Gap between rich and poor widens in Canada

Cliffy

Standing Member
Nov 19, 2008
44,850
193
63
Nakusp, BC
They all have to file an Information Return. And I've prepared them for a church before. And yes it all counts as donations, although it's "non-receipted" donations I believe on the return.
So if it undocumented, it would be real easy to fudge the numbers.
 

Cannuck

Time Out
Feb 2, 2006
30,245
99
48
Alberta
So if it undocumented, it would be real easy to fudge the numbers.

Any charity can fudge numbers though I'm not sure of the reason you would want to. Our Fire Association gets probably $1000 dollars a year in cash (or non-receipted) donations. I'm the treasurer and I can't see any benefit for me or the association to not show that on the books and I can see lots of negatives for me to not properly account. I'm not sure how it works for churches but for other charities, the government considers receipted donations almost like government money as they have given people tax receipts for it. The list of things we can spend money on differs depending on whether it is receipted or not.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

ironsides

Executive Branch Member
Feb 13, 2009
8,583
60
48
United States
Any charity can fudge numbers though I'm not sure of the reason you would want to. Our Fire Association gets probably $1000 dollars a year in cash (or non-receipted) donations. I'm the treasurer and I can't see any benefit for me or the association to not show that on the books and I can see lots of negatives for me to not properly account. I'm not sure how it works for churches but for other charities, the government considers receipted donations almost like government money as they have given people tax receipts for it. The list of things we can spend money on differs depending on whether it is receipted or not.





None of it. Thanks for clearing that up.
Speaking of Fire Association .

A Tennessee couple helplessly watched their home burn to the ground, along with all of their possessions, because they did not pay a $75 annual fee to the local fire department.

Vicky Bell told the NBC affiliate WPSD-TV that she called 911 when her mobile home in Obion County caught fire. Firefighters arrived on the scene but as the fire raged, they simply stood by and did nothing. "In an emergency, the first thing you think of, 'Call 9-1-1," homeowner Bell said. However, Bell and her husband were forced to walk into the burning home in an attempt to retrieve their own belongings. "You could look out my mom's trailer and see the trucks sitting at a distance," Bell said. "We just wished we could've gotten more out."

South Fulton Mayor David Crocker defended the fire department, saying that if firefighters responded to non-subscribers, no one would have an incentive to pay the fee. Residents in the city of South Fulton receive the service automatically, but it is not extended to those living in the greater county-wide area.
"There's no way to go to every fire and keep up the manpower, the equipment, and just the funding for the fire department," Crocker said.

Tennessee family home burns while firefighters watch | The Sideshow - Yahoo! News
 

Cannuck

Time Out
Feb 2, 2006
30,245
99
48
Alberta
Speaking of Fire Association .

A Tennessee couple helplessly watched their home burn to the ground, along with all of their possessions, because they did not pay a $75 annual fee to the local fire department.

Vicky Bell told the NBC affiliate WPSD-TV that she called 911 when her mobile home in Obion County caught fire. Firefighters arrived on the scene but as the fire raged, they simply stood by and did nothing. "In an emergency, the first thing you think of, 'Call 9-1-1," homeowner Bell said. However, Bell and her husband were forced to walk into the burning home in an attempt to retrieve their own belongings. "You could look out my mom's trailer and see the trucks sitting at a distance," Bell said. "We just wished we could've gotten more out."

South Fulton Mayor David Crocker defended the fire department, saying that if firefighters responded to non-subscribers, no one would have an incentive to pay the fee. Residents in the city of South Fulton receive the service automatically, but it is not extended to those living in the greater county-wide area.
"There's no way to go to every fire and keep up the manpower, the equipment, and just the funding for the fire department," Crocker said.

Tennessee family home burns while firefighters watch | The Sideshow - Yahoo! News


Long story but I used to be the Deputy Chief here. We have a 3500 gallon tanker (tender), a pumper and a rescue truck. We had a rural fire call and we usually take the tanker but it wouldn't start. Four of us jumped in the pumper and went to the fire. Council said I shouldn't have taken the pumper because "It is for urban calls and the tanker is for rural". I actually went to a council meeting to explain to these people that the fire doesn't know if it's an urban or a rural fire. Industry standards, training and the County's own fire bylaw says the IC decides what equipment gets taken to a call. The County Reeve actually said, in council, that "The fire by-law can be interpreted however you want it" and "Safety is irrelevant, just follow council's direction". I told them that as long as I am a fire officer, I will follow the bylaw. That wasn't acceptable so I'm no longer an officer and a perfectly good fire truck will sit idle if needed unless one of the current officers decides otherwise. I just hope it never comes to somebody losing their home.

 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
29,151
5
36
London, Ontario
So if it undocumented, it would be real easy to fudge the numbers.

No doubt that cash can always hide a multitude of sins, doesn't matter what the organization is. However there are typically practices in place within an organization, be it a business or not-for-profit, to reduce the risk of skimming off the top. Having more than one person handle cash to verify amounts, changes in who those individuals are, that sort of thing. But I'm not going to say that it never happens, fraud occurs all the time. I read a news report recently about a nun in charge of school funds who was skimming and gambling in Atlantic City I think it was. It happens.

As far as fudging the numbers on the return though, I rather doubt it. There is actually a disbursement quota that must be met, which means someone has to be ultimately in receipt of those funds or there has to be receipts for expenses incurred.

There are a lot of rules for charitable organizations and they will revoke the charity's status for non-compliance.
 

Cannuck

Time Out
Feb 2, 2006
30,245
99
48
Alberta
There are a lot of rules for charitable organizations and they will revoke the charity's status for non-compliance.

Not just for the organizations themselves but the Directors of any organization, charitable or not, have legal obligations and responsibilities as individuals.
 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
29,151
5
36
London, Ontario
Not just for the organizations themselves but the Directors of any organization, charitable or not, have legal obligations and responsibilities as individuals.

Of course they do, but Cliffy had been asking about charitable organizations. Different rules for corporations, different rules again for private corporations vs public corporations.

But all this information is available on CRA website.
 

Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
Apr 9, 2008
29,504
11,089
113
Regina, Saskatchewan
Removed many posts that where just personal
attacks, childishness, etc..& just plain off-topic.

Yes, the thread is much shorter, but much cleaner.

Please keep this Thread on-topic, and off the
personal attack route just for the sake of
one-up-manship.

I had to read through three pages of reciprical
trolling (to edit several posts and remove 40 more),
as did everyone else on the forum not involved in
the.....whatever it was...that was interested in the
Thread subject. Thank you all in advance.
 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
43,839
207
63
Ontario