The change for the current tax year will allow the CRA to share a taxpayer’s contact information with their provincial or territorial government of residence exclusively for this purpose.
It follows the agreement of the governments of Ontario and Nunavut to opt into the organ and tissue donation initiative.
For Ontario, the information to be shared by the CRA will include the taxpayer’s name and most recent email address, the CRA’s Nov. 21 announcement states.
For Nunavut, the information the CRA will share will include the taxpayer’s name and most recent email and mailing addresses on file at the time of the information exchange with the territory of residence.
"Organ and tissue donation is an important part of our health-care system, and we recognize that more work is needed to address the shortages of donations and increase the potential of saving lives,” the federal Minister of National Revenue Diane Lebouthillier said in a statement. “We are committed to collaborating with provinces and territories to implement this initiative, as early as possible, for all provinces and territories that want to opt in."
The CRA said fewer than one-quarter of Canadians are registered organ and tissue donors. Since most Canadians are required to file an income tax and benefit return each year, the tax agency described itself as “uniquely positioned to help raise public awareness on organ and tissue donation.”
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