A strong and independent media is essential to a well-functioning democracy. In today’s changing media landscape, Canadian news outlets need support as they evolve to meet the demands of a globalized, digital marketplace.
In Budget 2019, the Government introduced three tax measures to support Canadian journalism organizations that produce original news content. To take advantage of these measures, journalism organizations must be designated as a qualified Canadian journalism organization (QCJO). The Guidance on the income tax measures to support journalism is now available on Canada.ca. To facilitate the designation process, the Government will establish an Independent Advisory Board that will make recommendations on whether an organization meets certain QCJO designation criteria.
Media organizations must first apply to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to obtain the QCJO designation by completing the application form and returning it to the CRA. The application form will be available on December 23rd. Organizations can submit their applications in advance of the establishment of the Independent Advisory Board. The Independent Advisory Board members will be selected with consideration given to the linguistic, cultural, and ethnic diversity of the country.
