No. Receipting carries with it a certain administrative burden, and receipted donations increase a registered charity's spending obligation. Therefore, registered charities may choose to issue receipts according to certain criteria, or they may choose not to issue receipts at all.
- Some registered charities set minimum donation thresholds for receipting. Others do not provide receipts during certain fundraising events.
- Remember that donors cannot claim a charitable tax credit or deduction unless they are issued an official donation receipt. Therefore, registered charities are strongly advised to make potential donors aware of any circumstances in which a receipt will not be issued.
There is no requirement in the Income Tax Act for a registered charity to issue an official donation receipt or that it issue a receipt within a certain timeframe.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) suggests that registered charities issue receipts by February 28 of the calendar year that follows the year of the donation. This allows individual taxpayers to claim their donations on their annual income tax returns.
A registered charity may issue receipts periodically through the year or, for cash donations, issue one cumulative receipt for the year.
A separate receipt must be issued for each gift in kind (non-cash) donation.
How can a charity correct errors on printed receipts?
We recommend that a registered charity use a stamp that clearly shows a change of name, address, or registration number if it wants to use its remaining stock of official donation receipts before ordering a new supply. The charity should also make sure that any incorrect information is crossed out, either by stamp or by hand.
How can a charity replace a lost or spoiled receipt?
To replace a lost receipt, a registered charity can issue a replacement, which must contain all the required information plus the serial number of the lost receipt. The replacement receipt should also state that it "cancels and replaces the lost receipt." The charity's copy of the lost receipt should be kept and marked "cancelled."
For a spoiled receipt, a registered charity can issue a new receipt but must keep the original copies (both the donor's and charity's) marked "cancelled".
