The Canada Revenue Agency has recently declared that as of March 31, 2019 all official charitable donations receipts must include the name and website address of the Canada Revenue Agency – www.canada.ca/charities-giving.

The purpose of this post is to provide details dealing with other information required to be included.

This information applies to charitable receipts for both cash gifts and non-cash gifts.

Definition of Benefits

The amount eligible for a charitable receipt given for donation to a charity depends upon whether a benefit (CRA uses the term “advantage”) was received by the donor. In the case of a donation with a benefit to a donor, the amount of the benefit must be subtracted from the amount of the gift. The remaining value is called the eligible amount of the gift. The eligible amount of the gift is the amount that a donor can claim for income tax purposes. For example, if a donor pays $100 to attend a fundraiser dinner and gets a meal valued at $50, the value of the meal must be subtracted from the donation. Therefore, the eligible amount for the charitable receipt would be $50.

Receipts for cash gifts must contain the following information

• a statement that the receipt is an official receipt for income tax purposes,
• the name and address of the Charity as on file with the Canada Revenue Agency,
• the unique serial receipt number,
• the registration number issued by the Canada Revenue Agency,
• the location where the receipt was issued (city, town, municipality),
• the date the gift was received,
• the date the receipt was issued,
• the full name of the donor including the middle initial if the donor is an individual,
• the address of the donor,
• the amount of the gift,
• the amount and description of any advantage (benefit) received by the donor,
• the eligible amount of the gift,
• the signature of an individual authorized by the charity to acknowledge gifts, and
• the name and website address of the Canada Revenue Agency. (www.canada.ca/charities-giving)

Receipts for non-cash gifts must also include

• the date the gift was received if not already stated,
• a brief explanation of the gift received by the charity,
• the name and address of the appraiser if the gift was appraised, and
• the value of non-cash gifts based on the fair market value at the time the gift was made.

Examples of cash and non-cash receipts that comply with the Income Tax Act and its regulations can be found at this link.

About the Authors:

Michel is a partner in the Saskatoon office where he has practical experience in corporate and commercial law, not for profit and charities law, real estate, wills, estate planning and probate, employment law and civil litigation.

Michel was assisted in the preparation of this post by McKercher LLP summer student, Elliott Peterson.

About McKercher LLP:

McKercher LLP is one of Saskatchewan’s largest and most established law firms, with offices in Saskatoon and Regina. Our deep roots and client-first philosophy have led to our firm ranking in the top 5 in Saskatchewan by Canadian Lawyer magazine (2017/18). Integrity, experience and capacity provide innovative solutions for our clients’ diverse legal issues and complex business transactions.

This post is for information purposes only and should not be taken as legal opinions on any specific facts or circumstances.  Counsel should be consulted concerning your own situation and any specific legal questions you may have.