NSW Labor Opposition Pledges to Align Charity Rules
19 February 2015 at 9:37 am
The State Labor Opposition says it will cut red tape for New South Wales charities by allowing them to register and report just once through the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission.
Deputy NSW Opposition Leader Linda Burney and Shadow Minister for Fair Trading Tania Mihailuk joined the Federal Shadow Assistant Treasurer Andrew Leigh to announce the new policy approach for local Not for Profits.
There are over 18,000 charities operating across NSW, and they must currently register with NSW Government authorities if they wish to collect donations and receive state tax concessions. But to qualify as a tax deductible gift recipient, they must also register with the national charities regulator the ACNC.
“Labor will streamline the rules so that once a charity is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, it is also registered and eligible for concessions in New South Wales,” Burney said.
“This will dramatically cut the amount of paperwork that our charities need to lodge, freeing them up to spend more time doing what they do best: helping our community.
“NSW Labor has made clear that we want to make our state the social conscience of the nation, to achieve that, the charities building our social capital need a simpler and more effective regulatory system.”
Shadow Minister for Fair Trading Tania Mihailuk said the decision was a simple measure that would vastly increase efficiency for the state’s charities.
“The time and effort charities currently use to fill in forms and jump through bureaucratic hoops should be spent working in our communities,” Mihailuk said.
“This policy will assist charities to focus their efforts on doing what they do best – and that is supporting those that need a helping hand.”
Shadow Assistant Treasurer Andrew Leigh said New South Wales would join South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory in linking charity registration to the national scheme.
“The Federal Labor Government set up the charities commission with the aim of creating a national framework that would protect Australians from scammers while making life easier for charities,” Leigh said.
“Having New South Wales link its charities rules to the national scheme brings that goal a step closer.
“Cutting duplication in reporting will make a particularly big difference for small charities and local Not for Profits like pre-schools, which often have few staff and resources.”
