Australian government attempting to define”Charity”

The Federal Government has released its much-anticipated Consultation Paper on a new definition of charity. The Government is calling for submissions from the Not for Profit sector on the key issues around a statutory definition of ‘charity’ – however the paper falls short of offering a final definition for consideration. The Government announced in the 2011-12 Budget that it would introduce a statutory definition of charity, applicable across all Commonwealth laws from 1 July 2013. This Consultation Paper outlines the background to a statutory definition, including previous recommendations and inquiries, as well as developments that have occurred since the 2003 consultation package on a charity definition was released. It discusses elements of a possible core definition of charity by raising discussion on possible refinements to the exposure draft of the Charities Bill 2003. It also covers Australian Disaster Relief Funds, interactions with State and Territory laws and transitional issues.  [Read More] (Thanks for Australian CM site)