Cabinet yesterday did not comment on whether it will honour a promise to charities to extend the tax year despite the Prime Minister’s prorogation of Parliament. One lobby group said it was privately assured by the Department of Finance the promise will be kept.

“We’ll look into it,” said Benoit Mayrand, spokesperson for the Department of Finance. Neither the Canada Revenue Agency nor Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc’s office commented.

Cabinet on December 30 promised to extend the tax year to February 28 to permit charities to continue to issue 2024 receipts for donations. It was to compensate charities for losses from a 28-day mail stoppage at Canada Post before Christmas, traditionally one of the busiest seasons for charitable contributions.