Income Tax Act

Marginal note:Penalties for charities — carrying on business

• 188.1 (1) Subject to subsection (2), a registered charity is liable to a penalty under this Part equal to 5% of its gross revenue for a taxation year from any business that it carries on in the taxation year, if the registered charity

  • (a) is a private foundation; or

  • (b) is not a private foundation and the business is not a related business in relation to the charity.

• Marginal note:Increased penalty for subsequent assessment

  (2) A registered charity that, less than five years before a particular time, was assessed a liability under subsection (1) or this subsection, for a taxation year, is liable to a penalty under this Part equal to its gross revenue for a subsequent taxation year from any business that, after that assessment and in the subsequent taxation year, it carries on at the particular time if the registered charity

  • (a) is a private foundation; or

  • (b) is not a private foundation and the business is not a related business in relation to the charity.

• Marginal note:Control of corporation by a charitable foundation

  (3) If at a particular time a charitable foundation has acquired control (within the meaning of subsection 149.1(12)) of a particular corporation, the foundation is liable to a penalty under this Part for a taxation year equal to

  • (a) 5% of the total of all amounts, each of which is a dividend received by the foundation from the particular corporation in the taxation year and at a time when the foundation so controlled the particular corporation, except if the foundation is liable under paragraph (b) for a penalty in respect of the dividend; or

  • (b) if the Minister has, less than five years before the particular time, assessed a liability under paragraph (a) or this paragraph for a preceding taxation year of the foundation in respect of a dividend received from any corporation, the total of all amounts, each of which is a dividend received, after the particular time, by the foundation, from the particular corporation, in the taxation year and at a time when the foundation so controlled the particular corporation.

• Marginal note:Undue benefits

  (4) A registered charity that, at a particular time in a taxation year, confers on a person an undue benefit is liable to a penalty under this Part for the taxation year equal to

  • (a) 105% of the amount of the benefit, except if the charity is liable under paragraph (b) for a penalty in respect of the benefit; or

  • (b) if the Minister has, less than five years before the particular time, assessed a liability under paragraph (a) or this paragraph for a preceding taxation year of the charity and the undue benefit was conferred after that assessment, 110% of the amount of the benefit.

• Marginal note:Meaning of undue benefits

  (5) For the purposes of this Part, an undue benefit conferred on a person (referred to in this Part as the “beneficiary”) by a registered charity includes a disbursement by way of a gift or the amount of any part of the income, rights, property or resources of the charity that is paid, payable, assigned or otherwise made available for the personal benefit of any person who is a proprietor, member, shareholder, trustee or settlor of the charity, who has contributed or otherwise paid into the charity more than 50% of the capital of the charity, or who deals not at arm’s length with such a person or with the charity, as well as any benefit conferred on a beneficiary by another person, at the direction or with the consent of the charity, that would, if it were not conferred on the beneficiary, be an amount in respect of which the charity would have a right, but does not include a disbursement or benefit to the extent that it is

  • (a) an amount that is reasonable consideration or remuneration for property acquired by or services rendered to the charity;

  • (b) a gift made, or a benefit conferred, in the course of a charitable act in the ordinary course of the charitable activities carried on by the charity, unless it can reasonably be considered that the eligibility of the beneficiary for the benefit relates solely to the relationship of the beneficiary to the charity; or

  • (c) a gift to a qualified donee.

• Marginal note:Failure to file information returns

  (6) Every registered charity that fails to file a return for a taxation year as and when required by subsection 149.1(14) is liable to a penalty equal to $500.

• Marginal note:Incorrect information

  (7) Except where subsection (8) or (9) applies, every registered charity that issues, in a taxation year, a receipt for a gift otherwise than in accordance with this Act and the regulations is liable for the taxation year to a penalty equal to 5% of the amount reported on the receipt as representing the amount in respect of which a taxpayer may claim a deduction under subsection 110.1(1) or a credit under subsection 118.1(3).

• Marginal note:Increased penalty for subsequent assessment

  (8) Except where subsection (9) applies, if the Minister has, less than five years before a particular time, assessed a penalty under subsection (7) or this subsection for a taxation year of a registered charity and, after that assessment and in a subsequent taxation year, the charity issues, at the particular time, a receipt for a gift otherwise than in accordance with this Act and the regulations, the charity is liable for the subsequent taxation year to a penalty equal to 10% of the amount reported on the receipt as representing the amount in respect of which a taxpayer may claim a deduction under subsection 110.1(1) or a credit under subsection 118.1(3).

• Marginal note:False information

  (9) If at any time a person makes or furnishes, participates in the making of or causes another person to make or furnish a statement that the person knows, or would reasonably be expected to know but for circumstances amounting to culpable conduct (within the meaning assigned by subsection 163.2(1)), is a false statement (within the meaning assigned by subsection 163.2(1)) on a receipt issued by, on behalf of or in the name of another person for the purposes of subsection 110.1(2) or 118.1(2), the person (or, where the person is an officer, employee, official or agent of a registered charity, the registered charity) is liable for their taxation year that includes that time to a penalty equal to 125% of the amount reported on the receipt as representing the amount in respect of which a taxpayer may claim a deduction under subsection 110.1(1) or a credit under subsection 118.1(3).

• Marginal note:Maximum amount

  (10) A person who is liable at any time to penalties under both section 163.2 and subsection (9) in respect of the same false statement is liable to pay only the greater of those penalties.

• Marginal note:Delay of expenditure

  (11) If, in a taxation year, a registered charity has made a gift of property to another registered charity and it may reasonably be considered that one of the main purposes for the making of the gift was to unduly delay the expenditure of amounts on charitable activities, each of those charities is jointly and severally, or solidarily, liable to a penalty under this Act for its respective taxation year equal to 110% of the fair market value of the property.