All about tax and donations in Australia
So many people around Australia are struggling right now. From the homeless population, to the sick and elderly, to those who have been affected by floods, bushfires and drought – not to mention the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While we can’t fix all the world’s problems ourselves, we can make a difference by donating to a charitable organisation. Best of all, making a donation is usually tax-deductible so you can give something back while getting something back.
Is your donation tax-deductible?
In order to be eligible for a tax deduction, you’ll want to ensure any donation you make is to an organisation that is classified as a deductible gift recipient (DGR). The Australian Taxation Office defines a DGR as an organisation or fund that is registered to receive tax-deductible gifts (i.e. donations).
But not all charities are DGRs. In fact, with the rise of crowdfunding, many people are making donations to causes that are ineligible to receive a tax break at the end of the financial year. You also won’t be able to claim any donations at tax time that received a benefit in return. For example, purchasing a raffle ticket or items of food from a charity (even if it is a DGR) can’t be claimed as a tax-deductible gift.
To help direct your donations to DGR-registered charities, you can search for the organisation or charity at the ATO’s lookup resource.
There’s a wealth of worthy initiatives out there
Brothers In Need is a DGR, which means any donation you make over $2 is able to be claimed as a deduction at tax time. But with so many worthy causes out there, where should you send your gift of money?
In addition to general donations, here are just a few initiatives you can donate to through Brothers In Need:
- COVID-19 Crisis to provide financial aid to families and individuals who have lost their jobs and have no money coming in.
- Homeless Outreach Programs to help the thousands of Australians sleeping hard on our streets.
- Youth Programs that focus on developing the younger generation in our community.
- Respite Programs which provide meals and gifts to those at the ‘My home disability centre’ in Birrong.
- Soup Kitchen to provide much-needed hot meals to members of the homeless community.
With so much going on in the world right now, it’s easy to forget about those who are doing it really tough. But even the smallest donation can make the biggest difference – and by making a donation to Brothers In Need, your tax-deductible gift will help those who need it most in our community.
