Political TPAs

A Political Third Party Advertiser engages in political advertising to promote or oppose a registered party, leader of a registered party, candidate in an MLA election, MLA, nomination contestant, or leadership contestant.

Any eligible person, corporation, trade union or group that engages in political advertising is required to register with Elections Alberta when it has incurred, or plans to incur, political advertising expenses of $1,000 or more, or has accepted or plans to accept political advertising contributions of $1,000 or more.

A Political TPA can only advertise outside of an election advertising period.

For the complete guide on political third party advertising, click here. For advertising guidelines click here.

Registered Political TPAs

Last Updated: September 13, 2023

Deregistered Political TPAs

Last Updated: August 1, 2023

Contributions

A registered Political TPA can accept advertising contributions at any time from Canadian citizens and permanent residents normally living in Canada, corporations that do business in Canada that are not prohibited corporations, Canadian trade unions, and Canadian employee organizations. Contributions can be money or in-kind donations of goods or services.

The maximum a Political TPA can receive from any given contributor is $30,000 per year, less any contributions the contributor may make to other Political TPAs. If the contributor is a person ordinarily resident in Alberta, their contributions to any Election TPAs in the year also count toward the limit.

The TPA chief financial officer is responsible for reporting contributions to Elections Alberta and issuing official contribution receipts to contributors. Receipts issued for contributions to TPAs cannot be claimed for income tax credits.

Click here for more information on contributions.

Fundraising Events

A registered Political TPA or anyone acting on their behalf can hold events and activities to raise funds for political advertising. Examples of fundraising events include a luncheon, meet & greet, rally, golf tournament, silent auction etc. Contribution rules limit who can pay to attend events and who can donate/bid at a silent auction. All fundraising revenues and expenses must be reported on the TPA’s advertising campaign return.

Click here for more information on fundraising events.

Expense Limits

A registered Political TPA is not subject to any spending limits. The following are common examples of reportable expenses:

• Administration and office costs,
• Honoraria and salaries,
• Paid advertising,
• Polling and research,
• Production costs,
• Promotional materials,
• Public relations, and
• Technology costs.

Click here for more information on expense limits.

Filing Deadlines

Political TPAs must disclose their financial activities to Elections Alberta by filing quarterly contribution reports and annual financial statements. Automatic late filing fees apply for failure to file a report or return on time.

Click here for more information on filing deadlines.

Financial Reporting

View registration and financial information for Political Third Party Advertisers.

View Financial Reporting Website

Online Financial System (OFS)

Registered TPA primary contacts and chief financial officers are granted access to Elections Alberta’s secure Online Financial System (OFS) to report contributions, issue official contribution receipts to contributors, and submit financial returns.

Contact us for access and login queries.

Login to OFS