Political Financing Handbook for Candidates and Official Agents (EC 20155) – April 2024

Roles Within Your Campaign

• Appoint an official agent before starting your campaign. Appoint an auditor once you reach $10,000 in contributions or expenses or get 10% or more of the vote (or earlier).
• Replace the official agent or auditor without delay if they can't continue in their role.
• Check the eligibility rules in Chapter 2 before appointing or replacing the official agent or auditor.
• Different people can incur and pay different types of expenses. Check the rules in Chapter 8 before entering into contracts or spending funds.
• Only the official agent can accept contributions and send or accept transfers.

Expenses Limit

• Know the election expenses limit for your electoral district. It is posted on the Elections Canada website in the Political Entities section.

Bank Account

• The official agent must open a separate bank account for the campaign, even if no transactions are expected.
• The bank account can be opened before the election is called.
• Every monetary transaction must go through the bank account, except some payments of litigation and personal expenses.

Contributions and Other Resources

• Don't accept contributions:
  • from any source other than a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
  • over an individual's contribution limit
  • in cash over $20

• Issue receipts for contributions over $20.
• Different sources can give different amounts of loans and loan guarantees. Check the rules in Chapter 4 before accepting loans or guarantees.

• Don't issue tax receipts for contributions received before the candidate's nomination is confirmed by the returning officer.

Working with a Registered Association of Your Party

• If an association plans to incur election expenses on your behalf, give them written authorization in advance.
• Keep your finances separate and traceable. Record transfers or pay for property or services that your campaign gets from an association.

Record Keeping

• For any expense under $50, keep proof of payment plus a record of the nature of the expense.
• For any expense of $50 and over, keep a copy of the invoice (or other document evidencing the expense) and proof of payment.
• Save electronic bank statements and other paperless records that you might lose access
  to later.
• Check Chapter 17 for the full list of supporting documents to keep.

Returning Receipts and Reporting After Election Day

• Your campaign has to return tax receipts:
  • 1 month after election day (if you got paper tax receipts from Elections Canada)
• Your campaign has to submit reports:
  • 3 months after election day (candidate's statement of expenses to the official agent)
  • 4 months after election day (financial return, candidate's statement of expenses and, if required, auditor's report and candidate's statement of gifts)
  • 19 and 37 months after election day (if you have unpaid claims and loans)
  • within 30 days after paying a claim or loan in full (updated financial return)
• Submit supporting documents with your returns. Reimbursements (if any) can't be issued without them.
• Check Chapter 17 for details on reporting.

Closing Out the Campaign

• If you have unpaid claims and loans, pay them within 36 months after election day.

• Don't pay a claim or loan past 36 months unless you have authorization from Elections Canada or a judge.

• Close the bank account after completing all financial transactions, but not before receiving any expected reimbursements or subsidies (check Chapter 18 for eligibility).
• Within 60 days after receiving a notice of surplus funds from Elections Canada:
  • dispose of the surplus to an eligible political entity or Elections Canada, and notify Elections Canada within 7 days
  • close the bank account and send the final bank statement to Elections Canada