Tax-Deductible Opportunities for Indigenous Charities
Following a recent application submitted to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), a private school located in a remote part of Australia was approved to be a Public Benevolent Institution (PBI). The school, focused upon educating Aboriginal members of its local community, was previously registered as a charity for the purpose of advancing education. […]
Tax Effective Giving: Charitable Distributions Through Discretionary and Charitable Trusts
A ‘trust’ is an arrangement by which a trustee (individual or company) holds property ‘on trust’ for beneficiaries. With a discretionary trust, the trustee determines which of the beneficiaries will receive trust income and the timing and nature of distributions from the trust. A charitable trust is a trust that operates for charitable purposes. In some instances, (depending […]
Registering Unincorporated Charities; You Can Never Go Wrong with a Suit
There are few things more embarrassing than arriving at a formal function wearing informal clothing. Strangely, being overdressed at a casual function is usually far less embarrassing than being underdressed at a formal function. For this reason, I am a firm believer in the fashion motto ‘you can never go wrong with a suit.’ As a general […]
What To Do When Asked to Run a Charity?
There are over 50,000 registered charities in Australia today, with hundreds being registered each month. Charities are an integral public of the Australian social fabric, as demonstrated by statistics published by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) such as: At least 87% of Australians make some form of contribution to charities each year. Over […]
What’s in a Name?
Soapranos laundry shop; Wok This Way noodle restaurant; Ones & Twos plumbing; Shot, Framed and Hung photography; Mid-Life Cycles motorcycle repairs; and Curl up n Dye hairdresser. These are just a few business names around town that reflect how truly creative, funny and inventive Australians can be. It seems that there is no limit on […]
How To Avoid Complaints About Your Charity
The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) has recently released its Charity Compliance Report based on 2017 data. As a matter of concern for the sector, there was a 42% increase in reported concerns about charities in 2017. In the media and the news there were several high-profile controversies surrounding charities, however the controversies and […]
Public Benevolent institutions and the ACNC
Do you want to register your organisation as a charity with the ACNC? If so, you may encounter the term ‘public benevolent institution’. In this insight, we digress into what a PBI is and provide some useful examples of PBIs that operate. What is a Public Benevolent Institution? A public benevolent institution (PBI) is one […]
Is Your Charity Tax Deductible?
A Charities’ Most Common Question Is Whether They Are Tax Deductible or Not Having deductible gift recipient (DGR) status can be very rewarding and beneficial to a company. But, along with the benefits, there are several different compliance rules and ongoing obligations required to maintain and sufficiently insure your DGR status. This article will set […]
Registering a Charity
Registering a Charity There are a number of steps that an organisation should consider when deciding whether they are ready to register as a charity. If your idea is still in an early form, it is worthwhile to develop it as much as possible in order to show what your plans are for your charity […]
Private Ancillary Funds
For those wishing to develop a longer term and substantial grant making program, it is worthwhile considering the development of a private ancillary fund. What is a Private Ancillary Fund? A Private Ancillary Fund (PAF) is a kind of charitable trust. It serves as a link between donors and charities that have tax-deductable gift recipient […]