Do I have to claim charitable donations the same year they were made?

You can claim a donation the year you made it or during any of the next five years (or during any of the next 10 years if it's a gift of ecologically sensitive land made after February 10, 2014).

If you have unclaimed donations from a past tax year, you must claim these before claiming donations made in the current tax year.

You don't need to send your donation receipts to the CRA, but you should keep them for your records in case the CRA asks for them later.