Can You Claim Gifts of Money under Donation Tax Deduction? Find Out Here

Like many generous Australians, you must be eager to support an endearing cause and join hands with charities that align with your values to make real life impact. Along the way, you may find yourself wondering about your charity tax obligations. But it can be quite overwhelming to navigate complicated donation tax deduction guidelines which often leave you scratching your head. We understand the struggle – you want to give back, but you also want to make smart financial decisions. 

Jaxon, our go-to tax expert, has prepared a roadmap to charity tax deductions and how to check their eligibility.  We’ll explore different gift and charity types, so you know the method for checking a charity’s DGR status before giving money to it next time. The goal of this guide is to minimize the guesswork involved in charity donations so you can contribute to global causes smartly and confidently.

Now, here’s the deal: 

The money you give to charity in the form of donations is tax deductible provided that the organization has an eligible DGR status. Moreover, you must provide proper receipts and donation records to claim any eligible charity tax deductions. 

You can claim deductions on:

• Donations worth $2 or more
• Gifts to a deductible gift recipient charity 

The donation could be a:

• One-time donation
• Monthly donation
• Donation for supporting an appeal
• Corporate sponsorship donation
• Gift donations

Did You Recently Give Money to a Charity? 

Australians are inherently generous and you must also have a cause close to your heart. Tax deductible donations to charities boosts your refunds and gives organizations the support they need to make a change.

Charities and donations thrive because of your support and without your generosity, they may not be able to achieve great things for the community. 

The good news is that you can also get some benefit out of your donations because ATO offers tax deductions for DGR endorsed charity organizations.

4 Simple Steps to Make Tax Deductible Donations

Select a DGR Approved Charity

Check the organization’s DGR status before making a donation. The DGR status will tell you how much your gift will impact your tax savings. 

We have explained how to check the DGR status of your charity below. 

Make Your Donation

Most organizations provide online and in-person donation services. Online donations are often more convenient. 

Keep Your Donation Records

If you made an in-person donation, keep the paper receipt record. In case of online donation, take a screenshot of the receipt and save it. Most organizations also send donation confirmation emails so save those too. 

Claim Your Donation Tax Deductions

Go to your myTax account and claim your donation tax deductions before the next tax cycle deadline i.e. July 1st 2024. (for year 2023-24)

How to Check Your Charity’s DGR Status?

This is simple. Most organizations will tell you that they are DGR approved but if they are unsure or don’t tell you about their DGR status, chances are they are not approved.

DGR “deductible gift recipient” ^[1] is a fund or entity eligible to receive tax deductible gifts and donations. DGR Status indicates whether an organization is eligible to receive tax-deductible donations.

There are two types of DGR Endorsements:

• DGR endorsement in its own right: This type of DGR endorsement applies to entities or funds that have the eligibility to receive tax-deductible gifts directly. Donations made to these entities are tax deductible.
• DGR endorsement in relation to a fund, authority, or institution: In this case, the DGR endorsement is limited to a specific fund, authority, or institution operated by the entity. Only gifts made to that particular fund, authority, or institution are eligible for tax deductions.

Here are is how you can manually check the organizations DGR Status:

• Visit the ABN Website > go to Tools and Resources > Select DGR.
• Use the Advance search function located at the top right corner of the page.
• Enter either the ABN or the name of the entity you want to check. The search results will display the DGR endorsement status.

Source: ABN AU

You Can Also Download Complete DGR Listings: 

You can download two types of DGR files:

• DGR endorsed entities.
• DGR funds, authorities, and institutions.

You can open and view these files from any text like Excel. 

Here is the Standard DGR Status File Format View

DGR Files are organized into 3 columns: state, post code and entity name

Source: ABN AU

What Donation Tax Deductions You Can Claim?

Donation tax deductions depend on the type of gift you gave to the charity. 

ATO accepts charity tax deductions for following categories:

Gifts of money: You can claim the full amount of the gift, as long as it’s $2 or more.

Gifts of property or shares: Different rules apply based on the type and value of the property. Check out the Gift types, requirements, and valuation rules for more details.

Gifts under the Heritage and Cultural programs: There are special circumstances where donations can also be deductible. You can find more information about specific programs like Donating under the Cultural Gifts Program, Heritage gifts, and Claiming conservation covenant concessions.

