volunteers and donations

Paranor_Mel — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 20:28:57 GMT

My paranormal team is run with volunteers, and we do not get paid, but occasionally, people want to donate to us. We bought a square for this more than a year ago. Now they want us to verify our business. But we are not a registered business since we do not charge a fee for what we do. I have tried to do a chat but the rep keeps asking me to upload info I do not have like a business license.

Has any other volunteer group been successful with this?

Re: volunteers and donations

Summer2024 — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 20:51:36 GMT

Hi @Paranor_Mel ! Welcome to the Square Community! We are glad you're here. Below I have listed some options when it comes to using Square and what you can do to get up and running. I put it into a bulleted list for easier reading. Let me know if you have any questions.

Register as a Non-Profit Organization

Federal Level:
- Register with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
- Apply for non-profit status
- No need for charitable status if just accepting basic donations
Provincial Level:
- Register as a non-profit society
- Requirements vary by province
- Generally simpler than federal registration

Operate as an Unincorporated Association

Basic Requirements:
- Personal SIN for tax purposes
- Group banking account
- Basic organizational documents
Documentation for Square:
- Government-issued ID
- Personal SIN
- Void cheque or bank letter
- Group's mission statement

Required Documents:
- Personal ID
- Banking information
- Group documentation (if any)
- Explanation letter of group's purpose

Canadian Tax Considerations

Income Reporting:
- Track donations
- Consult with CRA about reporting requirements
- Consider T2 Short if incorporated
- Keep detailed financial records
GST/HST:
- Generally not required for small donations
- Monitor annual revenue thresholds
- Keep records of all transactions

Provincial Considerations

Different provinces have different requirements:

Ontario: Optional registration as non-profit
BC: Societies Act registration options
Quebec: Additional registration requirements
Other provinces: Various local regulations

I hope this helps!

Re: volunteers and donations

Paranor_Mel — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 23:38:34 GMT

Thank you for that information. 😁 I guess Im stuck with the square now as a paper weight 🤷🏼‍♀️. Ahh well..

thread volunteers and donations in Payments Troubleshooting

volunteers and donations

Re: volunteers and donations

Re: volunteers and donations