Books and records for registered journalism organizations

One of the main obligations of registered journalism organizations (RJO) is to keep reliable and complete books and records containing:

• information to allow the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to verify amounts that donors can claim for tax credits or deductions
• information to allow the CRA to confirm that the entity meets the requirements for qualified donee status under the Income Tax Act
• a duplicate of each official donation receipt issued, containing prescribed information for the gift received

Books and records must be kept at the Canadian address that the RJO has on file with the CRA and must be provided to the CRA on request.

Books and records include, but are not limited to:

• governing documents (corporation, partnership, or trust document)
• bylaws
• financial statements
• copies of annual information returns (Form T1000-1)
• written agreements
• contracts
• board and staff meeting minutes
• annual reports
• ledgers
• bank statements
• expense accounts
• inventories
• investment agreements
• accountant's working papers
• payroll records
• promotional materials
• fundraising materials

Books and records also include source documents, such as:

• invoices
• vouchers
• formal contracts
• work orders
• delivery slips
• purchase orders
• bank deposit slips

For more information about keeping books and records, including the types of records that should be kept, retention periods, and electronic records, go to Keeping Records.

Related links

• Applying to become a registered journalism organization
• Advantages and obligations of applying for qualified donee status
• Compliance for registered journalism organizations
• Penalties and suspensions for RJOs