Financial Data and Charitable Donations, Preliminary T1 Family File

Detailed information for 1999

This activity is conducted for the development and dissemination of annual small area economic data for Canadians.

Data release - October 25, 2000

• Description
• Data sources and methodology

Description

This activity is conducted for the development and dissemination of annual small area economic data for Canadians. The data, collected from income tax returns submitted to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), provide financial information (RRSP Contributions, RRSP Room, Savings and Investment Income) and the amount of charitable donations reported on the tax file. The data are available for Canada, the provinces and territories and sub-provincial geographic areas (postal areas and selected Census areas). Data are used by financial institutions and charitable organizations to evaluate contributions and support marketing decisions. Academics and researchers use the data for analyses of economic conditions.

Reference period: Calendar year "y" for income and contributions, end of calendar year "y" for age, point in time (usually April of calendar year "y+1") for address information.

Collection period: Income tax returns are filed mainly in the spring following the year of reference. The preliminary T1 file for income year "y" is received from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in September or October of the year "y+1".

Subjects

• Household, family and personal income
• Household spending and savings
• Income, pensions, spending and wealth
• Pension plans and funds and other retirement income programs

Data sources and methodology

Target population

These data cover all persons who completed a T1 tax return for the year of reference by the date the file was copied for Statistics Canada. This is a preliminary version of the T1 file and therefore the file is missing a certain amount of late tax filers.

Data sources

Data are extracted from administrative files.

The data are derived from income tax returns for the year in question, filed for the most part in the spring of the following year.

Estimation

The data used are direct counts from preliminary tax files, with the exception of the data for RRSP contribution limits which are direct counts from a preliminary CCRA Pension Reform file. All records (less those rejected) are used to compile the Financial and Charitable donations databanks.

Quality evaluation

The data used are direct counts from tax files. In 1998, 21,431,000 Canadians (71%) filed tax returns. Some elderly Canadians do not file because they have low or no taxable income. However, with the introduction of the Federal Sales Tax Credit in 1986 and the Goods and Services Tax Credit in 1990, the percentage of elderly population filing tax returns has increased. Persons with low income who have no tax liability are not required to file tax returns. However, with the introduction of certain tax credits and benefits (Canada Child Tax Benefit), persons with low income are likely to file tax returns to apply for these credits.

Disclosure control

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects that could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Various confidentiality rules are applied to all data that are released or published to prevent the publication or disclosure of any information deemed confidential. If necessary, data are suppressed to prevent direct or residual disclosure of identifiable data.