Canada’s prime ministers are calling on the federal government to extend the deadline for claiming charitable donations on tax returns until the end of February.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford made the request in a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his capacity as president of the federal council on Christmas Eve.
“Charitable organizations across Canada rely on year-end donations to support their work 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 are reporting a significant drop in mail donations during what is typically their busiest time of the year. They blame the Canada Post strike, which halted mail deliveries for a month starting in mid-November, and prevented donors from sending checks the old-fashioned way.
Prime Ministers have asked the federal government to extend the deadline from the end of the year to the end of February 2025, allowing donors to send checks later than usual and still receive a deduction for the 2024 tax year. Become.
Multiple charities say the Canada Post strike is hurting their annual donation efforts as they are unable to send out pamphlets, pick up cash or receive donation checks in the mail.
The prime minister echoed the call from the chief executives of Canada’s three leading charities – Cooperation Canada, Imagine Canada and the Canadian Federation of Health Charities – who published an article in Monday’s Hill Times. He is a co-author of the editorial.
“The effects of the postal strike will be felt well into 2025,” the group wrote. “Extending the donation window until the first quarter of 2025 is a simple and effective solution to provide immediate relief and help charities recover lost revenue.”
The Salvation Army has reported a more than 50% drop in holiday donations this year as a result of the strike, and is also pushing for an extension of the tax deadline.
“We believe this is about doing the right thing for people who need help every day, and we are grateful to the Prime Minister for understanding the importance of this,” said Lt.-Col. spoke. John Murray Charity Spokesperson.
Mr Murray said he was “cautiously optimistic” that results could be achieved if Prime Ministers added their voice to the call, but that charities would otherwise have to “thoroughly review the services they can provide in 2025”. He said that it was necessary to evaluate the
The Canadian Postal Workers Union, which represents more than 55,000 members, launched an employment action on Nov. 15 over issues including how to staff proposed weekend delivery shifts.
Postal workers were ordered back to work on Dec. 17 after the Canada Industrial Relations Board declared the two sides are at an impasse and it will be impossible to reach an agreement by the end of the year.
The post office began accepting new mail two days later. But by then, time was running out for donors to send in their checks.
Murray said mail-in appeals are particularly effective because the Army’s core donors are over 55 and more likely to rely on the postal service.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
