Did you donate to a charity? You may be able to claim a charitable donation tax credit

Did you know?

If you donated to a registered Canadian charity or other qualified recipient that provides official donation receipts, you may qualify for a charitable donation tax credit.

Where do you get an official donation receipt?

To claim a charitable donation tax credit, you must get an official donation receipt from a registered Canadian charity or other qualified donee. Examples of qualified donees are Registered Canadian amateur athletic associations, Registered Canadian municipalities, and the United Nations and its agencies. To see whether a charity you want to donate to is registered and eligible to give official donation receipts, use the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Charities Listings at www.cra.gc.ca/charitylists, or use the MyCRA mobile app.

You should keep your official donation receipts for six years, from the end of the tax year for which they are claimed, in case the CRA asks to see them.

What donations qualify for a charitable donation tax credit?

Donations of cash, goods, land, or listed securities to a registered charity or other qualified donee are eligible for a charitable donation tax credit. In order to qualify, there must be a voluntary transfer of property. So if you contribute services such as time, skill, or effort, give the price of a lottery ticket or other chance to win a prize, or pay a basic fee for admission to an event or program (for example, fees for daycare or nursery school), your donation will not qualify for a charitable donation tax credit.

How do you calculate your charitable donation tax credit?

To calculate your charitable donation tax credit, you first need to figure out the eligible amount of your charitable donations. Once you have figured out the eligible amount, you must then decide how much of that amount you want to claim. In any one tax year, you can claim all of the following:

donations made by December 31 of that year
any unclaimed donations made in the previous five years
any unclaimed donations your spouse or common-law partner made in the year or in the previous five years

You can claim the eligible amount of donations up to 75% of your net income. For gifts of certified cultural property or ecologically sensitive land, you may be able to claim up to 100% of your net income.

For a quick estimate of your charitable donation tax credit for the current tax year, use the Charitable donation tax credit calculator on the CRA website, or use the MyCRA mobile app.

Are you a first-time donor?

If you are a first-time donor, you may qualify for the first-time donor's super credit. This credit supplements the value of your charitable donation tax credit by 25% on donations made after March 20, 2013.

The first-time donor's super credit applies to a gift of money, up to $1,000, made after March 20, 2013. It is for one tax year from 2013 to 2017. You will be considered a first-time donor if neither you nor your spouse or common-law partner (if you have one) has claimed and been allowed a charitable donation tax credit for any year after 2007.

For more information on charities, donations, and charitable donation tax credits, go to www.cra.gc.ca/charities.

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