Speed Skating Canada working to regain charitable status after missed tax filing

OTTAWA — Speed Skating Canada says it is working to regain the charitable status it lost last month because of a missed annual tax filing.

The Canada Revenue Agency published a notice in the Canada Gazette on Sept. 26 to note it had formally revoked the charitable registration status for Speed Skating Canada.

An organization with charitable status under the Income Tax Act doesn’t pay federal income tax and can issue tax receipts to donors which allow them to claim tax credits. Organizations registered as charities must submit an annual information return within six months of the end of their fiscal year.

In a statement to The Canadian Press, the CRA said before it revokes charitable status it sends out a notice informing the organization a filing was not received on time. After that point, organizations have 90 days to file or to object to the revocation.

Speed Skating Canada CEO Joe Morissette said the organization did send its filing on time but it wasn’t received by the CRA.

He also said Speed Skating Canada never received an overdue notice and didn’t know the charitable status had been revoked until The Canadian Press made inquiries about it.

“I don’t have an excuse here. It’s a little embarrassing. Like, we know we sent it in. I mean, I even remember signing these forms,” Morissette told The Canadian Press.

He said mail destined to their offices gets sent to a general mailing address at the RA Centre in Ottawa, but he isn’t sure why the registered mail from the CRA never made it to their office.

“I just don’t know why they never received it and we missed the mail, but that’s the situation. There’s nothing to hide here,” Morissette said.

“We never thought that they never received it last year. We didn’t receive the registered mail. It’s sort of like a chain of misses on our end.”

Morissette said the organization is in the process of refiling and hopes to have the matter straightened out in a week or two.

Until it’s resolved, Speed Skating Canada won’t be able to accept donations.

Speed Skating Canada is one of the country’s most decorated amateur sport organizations, with a combined 10 medals at the Winter Olympics earlier this year between short and long track events.

The CRA website says failing to file the required annual information return is the most common reason charities have their status revoked.

Speed Skating Canada is the largest among six national sporting organizations which lost their status as of the Sept. 26 Canada Gazette notice. The others include the Canadian Blind Sports Association, Canadian Amputee Sports Association, Canadian Team Handball Federation, Canadian Uechi-Ryu Karate Association and the Canadian Ice Cross Federation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 5, 2026.

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press