Charities Directorate Roadshows – Changes for 2007

The Charities Directorate is pleased to announce that in 2007 we will again offer our Roadshows (information sessions for registered charities). We have made some changes to the Roadshows that we will begin to implement in the upcoming season. Information on the changes is highlighted below.

If you are interested in being invited to one of our 2007 Roadshows, please complete and submit the online response form by Friday, April 20, 2007 at: www.cra.gc.ca/tax/charities/roadshow/response_form-e.html

Major Changes for 2007

• Only online responses and registrations will be accepted.
• There is a new option to have targeted Roadshows designed for groups such as associated or like-minded organizations with shared interests.

General Roadshows

The general Roadshows are offered to all registered charities. This year, we will provide attendees with information on:

• books and records, and financial statements
• how best to prepare for an audit
• sanctions
• receipting
• tax planning schemes

Once we have the times, dates and locations of the Roadshow(s) organized in your area, we will send you an invitation by email. You will then be asked to register for the Roadshow of your choice through the online registration form.

Targeted Roadshows

This is the first year that the Charities Directorate will offer targeted Roadshows. These Roadshows will be for umbrella organizations, head offices and their affiliates, professional organizations of people such as accountants and lawyers, as well as groups of registered charities that share interests such as the arts, education, etc. If you are planning a meeting, conference, or other type of event and you would like us to attend, please let us know. Targeted Roadshow topics will cover the day-to-day operations of a charity, including:

• objects and activities
• tax responsibilities
• SUM
• disbursement quota reductions
• fiscal period-ends, name changes, and changes of designation
• receipting
• gifting to non-qualified donees
• tax-planning schemes

If your organization is planning such an event, you should inform us as soon as possible, through the Roadshow response form, as our capacity to deliver these types of Roadshows will be limited this year. Should we be able to meet your needs, your organization will be contacted directly.

Roadshow Changes

This is the last year that we will send out a hard copy announcement about the Roadshows. Correspondence about future Roadshows will be sent electronically only. The move to electronic communications will save the Charities Directorate a minimum of $40,000 annually, allowing us to increase the number and quality of our Roadshows.

As part of our move to electronic communications, this year's response form for the Roadshows will be available online only. We will not accept responses and registrations by fax or mail. As mentioned above, the cost savings realized by adopting this approach will allow us to refocus some of our resources on the Roadshows.

Electronic Mailing List

To ensure that new and established registered charities continue to receive information in a timely manner, I encourage you to subscribe to the Charities Directorate's electronic mailing list on the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Web site at www.cra.gc.ca/eservices/maillist/subscribecharities-e.html. This is a free service. By subscribing to the mailing list you will be automatically notified, by email, of the latest information available for charities on such things as the Roadshows, new policies, updated policies, the Registered Charities Newsletter, the Contribution Program, etc. Being registered to the electronic mailing list, allows you to pick and choose items of interest to you and visit the Web site for more information on those items.

The electronic mailing list is a confidential service. We will only use the list to send you information, and we will not share the list with anyone at anytime. You will receive between 15 to 20 e-mails per year.

Hosting Roadshows

We appreciate the many organizations that make our visits across the country possible by providing us with the space needed to conduct the Roadshows. If you are interested in hosting and providing us with a venue to hold a Roadshow, please let us know by filling out the “Hosting” part of the response form. All venues must hold a minimum of 50 participants.

Compliance

It is important to the CRA that registered charities remain compliant with the Income Tax Act. The CRA continually strives to promote compliance with the income tax legislation and the regulations for charities through education such as the Roadshows, quality service, and responsible enforcement. More information can be found on the CRA Web site at the address given in the attached Reminder.

Elizabeth Tromp
Director General
Charities Directorate