Highlights of Federal Budget 2012 relating to charities

Here is a short summary of the major provisions relating to charities in the 2012 Federal Budget - tried to keep it to 100 words but I did not make it.

Budget 2012 and charities

* receipting suspension for incomplete T3010 filings (eg.  Not putting in fundraising costs, political activities etc)

* more transparency by Canadian charities on foreign grants to Canadian charities earmarked for political activities (but no limits on it)

* Canadian inter-charity transfers earmarked for political purposes count towards 10 percent allowance of both donor charity and recipient charity.

* changes to one category of qualified donee namely foreign charities who receive a gift from the federal government - this revamped category may result in more international philanthropy.

* bigger penalties for charity tax shelters

* there were no additional tax incentives (Stretch Credit etc.) but also no cuts as in US and UK.