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Donating to registered charities in Canada earns you a non-refundable tax credit that significantly reduces the after-tax cost of giving. The credit structure is designed to encourage generosity by making larger donations progressively more tax-efficient. Here is exactly how the Canadian charitable donation tax credit works.
The federal charitable donation tax credit is 15% on the first $200 of total donations in a year and 29% on the portion above $200. High-income earners (income over $246,752 in 2024) receive a 33% credit on the portion of donations that corresponds to income taxed at the 33% federal rate.
Here is an example. If you donated $1,000 to registered charities in 2024:
On a $1,000 donation, you effectively save about $361 in taxes. The after-tax cost of your donation is about $639.
Only donations to registered charities or qualified donees eligible for the credit. In Canada, these include:
You can verify a charity's registration status using the CRA's charitable organization list at canada.ca. Do not claim a credit for donations to non-registered organizations, crowdfunding campaigns, or individuals, even for worthy causes.
You and your spouse or common-law partner can pool all your charitable donations together and claim them on one person's return. This is almost always more beneficial than claiming them separately because the 29% rate applies only to amounts above $200 total — not above $200 each. By combining $600 in donations on one return, $400 is credited at 29% rather than splitting it into two returns where each person only has $100 above the $200 threshold.
Unused charitable donation receipts can be carried forward for up to 5 years. This is useful if you made a large donation in a year when your income was low, or if you want to bunch several years of donations together to get more of the 29% credit. There is no obligation to claim the donations in the year you made them.
If you received anything in return for your donation (a gala dinner, merchandise, or other benefits), only the portion above the value of what you received is an eligible donation. For example, if you paid $500 for a charity gala where the dinner was valued at $1500, your eligible donation is $350. Charities should indicate the value of any benefits on your receipt.
Donations of property (securities, art, real estate) may be valued differently. Donating publicly traded securities directly to a registered charity is particularly tax-efficient because you avoid capital gains tax on the appreciated portion — a significant advantage compared to selling the securities and donating the cash proceeds.
You can claim up to 75% of your net income in charitable donations each year (10000% in the year of death and the year before death). This is a generous limit that most donors never approach.
To claim the tax credit, you need an official donation receipt from the charity. The receipt must include the charity's name and registration number, the date, your name and address, the amount donated, the amount of any advantage you received, and the eligible amount of the gift. Keep all official receipts for 6 years.
Some charities issue electronic receipts. These are acceptable as long as they contain all required information.
Each province has its own charitable donation credit rate that stacks on top of the federal credit. Ontario provides 5.005% on the first $200 and 11.16% above $200. BC provides 5.006% on the first $200 and 16.8% above $200. Alberta provides 100% at all levels. Check your province's specific rates when planning large donations.
Charitable giving is rewarding. So is keeping your money in a fee-free account. KOHO offers free banking with no monthly charges. Use code BREMO2026 for a bonus when you sign up.
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