The EFC received an email from a Finance Department manager this week, confirming that “The Government is not considering removing the advancement of religion as a qualifying charitable purpose under the ITA.”
It echoes the
response by the Finance Minister to a petition about charitable status that was tabled on Nov. 3. “The Government of Canada is not considering amending the Income Tax Act to remove the advancement of religion as a qualifying charitable purpose, nor is it actively developing policy on this issue.”
This is the kind of direct, official confirmation we’ve been hoping to see.
The Finance Minister’s response to the petition has the reassuring additional comment that they are not actively developing policy on this issue. They are not doing the behind-the-scenes background work that would precede this kind of policy change.
The EFC will be sending a follow up letter to say thank you. We are thankful for this response and for the recognition of the vital role of religious charities in Canadian society.
We will also ask again for official confirmation that the government does not plan to proceed with legislation to place additional requirements on charities that provide pregnancy options counseling,
as was proposed by the previous government last year. We have not heard that it plans to advance this legislation, but it would be reassuring to have clear, direct confirmation that it will not.
If you wrote to your local MP or to the Finance Minister about the charitable status of religious organizations, consider sending a follow up letter of thanks and appreciation.
Related resources
- An update on the charitable status discussions (October 2025)
- The EFC's sample communications (email, telephone and petition) to MPs on charitable status at TheEFC.ca/Protect-Charitable
- The EFC's submission to the House of Commons Finance Committee's pre-budget consultation, August 2025
- The EFC's submission to the Department of Finance's pre-budget consultation, March 2025
- The EFC's update on the committee's troubling recommendations, why it matters and how you can respond (from December 2024)
- The EFC's letters to the Finance Minister about the committee recommendations (June 2025 and December 2024) and about the politicization of charitable status (November 2022).