CRA audit strips Medicine Hat church of charitable status over pastor's pay
A federal tax audit found undisclosed benefits paid to the church's pastor over two years, prompting the revocation.
Why it matters
The revocation affects the church's ability to issue tax receipts to donors and signals CRA scrutiny of compensation practices at registered charities.
The Canada Revenue Agency has revoked the charitable status of a Medicine Hat church after an audit found its pastor, Zilinski, received private benefits beyond what was reported to tax authorities.
The CRA audit covered the 2021 and 2022 tax years and found that in each of those years, Zilinski received about $25,000 more in pay and benefits than the church had disclosed.
Charitable status revocation means the organization can no longer issue tax receipts for donations and loses other benefits tied to registered charity status under federal tax law.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.