When Is the T3010 Due? A Filing Guide for Canadian Charities
Quick answer: The T3010 Registered Charity Information Return is due six months after the end of your charity’s fiscal year, every year, even if the charity had little or no activity. A December 31 year-end means a June 30 deadline. The CRA does not grant extensions, and a charity that doesn’t file can lose its registered status.
Every registered charity in Canada must file a T3010 Registered Charity Information Return with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) once a year. It is the single most important compliance filing a charity makes, and most of what it contains becomes public on the CRA’s charities listings, where donors, funders and journalists can read it.
When is the T3010 due?
The T3010 is due within six months of the end of your charity’s fiscal period. The deadline depends only on your year-end:
| Fiscal year-end | T3010 due date |
|---|---|
| March 31 | September 30 |
| June 30 | December 31 |
| September 30 | March 31 |
| December 31 | June 30 |
There is no extension process. If your financial statements or audit are running late, you still need to file on time, which is why the real work starts months before the deadline.
What you need before you start
- Financial statements for the year, ideally final and approved by the board. The revenue and expense figures in the T3010 should tie back to them.
- Directors’ and trustees’ information (Form T1235), including names, positions and appointment dates.
- Gifts to qualified donees (Form T1236), if you gave money to other registered charities or qualified donees.
- A breakdown of expenses between charitable programs, management and administration, and fundraising.
- Compensation details for employees, including the number of positions and pay ranges for the highest-paid staff.
- Details of activities and spending outside Canada, including grants to organizations that are not qualified donees.
How to file
Most charities file online through the CRA’s My Business Account, or through Represent a Client if a bookkeeper or advisor files on their behalf. Online filing is faster, gives you a confirmation, and reduces the risk of a return being lost or delayed.
What happens if you file late?
The CRA treats non-filing seriously. A charity that misses the deadline can receive a notice of intention to revoke its registration, and if the return still isn’t filed the CRA can revoke charitable status. Revocation means the organization can no longer issue official donation receipts, loses its tax-exempt status as a charity, and may face a revocation tax on its remaining assets. Re-registration is possible but not guaranteed, and it takes time your donors and funders may not wait for.
The most common T3010 mistakes
- Numbers that don’t match the financial statements. Totals for revenue, expenses, assets and liabilities should reconcile to your approved statements.
- Misclassified expenses. Putting fundraising or administration costs into charitable programs, or the reverse, distorts your public profile.
- Out-of-date director information. Board changes during the year need to be reflected.
- Incomplete reporting of foreign activities. Charities working overseas need to report where money went and how it was controlled or granted.
- Copying last year’s return. A return built from last year’s answers rather than this year’s books is one of the fastest ways to file something inaccurate.
A simple timeline that works
For a December 31 year-end: close and reconcile the books in January and February, finalize financial statements and any audit or review in March and April, draft the T3010 in May, and have the treasurer review it before filing in early June. That leaves room for surprises without risking the deadline.
If you’d like the T3010 prepared from clean books and tied back to your statements, see our T3010 and Form 990 filing support, or check where your charity stands with the free finance health check.
Frequently asked questions
Can a charity get an extension to file the T3010?
No. The CRA does not offer extensions for the T3010. The return is due six months after your fiscal year-end regardless of whether your audit or financial statements are finished, so plan your year-end close with the deadline in mind.
Does a charity have to file the T3010 if it had no activity?
Yes. Every registered charity must file a T3010 every year, even if it had little or no revenue or activity. Not filing can lead to revocation of registered status.
Is the T3010 public?
Most of the information in the T3010 is published on the CRA’s charities listings, including revenue, expenses, compensation ranges and program descriptions. Some details, such as certain personal information about directors, are kept confidential.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and reflects the rules and guidance available when it was published on October 14, 2026. Tax, charity and accounting rules change over time, and every organization’s situation is different. Please consult a qualified lawyer or accountant before relying on this information. Linked CFO is not a public accounting firm, and this article is not legal, tax or accounting advice.
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