New DGR Categories
16 May 2005 at 1:05 pm
The Australian Government will establish five new general deductible gift recipient (DGR) categories from 1 July 2006.
The new categories extend DGR support to funds and organisations established to cover war memorials, disaster relief, animal welfare, charitable services and educational scholarships.
The Australian Tax Office says this enables organisations seeking DGR status within the new categories to be considered under the consistent framework provided by the general categories.
Organisations that meet the criteria for DGR status under the new categories may be eligible to be endorsed as DGRs under the tax law.
The five new categories extend DGR support to approved organisations and funds in the following circumstances:
– Funds that are established for the reconstruction and critical repair of eligible war memorials. Approved funds may be endorsed as DGRs for a maximum period of two years.
– Public funds whose principal purposes are to relieve or prevent distress caused by declared natural or man-made disasters or assist in disaster reconstruction within Australia and in developed countries.
– Charitable funds and organisations whose principal purposes are the provision of services which provide direct care to maltreated animals.
– Charitable funds that undertake a combination of activities that fall under several existing DGR categories (such as health promotion, harm prevention, public benevolent institutions).
– Charitable funds that are established and maintained solely for the purpose of providing scholarships, bursaries or prizes to promote education where entry is open to persons at a national, regional or state level. This category covers scholarships for all levels of education.
Taxpayers can claim an income tax deduction for certain gifts of money or property to organisations that are endorsed as DGRs under the new categories.