Can I Still Claim a Deduction if I Receive a Donation Token?

Yes, you can claim a deduction even if you receive a token item, like lapel pins, raffle tickets, pens, bandana or wristbands, for your donation.

ATO considers these Token items to have no material value. They are simply used to promote the deductible gift recipient (DGR) organization.

You claim the deduction during the same income year in which you made the donation. In some cases, you can spread the tax deduction over a period of up to 5 income years.

What About Bucket Donation Tax Deduction?

Now, let’s talk about bucket donations. 

For every $2 or more cash donation given to bucket collections,  you can claim a total tax deduction of up to $10 within the same income year without showing a receipt.

This money should be given to DGR approved buckets for natural disaster victims or similar causes. 

However, if your total donations exceed $10, you will need a receipt to claim them.

Can I Claim Donations for Political Causes?

You can claim deductions for gifts and donations to registered political parties or independent candidates under specific circumstances. 

• You must have a paid membership subscription with a registered political party. 
• The gift or donation must be given to an independant individual member/candidate (not in the course of carrying on a business). Moreover, it should not be a testamentary donation.

• Your gift or donation must be worth $2 or more. 
• If you’re donating property, it should have been purchased at least 12 months before making the donation.
• You must have written proof of all your donations.

The maximum amount you can claim on political donations during an income year is following:

• $1500 for gifts and contributions to political parties.
• $1500 for gifts and contributions to independant candidates/members.

What You Can’t Claim?

You can not claim any deductions on the following:

• Raffle or art union tickets.
• Items with advertised prices (e.g., chocolates, mugs, keyrings, hats, toys).
• Costs of attending fundraising dinners (unless the cost exceeds the minor benefit provided).
• Club membership fees.
• Payments to school building funds made for personal benefits (e.g., avoiding fee increases, securing placement on a waiting list).
• Payments made with the expectation of personal benefits.
• Gifts to family and friends.
• Donations made through salary sacrifice arrangements.
• Donations made under a will.

What About Gifts of Money to Churches?

Contrary to the popular belief that all church donations are eligible for deductions, unfortunately, that’s not the case. Gifts of money and charity made to a church can ONLY be claimed if the church has a DGR endorsed status. 

It’s important to be mindful of what you can claim and what you can not claim to avoid any potential tax penalties. ATO will ask you to refund any tax deductions that you claimed incorrectly. 

Keeping Records of Gifts and Donations: What You Need to Know?

Receipts and Documentation:

To ensure you can claim tax deductions for gifts and contributions you make, it’s important to keep proper records. Here’s the evidence you should maintain:

Receipts for Donations or Contributions: Keep receipts showing the amount you donated or contributed to eligible organizations.

Letter from the Eligible Organization: If you don’t have a receipt, a signed letter from the organization confirming the donation amount will suffice.

Minor Benefits: If you receive a minor benefit in return for your contribution, such as attending a charity dinner, you need to note the value of the benefit.

Receipts from Deductible Gift Recipients (DGRs):

While most DGRs provide receipts for donations, it’s not mandatory. If you don’t have a receipt, you can still claim a deduction using other records, like bank statements.

If a DGR issues a receipt for a deductible gift, it should include:

• Name of the fund, authority, or institution receiving the donation.
• DGR’s Australian Business Number (ABN) (some DGRs listed by name may not have an ABN).
• Clearly state that the receipt is for a gift.

Workplace Giving Program:

If you participate in workplace giving program, you can provide evidence in: 

• Your income statement or payment summary.
• A receipt from a third party or a written record from your employer.

How to organize your charity donations to claim maximum deductions?

• Prepare a spreadsheet with 3 columns: Charity name, DGR Status, donation receipt 
• Whenver you make a donation, refer to this excel sheet and find a DGR endorsed charity to make the donation.
• Keep all donation receipts and records within the spreadsheet to reconcile all your gifts at the end of income year.

…..Or you can just Skip to The Good Part

To avoid all that hassle, you can use an AI powered tax assistant app. Simply enter your tax information step-by-step and AI will fetch your potential tax expenses and eligible donation tax deductions. 

Don’t forget to enable tax notifications to receive tax deadline reminders!

