When to claim donations in Canada

The yearly limit is based on net income

A gift counts for the year the charity receives it, so give by December 31 for it to count this year. You can usually claim up to 75% of your net income in a year. That limit is about income, not tax, so staying under it doesn't mean you owe enough tax to use the whole credit. Some gifts of property, and gifts in the year of death, have different limits.

Example: a gift above the limit

Say your net income is $10,000 and you gave $10,000 in cash in 2025. You can claim up to $7,500 for 2025 ($10,000 × 75%) and carry the other $2,500 forward. You can also claim less than $7,500 if you don't owe enough tax to use it.

A 2025 gift can be claimed on any return up to 2030, but nobody knows the 2030 rates yet. Beaver Ledger calculates 2025 claims and gives 2026 as an estimate.

Combining claims needs records

You can claim gifts made by you or your spouse or common-law partner, but each amount only once, on one return. For each receipt, write down the eligible amount, who claimed how much, and what's left.

Unused gifts from earlier years have to be claimed before this year's. Gifts of ecologically sensitive land have their own ten-year carryforward, separate from the usual five years.

A yearly check

Waiting to claim doesn't always pay off. Rates differ by province, the credit can't take your tax below zero, and a gift can run out of time if you wait too long.

• List unclaimed gifts by year, oldest first.
• Check how much federal and provincial tax each of you owes.
• Only compare years whose rates you've checked.
• Keep your claim notes with the receipts and returns.