Tax and governance

The University of Newcastle (ABN 15 736 576 735) is registered as a deductible gift recipient (DGR) under Subdivision 30-BA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and is endorsed by the Australian Tax Office as an income tax exempt charity (ITEC).

Donations to the University of Newcastle may be eligible deductions for income tax purposes under Division 30 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

(Source: www.ato.gov.au)

Donors can claim tax deductions for gifts made to deductible gift recipients (DGRs).

The law specifies the types of gifts that can be donated. To be deductible, a gift must be of money or property that is covered by one of the gift types. These are:

• $2 or more: money
• Property less than 12 months: property purchased during the 12 months before the gift was made
• Property valued at more than $5,000: a valuation by the Australian Taxation Office is required
• Trading stock: trading stock disposed of outside the ordinary course of business
• Cultural bequest: property gifted under the cultural bequest program
• Cultural gifts: property under the Cultural Gift Program
• National Estate gifts: places listed in the Register of the National Estate.

Gifts also have these characteristics:

• They are made voluntarily
• They do not provide a material benefit to the donor
• They essentially arise from benefaction, and proceed from detached and disinterested generosity

Not all payments to DGRs are gifts. For example, these payments are not gifts:

• Purchases of raffle or art union tickets
• Purchases of chocolates, pens, etc
• The cost of attending fundraising dinners, even if the cost exceeds the value of the dinner
• Membership fees
• Payments where the person has an understanding with the recipient that the payments will be used to provide a benefit for the 'donor'.

(Source: www.ato.gov.au)

A gift to a non-profit organisation is not consideration for a supply (ie donations to the University of Newcastle as defined by the ATO above do not incur GST).

The University of Newcastle complies with the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998.As we value the privacy of our donors we do not make personal information available to any other organisations. Donors and sponsors also have the right to gain access to information about themselves.