What has happened?

On December 30, the Government of Canada announced that it intends to extend the 2024 charitable donation deadline from December 31, 2024 to February 28, 2025. This would mean that gifts made until the end of February would qualify for a 2024 charitable tax receipt. The extension is intended to help address the effects of the recent Canada Post strike, which impacted the year-end fundraising efforts of many charities, including VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.

When does this change come into effect?

The government plans to introduce legislation to put the extension into effect when Parliament resumes on January 27. At this point, the extension is not yet confirmed.

Who is eligible for this extension?

We anticipate the extension will apply to all individuals who make donations to Canadian registered charities on or before the proposed tax deadline of February 28, 2025. We can assume that this extension will also apply to organizations, but this is not yet confirmed. Also yet to be confirmed is if gifts of securities from corporations or numbered companies made during this timeframe will qualify for a 2024 tax receipt, and if estate gifts made during this timeframe will be considered corporate donations.

What if I want to guarantee a 2024 tax receipt for my donation?

As the extension is not yet confirmed, the best way to ensure you are qualified for a 2024 charitable tax receipt is to give by midnight December 31, 2024. You can do so online or by calling our office at 604-875-4676. Please note, our offices will close as of 3:30 p.m. PT today, Dec 31, 2024. It is likely that donations made between Jan 1-Feb 28, 2025 will qualify for a 2024 charitable tax receipt. However, we cannot guarantee this until the legislative amendments pass.

About VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation

VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation partners with donors to raise essential funds for specialized adult health care services and research benefiting everyone in BC, supporting Vancouver General Hospital, UBC Hospital, GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, and Vancouver Community Health Services.