Harper Government encourages Canadians to donate generously this holiday season and take advantage of the first-time donor's super credit

News Release

Minister Findlay reminds Canadians that you have until December 31st to make a charitable donation to benefit from a tax deduction on 2014 tax return

December 17, 2014 Vancouver, BC Canada Revenue Agency

The Honourable Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Minister of National Revenue, today joined representatives from the Ronald McDonald House BC to celebrate and thank the volunteers and donors who support this worthy cause and so many others across Canada, particularly during the holiday season. The Minister encouraged Canadians to take advantage of the first-time donor’s super credit to help make a difference in their communities during the holiday season by giving to a charity of their choice.

The first-time donor’s super credit was introduced in 2013, to increase the value of the charitable donation tax credit by 25% for eligible first-time donors. Individuals eligible for the super credit can get a one-time 40 percent federal tax credit for monetary donations of $200 or less, and a 54 percent federal tax credit for the portion of donations that are over $200, up to a maximum of $1,000. This is in addition to the provincial credits available.

Minister Findlay also reminded Canadians to donate wisely and research a charity before donating. Only Canadian registered charities and other qualified donees can issue official donation tax receipts. To find out if an organization is registered or to find out more about a registered charity’s operations, taxpayers can go to the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) website and search the Charities Listings at cra.gc.ca/charitylists.

Quick facts

Individuals qualify as first-time donors if neither they nor their spouse or common-law partner has claimed a charitable donation tax credit for any year after 2007. The donor super credit applies to monetary donations made after March 20, 2013, up to a maximum of $1,000, and can only be claimed once between 2013 and 2017.
As of July 2014, more than 95,000 individual tax filers have claimed over $20 million in charitable donations for the first-time donor’s super credit.
As of December 31, 2013, there were 86,617 registered charities across Canada.
In 2012, registered charities issued receipts representing more than $14 billion in donations.
According to Statistics Canada, in 2010 almost half of all Canadians volunteered, giving more than two billion hours of their time.
For over 30 years, Ronald McDonald House BC has been providing accommodation for seriously ill children and their families when they must travel to Vancouver for their child's major treatment. The new House, which opened on July 7, 2014, will serve 2,500 families each year and offer expanded services for children and families.

Quotes

“The first-time donor’s super credit, introduced by our Government in 2013, helps support Canada’s charitable sector. We want to continue to foster Canada’s culture of giving and to encourage everyone to donate generously to charities that do so much good in our communities.”
- The Honourable Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Minister of National Revenue

“Canadians are well known for supporting those in need, and the holiday season offers the perfect opportunity to donate to a favourite charity. I encourage everyone to donate wisely this holiday season. As the federal regulator of charities, the CRA provides a user-friendly online search tool that lists all registered charities and includes helpful information for Canadians so that they can donate with confidence knowing their charitable dollars are being used for charitable purposes.”
- The Honourable Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Minister of National Revenue

“Encouraging more charitable donations across the country, either through donations or volunteer time, is a great help to many organizations, including ours. The holiday season is a great time for Canadians to show their generosity. We particularly encourage first-time donors to take advantage of the first-time donor’s super credit and start their own giving tradition to help build a better tomorrow for all Canadians.”
- Richard Pass, CEO , Ronald McDonald House BC

“Our mission at the Association of Fundraising Professionals is to advance philanthropy by enabling people and organizations to practice ethical and effective fundraising. We are very pleased with the support the Government of Canada is demonstrating to the charitable sector by encouraging Canadians to donate by offering a First Time Donor's Super Credit.”
- Shantal Cashman, President, AFP Vancouver

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Contacts

Rebecca Rogers
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of National Revenue
613-995-2960

Noel Carisse
Media Relations
Canada Revenue Agency
613-952-9184

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2016-12-14

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Harper Government encourages Canadians to donate generously this holiday season and take advantage of the first-time donor's super credit

News Release

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