Facts and figures on audits of charities by the Canada Revenue Agency

OTTAWA – Facts and figures on Canadian charities and audits by the Canada Revenue Agency:

— The revenue agency’s compliance division audits about one per cent of Canada’s 86,000 registered charities each year, for 845 completed audits in 2013-14.

— Of 845 audits in 2013-14, only 112 required no action on the part of the charity.

— A total of 36 charities were notified in 2013-14 that their status would be revoked, another 20 voluntarily withdrew their application for charitable status, six were annuled and one suspended.

— In the first CRA survey of its kind, 485 charities in 2014 indicated they had been engaged in political activities.

— Sixty charities were identified by the CRA to be audited for political activity over a four-year period; the agency says 30 audits have been completed, 24 are currently underway, and six identified charities won’t be audited.

— Of 60 charities targeted for political activity audits: 37 dealt with the environment, international development, human rights, animal welfare or health; 14 dealt with education; 7 dealt with advancing religion; 2 dealt with poverty reduction.

— Of 26 “reminder letters” sent in 2014 to individual charities, which caution a charity about “an area of possible non-compliance,” 23 were related to political activity.