All third party advertisers are required to file a Financial Statement – Auditor’s Report, Third Party – Form 8 by 2 p.m. on January 20, 2025.
You are responsible for keeping records of the financial activities related to your campaign. You may want to consult with an auditor or an accountant early in your campaign to make sure that you are using a bookkeeping and accounting system that will suit your needs.
You should also look through the Financial Statement – Form 8 that you will be required to file to make sure that you are keeping records of all the information that must be included on the statement.
All registered third party advertisers must file an initial Financial Statement – Auditor’s Report, Third Party – Form 8 by 2 p.m. on January 20, 2025. This statement details all campaign finances from the day the Notice of Registration was certified until December 19, 2024.
Registered third party advertisers who submitted a Notice of Extension of Campaign Period – Form 6 to extend their campaign must also file a supplementary financial statement by 2 p.m. on July 21, 2025.
Registered third party advertisers who miss a filing deadline can still submit their statement up to 30 days later if they pay a $500 late filing fee.
Registered third party advertisers who submit a financial statement and later identify an error may withdraw their original statement and submit a new one by 2 p.m. on January 20, 2025.
If the withdrawn financial statement was accompanied by an auditor’s report, the corrected financial statement must be accompanied by a new/updated auditor’s report.
If the corrected financial statement identifies an additional surplus amount, the difference must be paid to the City Clerk at the time the corrected financial statement is filed. If the surplus amount is lower, the City Clerk will remit any difference owing with interest.
Monday, January 20, 2025 at 2 p.m.
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 2 p.m.
Monday, July 21, 2025 at 2 p.m.
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 2 p.m.
If a third party advertiser has raised or spent more than $10,000 on their campaign, they must have the financial statement audited by an auditor licensed under the Public Accounting Act, 2004. The auditor’s report must be submitted with the financial statement.
If a registered third party advertiser’s campaign ends with a surplus, they can refund the value of contributions that they made to their own campaign. If the registered third party advertiser is an individual, they can also refund the value of any contributions made by their spouse. Third party advertisers are not permitted to refund any other eligible contributions except their own or, in the case of individuals, their spouse.
If a surplus still remains, this surplus must be paid to the City Clerk when filing the financial statement. The third party (or their agent) must file the financial statement in-person at our City Hall office.
The surplus can be paid via cash, certified cheque, bank draft or money order payable to “Treasurer, City of Toronto”. Please note that personal cheques are not accepted.
If an eligible elector believes a third party advertiser has broken election finance rules, they may apply for a compliance audit of the campaign finances. The application must set out the reasons why they believe the third party advertiser has contravened the rules.
An application for a compliance audit must be submitted to the City Clerk within 90 days of the deadline to file a financial statement.
A compliance audit committee will decide whether to grant or reject the application. You may appeal the committee’s decision to the Superior Court of Justice within 15 days of their decision.
Public documents can only be viewed at Toronto Elections Office, City Hall (100 Queen St., West) during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays).
Financial Statements
Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, an individual, corporation, or trade union will not be eligible to register as a third party advertiser until after the 2026 municipal if:
Other penalties are listed in the Municipal Elections Act, 1996.