# Forgot to claim donations in past year



## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

I didn't fill Schedule 9 or include any claims for my charitable donations last year. When I do my 2016 taxes, can I include those amounts? (Donations to registered charities made in both 2015 and 2016?)

Does this cause any flags or complications if I do this? The amounts are not particularly huge, $300 last year and $150 this year, but I'd still like to claim whatever I can.


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## mordko (Jan 23, 2016)

In Canada you can claim donations that are up yo 5 years old.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Also you can carry forward any charitable donations you made this year 5 years forward, if there is a tax credit benefit to you.

From CRA website: *Line 349 - Donations and gifts*


> Tax Tip
> *Carryforward*
> You do not have to claim all of the donations you made this year on your current year return. It may be more beneficial to carry them forward and claim them on your return for any of the *next five years*, or over the next ten years for a gift of ecologically sensitive land made after February 10, 2014 .


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

james4beach said:


> I didn't fill Schedule 9 or include any claims for my charitable donations last year. When I do my 2016 taxes, can I include those amounts? (Donations to registered charities made in both 2015 and 2016?)
> 
> Does this cause any flags or complications if I do this? The amounts are not particularly huge, $300 last year and $150 this year, but I'd still like to claim whatever I can.


You can add up your donations. It's actually better to keep them every 5 years because the first $200 (Ithink) is deducted at $17% and the remainder at 29%. Can't remember the numbers but adding them together and saving gives you a higher rate.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

There's this choice ...


mordko said:


> In Canada you can claim donations that are up yo 5 years old.


or you can file a adjustment to last year's tax return.
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/changereturn/


As others have mentioned, it may work out better to let the charitable donations pile up (but not exceed the five year limit) to increase the $$$ at the higher credit rate.


As "flags or complications" ... as long as you have the receipts or a electronic copy, why would you be concerned?
It would not be that difficult to produce them, if asked for - correct?

Plus with such small amounts, there would likely be more juicy targets out there ... unless these were charity scams CRA is already investigating.


Cheers


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Good points thanks. So there may actually be a benefit in delaying and then accumulating them, interesting!


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

james4beach said:


> Good points thanks. So there may actually be a benefit in delaying and then accumulating them, interesting!


Where the charitable donation amounts are small then yes.

Maybe I lucked out reading a good tax book when starting to file tax returns but with the number of sources (ex. newspapers, web, tax books) that have listed this, may I suggest it may be of benefit to review top tax tips? 

For better or worse, I wonder if there are other areas that you may be missing out ... just a thought.


Cheers


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

That's a good point, I might be missing out on other things too.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

james4beach said:


> Eclectic12 said:
> 
> 
> > ... may I suggest it may be of benefit to review top tax tips?
> ...


Case in point ... while digging around to find out about another issue, I found a note that starting in tax year 2016, regardless of whether the principal residence exemption (PRE) wipes out the capital gain or not, the sale of a primary residence has to be reported on schedule 3. CRA's admin rules in the past was to report the capital gain only if the PRE was too small to wipe out the capital gain, despite the income tax act requiring that the principal residence sale being reported.

Included in this is that should this change be missed by the tax payer where CRA discovers the mistake seven years down the road, CRA can re-assess beyond the usual limit without having to prove rove carelessness, negligence, wilful default or fraud in failing to report the disposition.

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/bdgt/2016/qa11-eng.html?from=timeline&isappinstalled=0
http://www.thor.ca/blog/2016/10/new-tax-reporting-rules-for-principal-residence-sales/


I am not sure if you own a PR in Canada but thought you would find this of interest.


Cheers


*PS*
Another you might be interested in ... when acting as executor, if in a high rising RE market like Toronto or Vancouver - the PRE stops at date of death. Capital gains after death apparently are taxable.
http://mti-cpa.com/deceaseds-principal-residence-but-i-thought-it-wasnt-taxable/


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