Ford asks Ottawa to extend tax deadline for charitable donations after postal strike
Canada’s premiers have come together to urge the federal government to extend the deadline for claiming charitable donations on tax returns until the end of February. This request was made by Ontario Premier Doug Ford in a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Christmas Eve, in his capacity as chair of the Council of the Federation.
Ford highlighted the impact of the Canada Post strike on charitable organizations across the country, stating that their year-end fundraising efforts have been severely affected. With donors unable to make their usual holiday donations due to the strike, charities have reported significant declines in mail-in donations during what is typically their busiest time of year.
The premiers are calling for the deadline to be extended from the end of the year to the end of February 2025. This extension would allow donors to send their cheques later than usual but still receive credit for the 2024 tax year.
This request aligns with the concerns raised by chief executives of three groups representing Canadian charities – Cooperation Canada, Imagine Canada, and the Health Charities Coalition of Canada. In an op-ed published in The Hill Times, these groups emphasized the need for immediate relief to support the charitable sector in recovering lost revenue caused by the postal strike.
The Salvation Army, which has seen a drop of over 50% in holiday donations this year due to the strike, also supports an extension to the tax deadline. Lt.-Col. John Murray, a spokesman for the charity, expressed gratitude to the premiers for recognizing the importance of this issue. He mentioned that if the deadline is not extended, the charity will have to assess the impact on the services it can offer in 2025.
The Canada Union of Postal Workers initiated the job action on November 15, leading to a halt in letter mail delivery. The strike was resolved on December 17 when the Canada Industrial Relations Board intervened, but by then, time was running out for donors to send in their contributions.
Mail-in appeals are crucial for organizations like the Salvation Army, as their core donors are typically older individuals who rely on postal services for donations. The premiers’ request for an extension aims to alleviate the financial strain on charities caused by the strike.
As of now, there has been no response from Prime Minister Trudeau’s office regarding the premiers’ request. The charitable sector remains hopeful that the government will consider their plea for an extended deadline to support their operations and fundraising efforts in the coming year.
