Are Charities Ready For July 1?- ATO

From 1 July 2005 new endorsement arrangements begin. Charities will need to be endorsed by the Australian Tax Office in order to access income tax, fringe benefits tax (FBT) and goods and services tax (GST) charity concessions.

Currently endorsed charities will receive a replacement endorsement notice in July 2005 which will state their charity type and the tax concessions they have been endorsed to access.

In addition, from 1 July 2005 changes will be introduced to the Australian Business Register (ABR) so that a charity’s endorsement for tax concessions can be viewed by the public.

Office bearers, particularly recently elected office bearers, are encouraged to review their charity’s entitlement to charity tax concessions prior to 1 July 2005 and advise the Tax Office of any changes.

Charities are able to access a range of concessions including:
– exemption from paying income tax, removing the need to lodge income tax returns
– a range of GST concessions for transactions involving endorsed charities, and
– an entitlement to either a rebate or exemption to reduce a charity’s FBT liability.

Endorsed charities have previously received written confirmation from the Tax Office detailing their endorsement entitlements. The ATO suggests you review your charity’s entitlements and advise it if your charity is no longer entitled to access some or all of the charity tax concessions listed.

Charities wanting to access charity tax concessions should ensure they have the necessary endorsements in place by 1 July 2005.

Office bearers should also check that your organisation’s registration details are up-to-date. If your charity needs to update its details – for example, for a change of address, name or authorised contact person – contact the ATO.

For more information you can phone the ATO non-profit inquiry line on 1300 130 248 between 8.00am and 6.00pm, Monday to Friday.

You can also obtain further information by visiting the ATO website at www.ato.gov.au/nonprofit.