With an estimated 600,000 entities and 60,000 organisations contributing over $43b to Australia’s GDP and employing 8% of the workforce, the not-for-profit sector is a significant contributor to the Australian economy. Many entities are significant businesses in their own right and the regulation of the sector is changing.
This paper examines the new regulatory environment for charity registration, the tax framework within which charities operate and the impact of recent decisions on the tax framework of the sector. The practical consequences of the changes discussed will be illustrated with examples from practice.