What are registered charities?

A registered charity is a corporate body, trust, or unincorporated association that is established in Canada, is resident in Canada, and is registered under the Income Tax Act as a charitable organization, public foundation, or private foundation. Registered charities are part of a larger group of organizations known as qualified donees, which can issue tax receipts to donors for income tax purposes.

A registered charity is operated for charitable purposes and must devote its resources to charitable activities. For more information, see What is charitable?

Registration exempts a charity from income tax, and allows the charity to issue official donation receipts for income tax purposes. For more information, go to Advantages of registration and Apply to become a registered charity.

Once registered, charities are given a registration number.

To maintain registration, charities must provide a public benefit; they cannot operate for private profit.

Each year, charities must complete and file Form T3010, Registered Charity Information Return. The information on the form is made available to the public in the List of charities, a searchable list of Canadian registered charities.