited attack on religious organizations recommended by the NDP-Liberal dominated Finance Committee.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Finance and National Revenue Signed by The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne The Government of Canada recognizes the vital role that charities, including religious charities, play in delivering essential services to some of the most vulnerable in Canadian society. To support their important work, registered charities are granted significant tax benefits and privileges, including the ability to issue official donation receipts for the gifts they receive. Under the Income Tax Act, an organization may only qualify for charitable registration where it is established exclusively for charitable purposes and devotes all its resources to achieving those purposes. The legal interpretation of “charitable purposes” has developed over time to include the relief of poverty, the advancement of religion, the advancement of education, and other purposes recognized as charitable, such as the promotion of health or the protection of the environment. Today, Canada is home to over 85,000 registered charities, representing a wide variety of causes, beliefs, and interests. Registration as a charity does not indicate government endorsement of an organization’s specific goals or views. Instead, it confirms that the organization meets certain conditions, including that it is constituted and operated exclusively for charitable purposes. These benefits are extended to a broad range of organizations providing socially beneficial activities to the public, from educational institutions to religious organizations, as long as they meet the legal requirements for registration. The Government of Canada is not considering amending the Income Tax Act to remove the advancement of religion as a qualifying charitable purpose, nor is it actively developing policy on this issue.