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Charities Connection

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CRA news, information, and events for registered charities

Charities Connection is an electronic publication that gives registered charities information on technical issues, new guidance and policy changes, CRA initiatives, and reminders.

No. 12 – June 2012

Budget 2012 - Changes affecting charities and other qualified donees

Go to Budget 2012 - Enhancing transparency and accountability for charities. There, you will find important information about new rules for registered charities that engage in political activities, and the registration of foreign charitable organizations. We will update the site with new information as it becomes available.

Charity Quick View and your charity

Starting August 1, 2012, Charity Quick View, an innovative on-line resource, will display information filed by your charity. We encourage you to visit the CRA Charities Listings and review the information we have posted about your charity to make sure that it is correct. If you find any errors, ask us to correct the return by completing Form T1240, Registered Charity Adjustment Request.

Charities Information Sessions and webinars: New schedule

Our Charities Information Sessions and webinars are an excellent opportunity for your volunteers, staff, and board members to learn about your charity’s compliance obligations.

This year sessions were held in the spring and more are scheduled this fall (September and October). In August we will announce the dates and locations for the fall sessions.

Starting this year, webinars will be held throughout the year, whenever a new presentation is available. If you miss a webinar, you can watch a recorded version by going to Recorded webinars and selecting the topic of your choice.

Subscribe to our electronic mailing list and find out as soon as possible when registration opens for new Charities Information Sessions and webinars.

Registered Charity Basic Information Sheet (TF725)

Form TF725, Registered Charity Basic Information Sheet (BIS) is an important part of the information return package. The BIS is a two-sided form:

One side has peel-off labels to attach to all documents that are part of your charity’s completed information return.
The other side shows public information about your charity, which is posted on our Charities Listings.

Foundations, governments, and other potential donors rely on this information to learn about your charity’s programs and how to contact you.

You can change most of the information on your BIS by entering new or corrected information in the appropriate box. However, you must send a letter with supporting documentation if you want to change your legal name, designation, or fiscal period-end.

Every charity must file a complete information return, including Form T3010-1, Registered Charity Information Return, and financial statements, no later than six months after the end of its fiscal period. If your charity has a fiscal period that ended December 31, 2011, and you have not received your information return package, Contact the Charities Directorate.

Don’t forget to send us your BIS as part of your completed information return. For more information about the BIS and completing your return, go to Annual information return (T3010).

Good feedback leads to better advice

Thanks to the feedback received from donors and registered charities, we have revised How to donate wisely, (Leaflet RC4407).

This free leaflet now contains tax tips and information about:

the Canada Revenue Agency’s role in regulating charities; and
how to avoid fraud.

We encourage your charity to include a copy with your donor’s official donation tax receipt. You can also display copies in your office.

For your convenience, you can order this leaflet in English and French. The leaflet is also available in Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, and Urdu. To order copies, use our online order form or call
1-800-959-8281.

To learn more about donating wisely, visit www.cra.gc.ca/donors.

Guidance products

Fundraising guidance update

We have updated our fundraising guidance CG-013, Fundraising by Registered Charities. It reflects the feedback we received from the voluntary sector. Our fundamental position on fundraising has not changed—a charity can still devote some of its resources to fundraising activities. We did, however, clarify several issues, including:

the basis for our jurisdiction over fundraising-related activities;
the different types of unacceptable fundraising;
the allocation of fundraising expenses; and
the importance of the fundraising ratio.

All those responsible for a charity’s fundraising practices, or those considering taking on this role, should read this guidance to learn what is acceptable.

Helping you understand the rules

If your charity plans on carrying out new activities or wants to know the rules about operating a charity, you can refer to our Policies and guidance webpages. The information on these pages will help you understand the requirements of the Income Tax Act and the common law that apply to your registered charity.

Your opinion counts

We try to make guidance products easy to understand and use. If you have concerns or suggestions, we want to hear from you! Your comments will improve how we help charities follow the rules. Go to Ongoing feedback on existing policies and guidance, and make your opinion count.