The CRA has launched its consultations to clarify the rules regarding the involvement of registered charities in political activities. The online consultations are now open, and the in-person consultations – which will be held in six cities across Canada – will follow at a later date. Feedback received will be considered by the CRA in the development of new guidance or educational resources for charities on the rules governing political activities.
The CRA is collecting feedback from charities and the public on the following questions:
1. Carrying out political activities
- Are charities generally aware of what the rules are on political activities?
- What issues or challenges do charities encounter with the existing policies on charities' political activities?
- Do these policies help or hinder charities in advocating for their causes or for the people they serve?
2. The CRA's policy guidance
- Is the CRA's policy guidance on
political activities clear, useful, and complete? For example, how
could the CRA improve its policy guidance on these topics:
- the description of a political activity
- the description of a partisan political activity
- charities' accountability for
their use of resources
- Which formats are the most useful and
effective for offering policy guidance on the rules for political
activities? For example:
- two to three minute videos
- videoconferences
- comprehensive guidance documents like those on the CRA website
- webinars or other types of presentations delivered by organizations other than the CRA
- other formats
3. Future policy development
- Should changes be made to the rules governing political activities and, if so, what should those changes be?
Individuals and organizations have until November 25, 2016 to email comments to consultation-policy-politique@cra-arc.gc.ca
For more information, please visit the CRA's website: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/chrts-gvng/chrts/whtsnw/pacnslttns-eng.html
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.