Canada tax rule changes take charities by surprise

Many charities across Canada are scrambling to figure out the impact of a surprising number of rule changes spelled out in this week’s federal budget, which caught the sector off guard. Even if the budget dies because of an election call, many of the measures affecting charities will go ahead because they require only regulatory changes, not legislation.

The changes include new compliance rules, restrictions on some types of donations, and significant reforms in the way national sports organizations operate.