Many Canadian registered charities have a December 31 fiscal year-end. These calendar year-end charities, need to ensure that they can accurately and completely file their T3010 by June 30 of this year.

Here are a few suggestions:

-For smaller and simpler registered charities start the process for reviewing the information required and accumulating the information about 2 months before the filing deadline. Try to file at least two weeks prior to the deadline. For larger and more complicated organizations, you should review the information required before the fiscal year even begins and then probably start preparing draft forms about 2-3 months before the filing deadline. For larger groups that have audited financial statements, make sure that the audits are done soon enough to allow time for the completion of the T3010. Although CRA does not require audited financial statements, it is best to have them completed and accepted prior to filing.

-Make sure that your charity is on the CRA MyBA system so that it can electronically file the T3010. This reduces errors and also speeds up the availability of the information to the public.

-Read the T3010 guide, not just the form, to more accurately file the form.

-Filing it accurately is important as your registered charity can be suspended from issuing receipts or receiving gifts if the form is not accurate. Moreover, the 2021 Federal budget changed the ITA to allow CRA to revoke a registered charity that filed a deliberately incorrect T3010.

-Have the form reviewed in larger and more complicated charities by the finance department, programs area, governance staff, fundraising, accounting, internal and external legal counsel who are familiar with the form and charity regulation.

-It is also a good idea for the board of directors of a charity to be provided with a draft copy of the T3010 before it is filed. Board members should be aware of what is included in the T3010 and they may raise important issues about disclosure.

Keep in mind that the T3010 only asks for limited information and it is important if your charity wishes to be transparent that you provide more information than only what is included in the T3010. Here are some thoughts on being transparent.

We probably review about 100 T3010s a year for clients before they file them.  In more than 90% of cases, we find significant mistakes in their draft forms. It is much easier to fix a mistake in a T3010, rather than to try and amend it later. If you wish to retain our firm to review your T3010 filing, please try to do it early and not close to the deadline. We will also need to have more than just the T3010 form, but also all schedules and financial statements to be able to review it. With the T3010 being the most important transparency disclosure for registered charities, it is important that it is completed thoughtfully and correctly.

For those who are interested, we have a course “Transparency in the Canadian Charitable Sector and the T3010 Registered Charity Information Return“. From now until June 30, 2022, you can obtain a 20% discount using the code T3010June2022.

CRA recently sent out a reminder to charities about the June 30 filing deadline:

The June 30 filing deadline is fast approaching!

If your charity’s fiscal year ended on December 31, the deadline to file your T3010 annual information return is June 30.

As this deadline approaches, we encourage all charities to file their return using our digital services for charities offered through My Business Account (MyBA). If you haven’t done so already, sign up for MyBA, or if you are an authorized representative, sign up for Represent a Client.

We’re here to help

For tips on completing your return, you can visit our T3010 charity return – Overview page or refer to our comprehensive guide on Completing the Registered Charity Information Return.

For step-by-step instructions on registering for MyBA, please visit My business account for charities.

And of course, our client service team is here to support you. If you require assistance completing your return or using digital services, please call us at 1-800-267-2384. Our representatives are standing by to help you Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, local time.