open Secondary menu

Political Financing Handbook for Candidates and Official Agents (EC 20155) – November 2019 – Archived content

This document is Elections Canada's archived guideline OGI 2019-09 and is no longer in effect.

Click on the link for the latest Political Financing Handbook for Candidates and Official Agents.

16. Reimbursements and Subsidies

This chapter explains who is eligible for reimbursements or subsidies that Elections Canada distributes after election day and how the amounts are calculated. It covers the following topics:

  • Reimbursement of expenses and candidate's return of overpayments
  • Auditor's subsidy

Reimbursements and overpayments

Who is eligible to receive a reimbursement?

The Canada Elections Act provides for a partial reimbursement of paid election expenses and certain other expenses if the conditions for reimbursement are met.

A candidate's campaign is eligible for reimbursement if the candidate:

  • was elected or received at least 10% of the valid votes, and
  • filed the Candidate's Electoral Campaign Return, the auditor's report and the Checklist for Audits within the original or extended filing deadline

What is reimbursable?

The electoral campaign expenses listed below are reimbursable. They must have been paid either from the campaign bank account or, in the case of some personal expenses, from the candidate's own funds or another source of funds.

Expense category Reimbursement rate Maximum reimbursement
Election expenses 60% 60% of the election expenses limit in the electoral district
Personal expenses:
  • childcare, care for a person with
    a physical or mental incapacity, or expenses related to a candidate's disability
90% No maximum
  • remuneration of candidate's representatives
60% $3,000 (60% of $5,000, which is the limit set by the Chief Electoral Officer for these expenses)
  • other personal expenses
60% $120 (60% of $200, which is the limit set by the Chief Electoral Officer for these expenses)
Travel and living expenses for use during the election period 60% No maximum
Accessibility expenses 90% $5,000

Reduction of reimbursement amount

If the candidate's election expenses exceeded the election expenses limit, the reimbursement amount is reduced as follows:

  • by one dollar for every dollar that exceeds the limit by less than 5%
  • by two dollars for every dollar that exceeds the limit by 5% or more but by less than 10%
  • by three dollars for every dollar that exceeds the limit by 10% or more but by less than 12.5%
  • by four dollars for every dollar that exceeds the limit by 12.5% or more

How the reimbursement is paid

Elections Canada authorizes the reimbursement in two installments:

  • Initial reimbursement: After election day, once it is confirmed that the candidate received at least 10% of the valid votes or was elected, an installment amounting to 15% of the election expenses limit is paid.
  • Final reimbursement: After Elections Canada auditors have reviewed the candidate's return and confirmed that it complies with the Canada Elections Act, any remaining amount is paid.

The reimbursement cheque is payable to the official agent and must be deposited into the campaign bank account.

If the candidate, another person or group paid some of the candidate's personal expenses other than through the campaign bank account:

  • the official agent must send the candidate the reimbursement (60% or 90%) related to those personal expenses
  • this can be done after the initial or final reimbursement, but in any case the official agent must set aside enough of the reimbursement to repay the candidate

Note: The official agent may designate another person or entity (for example, the registered party) to receive the initial and final reimbursements by submitting an assignment agreement to Elections Canada. The designee may then need to send the candidate the reimbursement of personal expenses described above.

Returning an overpayment

If the total of expenses eligible for reimbursement is less than the initial reimbursement, the official agent is responsible for returning the overpayment to Elections Canada by cheque from the campaign bank account, payable to the Receiver General for Canada.

Once Elections Canada completes the review of the candidate's return, it will inform the official agent about the amount to be returned.

Example

The candidate's election expenses limit was $100,000 for the recent election. Because the candidate received 10% of the valid votes, the first installment of the reimbursement is issued. The amount is 15% of $100,000—that is, $15,000. However, the candidate's expenses eligible for reimbursement were only $7,000 at 60% ($4,200) and $1,500 at 90% ($1,350). The candidate is entitled to receive a reimbursement of $5,550.

The official agent has to return the difference between the reimbursement payment and the eligible amount ($15,000 – $5,550 = $9,450) to Elections Canada by issuing a cheque from the campaign bank account, payable to the Receiver General for Canada.

Additional payment

If an amended candidate's return is filed with Elections Canada after the initial return is filed, and the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement increases as a result of the amendment, the candidate may qualify for an additional payment. However, this reimbursement is paid only if the candidate qualified for the initial reimbursement.

Auditor's subsidy

The candidate's auditor will receive a subsidy from Elections Canada, paid directly to the auditor. Once Elections Canada receives the Candidate's Electoral Campaign Return, auditor's report, Checklist for Audits and auditor's invoice, and once it has reviewed the candidate's return, it authorizes the auditor's subsidy payment.

How the subsidy is calculated

The auditor's subsidy is calculated as follows:

  • the amount indicated on the auditor's invoice to a maximum of $2,193* or 3% of the candidate's election expenses—whichever is less
  • a minimum of $365.50*

*These amounts have been adjusted for inflation from the base amounts of $1,500 and $250. They are in effect for elections held between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020.

Note: If the auditor's subsidy is less than the total fee charged by the auditor, the difference is an other electoral campaign expense, and the candidate's campaign is responsible for paying the remaining amount.

Example

The official agent submits the auditor's invoice for $500 with the Candidate's Electoral Campaign Return and other required documents. The total amount of the candidate's election expenses is $7,200. The auditor is entitled to receive 3% of that amount as a subsidy payment. However, 3% of $7,200 ($216) is less than the minimum amount payable. Accordingly, Elections Canada will authorize payment of the minimum amount of $365.50.

The official agent has to pay the remaining $134.50 to the auditor from campaign funds or arrange to have the registered association or party pay the fee on behalf of the campaign.