ATO Acts on Fire Donations
14 January 2013 at 9:43 am
People can claim donations up to $10 made to disaster relief funds for the recent bushfires in their 2013 tax return without a receipt.
"The Australian Tax Office (ATO) wants to make it as easy as possible for Australians to support those affected by the recent bushfires,” Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan said.
“People donating up to $10 to ‘bucket appeals’ and other disaster relief funds this financial year will be able to claim a tax deduction without a receipt. For donations greater than $10, people should keep a receipt to substantiate their claim.”
For people in postcodes affected by the disaster the ATO is providing further support by:
- fast tracking their refunds
- giving people extra time to pay debts
- deferring lodgement and payment dates for activity statements (excluding large pay as you go withholders), and
- helping to reconstruct tax records where documents have been destroyed.
“People affected by the recent fires have higher priorities at this time,” Jordan said.
“You don’t need to apply for a deferral – it will happen automatically for people with a residential or business address in postcodes affected by the disaster.”
People can get more information about assistance at ato.gov.au or by calling 1800 806 218.
