The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is currently
reviewing the Overseas Aid Gift Deduction Scheme Guidelines and
Processes. It has taken written submissions and held round table
discussions in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Findings and Summary of Findings can be found at this link.
Feedback so far from many non government organisations working
to improve life for people living in third world countries is that
they find the regime imposed on them onerous and ineffective.
Common themes emerging from the discussion to date include
that:
- The process is disproportionate to the risk it is designed to
prevent: that there is too much red tape: with the advent of the
Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission (ACNC) and the
ongoing roles of the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), there are
suggestions that both of those regulators could take a more
relevant role in the Scheme.
