TORONTO — Canada's premiers are calling on the federal government to extend the deadline for claiming charitable donations on tax returns through to the end of February. Ontario Premier Doug Ford made the request in a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Christmas Eve, sent in his capacity as chair of the Council of the Federation. "Charitable organizations across Canada depend on year-end fundraising to support their operations throughout the year," Ford wrote.
"However, this year's efforts have been severely impacted by the Canada Post strike, which has prevented donors from making their usual holiday donations." Charities have reported major declines in mail-in donations during what's typically their busiest time of year. They blame the Canada Post strike, which brought letter mail to a standstill for a month starting in mid-November, preventing donors from sending cheques the old-fashioned way.
The premiers are requesting that the federal government extend the deadline from the end of the year to the end of February 2025, which would allow donors to send their cheques later than usual but still get credited for the 2024 tax year. The premiers are echoing calls from chief executives of three groups that represent Canadian charities – Cooperation Canada, Imagine Canada and the Health Charities Coalition of Canada – who co-wrote an op-ed published Monday in The Hill Times. "The effects of the postal strike will be felt well into 2025," the groups wrote.
"Extendin.
