Quebec to follow Ottawa on extending deadline for declaring donations

Quebec is prepared to follow Ottawa's lead and extend the deadline for declaring charitable donations to the end of February in order to mitigate the effects of this autumn's postal service disruption.

On Tuesday, the Finance Minister's office announced the government's intention to amend Quebec's tax system so that charitable donations made up to Feb. 28, 2025 will be eligible for tax assistance for the 2024 taxation year.

This announcement follows that of the federal government the day before.

Ottawa plans to table a bill at the start of the new parliamentary session to amend the Income Tax Act and implement this extension.

The aim is to give donors enough time to ensure that their contributions are received and processed, despite the Canada Post strike that halted mail delivery for a month before the holidays.

“Charities play an essential role in Quebec by lending a helping hand to citizens in need. Our goal today is to mitigate the impact that Canada Post's service disruption has had on their fundraising campaigns,” said Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard in a news release.

There are some 86,000 registered charities in Canada that work in a variety of areas, from alleviating poverty to promoting education.

By reporting donations to a recognised charity on their tax return, taxpayers can obtain a tax credit.

The federal government estimates that tax assistance for charitable donations should reach nearly $5 billion by 2024.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 31, 2024.