Summarizing Everything

You can claim donation tax deduction on:

• Donations worth $2 or more.
• Gifts to a deductible gift recipient charity.

You can also claim deductions on donations for which you received tokens, political donations under certain circumstances and DGR endorsed bucket donations. 

You must keep all donation receipts to show as proofs to claim any elibigle charity tax deduction within the same income year.

You can not claim donation tax deduction on all church donations, non-DGR endorsed charities,  and on the token items you received in exchange for your donation.

Extending the Discussion – Your Common Questions Answered

Is charity fully tax deductible?

While charitable donations can be tax deductible, it’s important to note that not all donations are fully deductible. To be tax deductible, donations must meet certain criteria, including being made to an organization endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR). Additionally, the deductible amount depends on the type of gift and specific rules set by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). It is recommended to refer to the ATO guidelines or consult with a tax professional for accurate and specific information regarding deductibility.

Is charity tax deductible in Australia?

Yes, certain charitable donations made to eligible organizations in Australia can be tax deductible. To qualify for tax deductibility, the recipient organization must have DGR endorsement from the ATO. Donations to DGR-endorsed organizations can be claimed as deductions on your tax return, subject to specific rules and limitations set by the ATO.

How much of a donation is tax deductible in Australia?

In Australia, the minimum amount that can be claimed as a tax deduction for a donation is $2 or more. The actual tax deduction amount will depend on factors such as the DGR status of the recipient organization and the type of donation made. It’s important to keep records, such as receipts or bank statements, to support your deduction claims. For specific details regarding the deductibility of your donations, consult the ATO guidelines or seek advice from a tax professional.

What is the difference between DGR 1 and DGR 2?

DGR 1 and DGR 2 refer to different categories of Deductible Gift Recipients (DGRs) in Australia. DGR 1 organizations have full deductibility status, meaning that donations made to them are generally fully tax deductible. DGR 2 organizations, however, have partial deductibility status, which means that there may be limitations on the tax deductibility amount for donations made to them. It’s crucial to check the DGR status of the organization to determine the extent of deductibility for your donations.

Are donations to GoFundMe tax deductible in Australia?

Donations made through crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe are generally not automatically tax deductible in Australia. To claim a tax deduction for donations, they must be made to organizations that have DGR endorsement from the ATO. While some charitable campaigns on GoFundMe may have DGR endorsement, it is essential to verify the DGR status of the specific campaign or organization before assuming tax deductibility. Refer to the ATO guidelines or consult with a tax professional for accurate information.

Is gift money taxable in Australia?

In general, gift money received by an individual is not considered taxable income in Australia. However, specific rules and exceptions may apply in certain circumstances, such as when gifts are received as part of employment or business activities. It’s advisable to consult with a tax professional for personalized advice regarding your specific situation and any potential tax implications of receiving gift money.

Are donations to the Australian Labor Party tax deductible?

Donations made to political parties, including the Australian Labor Party, may be tax deductible in Australia under certain conditions. To claim a tax deduction for political contributions, you must have made the donation as an individual (not as part of a business) and meet other requirements outlined by the ATO. It’s important to keep proper records of the donation for substantiation purposes. Consult the ATO guidelines or seek advice from a tax professional for accurate information regarding the deductibility of donations to the Australian Labor Party.

Do donations increase tax loss?

Donations made to eligible Deductible Gift Recipients (DGRs) do not directly increase tax loss for individuals. However, they can reduce taxable income and potentially result in a lower tax liability. It’s essential to understand the specific rules and limitations set by the ATO regarding deductions for donations. Consulting with a tax professional can help assess the impact of donations on your tax situation and provide personalized advice.

Is PayPal Giving Fund Australia tax deductible?

Donations made through PayPal Giving Fund Australia can be tax deductible if the recipient organization has DGR endorsement from the ATO. It’s important to ensure that the specific charity or organization receiving the donation is eligible for tax deductibility. Refer to the ATO guidelines or seek advice from a tax professional for accurate information regarding the deductibility of donations made through PayPal Giving Fund Australia.

Related Links:

• Sole Trader Tax Deductions in Australia: A Comprehensive Guide
• How Long Does Tax Return Take in Australia?
• How do I Find my Tax File Number in Australia?

References:

[1] AU DGR Status – CommunityDirectors