• Do you own property in Canada? If so, you may be able to save money

    By offering US donors who support Canadian conservation the opportunity to make their gifts of land or interests in land, cash and securities tax deductible, American Friends of Canadian Conservation is helping Canadian conservation organizations increase the pace and sustainability of land protection north of the border.

    Conservation Lands Program

  • 2024 Canadian Federal Budget Includes Changes to Capital Gains Tax

    On April 16, 2024, the Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance introduced the federal budget for 2024. Among many components, the budget includes a proposed change to Canadian capital gains taxes. Generally speaking, these proposed changes would likely have an effect on many people who own Canadian property (other than a principal residence), especially those who have owned their property for a period of time during which the value of the property has appreciated significantly.

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  • Did you know that Americans own approximately 50% of the land in prime Canadian vacation areas?

    Americans own cottages, fishing camps, hunting lodges, island retreats, working forests and mountain hideaways in some of Canada’s most scenic areas. Many of these properties are part of multi-generational family traditions that link the two countries.

    Our History

  • Do you own property in Canada? If so, you may be able to save money

    By offering US donors who support Canadian conservation the opportunity to make their gifts of land or interests in land, cash and securities tax deductible, American Friends of Canadian Conservation is helping Canadian conservation organizations increase the pace and sustainability of land protection north of the border.

    Conservation Lands Program

  • American Friends of Canadian Conservation’s name describes the organization’s mission.

    We exist to help our conservation colleagues achieve their objectives by increasing the level of funding available for land conservation and by partnering to complete donations of ecologically significant land and easements from US-based landowners who wish to avail themselves of US tax benefits while ensuring that their contribution of appreciated property is not subject to Canadian capital gains tax.

    Become A Grantee

  • Save Some Green

    U.S. taxpayers who own natural lands in Canada are often interested in transferring their property to the next generation of family members and/or permanently protecting their lands in Canada. In both cases, conservation can be a valuable legal and financial strategy. There are tax incentives in both the U.S. and Canada to encourage conservation of priority natural lands in Canada.

    Download Save Some Green; A handbook for U.S. taxpayers
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American Friends of Canadian Conservation protects Canada’s magnificent natural legacy through its innovative and effective partnerships.

Link to: News

Americans interested in donating their Canadian land or a partial interest can accomplish both their conservation and estate planning objectives through a gift to American Friends of Canadian Conservation.

Canadian conservation leaders report that in prime vacation areas such as the Maritimes, Great Lakes’ island country and British Columbia’s Gulf Islands some of the most ecologically significant land is owned by US citizens. Many of these properties are part of multi-generational family traditions that link our two countries.

Conservation-oriented Americans are often familiar with land trusts that operate in the US and therefore recognize that donating land or a conservation easement can provide both personal satisfaction and positive financial results. The aging of the baby-boom generation means that many families are engaged in estate planning. According to a 2002 Wall Street Journal article by Jeffrey Zaslow, “Vacation home ownership rose 13% in the 1990s, to 3.5 million homes. Today, one out of every seven homeowners over age 65 also owns a second home that must be factored into their estates.”

Learn More About Cross Border Conservation

Canadian Partners

American Friends of Canadian Conservation exists to help our conservation colleagues achieve their objectives by increasing the level of funding available for land conservation and by partnering to complete donations of ecologically significant land and easements from US-based landowners who wish to avail themselves of US tax benefits while ensuring that their contribution of appreciated property is not subject to Canadian capital gains tax.

Accomplishing our mission through these activities requires AFCC to comply with laws, statutes and tax regulations in both countries. Some of the best legal minds and most experienced conservation professionals worked for more than a decade to establish the system, policies and procedures that make AFCCs’ partnerships and successes possible, now and in the future.

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