Ontario political contributions tax credit
Last Update: May 3, 2025
ON, Canada
Tax credit for individual Ontario political contributions
Ontario political contributions tax credit at a glance
Eligible Funding
- No Condition
Timeline
- Continuous Intakes
Financing Type
Tax Credits
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Grant Providers
- Government of Canada
Status
Open
Overview of the Ontario political contributions tax credit program
The Ontario Political Contributions Tax Credit offers a non-refundable tax credit for individual contributions made to Ontario-registered political parties, constituency associations, or candidates, with the credit amount capped annually according to the Election Finances Act. The program supports political engagement by allowing individuals to claim credits on qualifying donations, with unused contributions eligible to be carried forward for up to 20 years.
Financing terms and conditions
- The non-refundable tax credit is calculated by multiplying the basic tax rate by the total eligible Ontario political contributions, subject to an annual maximum as indexed by the Election Finances Act.
- Unused contributions can be carried forward for up to 20 years for credit calculation purposes.
Eligibility criteria of the Ontario political contributions tax credit program
- The applicant must have made political contributions before January 1, 2017, to Ontario registered parties, registered constituency associations, or registered candidates under the Ontario Election Finances Act.
Who is not eligible
- Corporations are not eligible for the Ontario political contributions tax credit effective January 1, 2017.
Eligible expenses
- Monetary contributions made to Ontario registered political parties.
- Monetary contributions made to registered constituency associations in Ontario.
- Monetary contributions made to registered candidates in Ontario.
Eligible geographic areas
- Ontario
How to apply to the Ontario political contributions tax credit program
1
Gather eligible contribution receipts
- Collect receipts for all eligible Ontario political contributions
- Ensure contributions were made before January 1, 2017 and to registered Ontario political entities
- Verify you have not claimed the contributions previously
2
Fill out Schedule 525
- Complete Schedule 525, Ontario Political Contributions Tax Credit
- Calculate your credit using your eligible contributions
3
Report credit on tax return
- Enter the credit amount on line 415 of Schedule 5
- Ensure your tax return includes completed forms
4
Submit your tax return
- File your tax return with the required schedules
- Keep contribution receipts in case the CRA requests them
Additional information
- You must retain original or certified copies of official receipts, as the CRA may request them for verification.
- Unused political contributions can be carried forward for up to 20 years, including those made before 2009.
- The tax credit is non-refundable, meaning it can only reduce your tax payable to zero.
- Official receipts are not required to be filed with your tax return, but may be requested by CRA during review.
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