CTG Newsletter – 12 October 2016
Second reading of the Small Charitable Donations Bill
The Second Reading of the Small Charitable Donations and Childcare Payments Bill 2016 has passed without a division and progresses to Committee Stage.
A full summary of the debate, including discussions on the matching rules, extension of GASDS to other types of donations and the community buildings rules, can be read here. Further details about the scope of the Bill can be found here.
In his speech, the Minister for Civil Society noted that the £26m currently claimed under the Scheme each year came from a total of 21,300 charities. The Government has also published an Impact Assessment for the Bill, which indicates that the changes will cost the Government an estimated additional £15m a year. This is welcome (and should bring the total value of the scheme to approximately £40m), but this is clearly still far lower than previous estimates.
Review of the VAT treatment of Irish charities announced
In his Budget 2017 statement, Irish Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, has committed to a review of the VAT treatment of charities in Ireland. This follows a joint report by the Irish Government and the Irish Charities Tax Reform Group (ICTR) last year reviewing options for reform. CTG works closely with the ICTR through the ECCVAT network and will be watching developments with interest. Further information can be found here.
AG Opinion in the Luxembourg cost-sharing exemption case
Advocate General (AG) Julianne Kokott has delivered her opinion in the infringement case brought by the European Commission against Luxembourg, over its implementation of the EU law “cost sharing” exemption. The AG has indicated that certain aspects of Luxembourg’s operation of the cost sharing exemption are incompatible with EU law, which has resulted in services being incorrectly treated as exempt. Further information is available here.
Inclusive Economy Unit formed
The Government has announced the opening of a new Inclusive Economy Unit, to be based in the Office for Civil Society in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The new Unit will bring together the expertise of the public, private and civil society sectors, with the aim of building an inclusive economy that “works for everyone”. The new Unit will build on the existing Social Investment and Finance Team in the Office for Civil Society, by strengthening the social investment market and social impact bonds, expanding public service mutuals, and supporting mission-led business. Further information is available here.
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Open consultations
CTG will be considering responding to a number of important consultations over the next few months. Our consultation responses rely on input from members and we would encourage you to send us your thoughts, and where relevant submit your own consultation response. The deadlines for forthcoming consultations are outlined below. Please send your feedback via the relevant consultation page on the CTG website or to info@charitytaxgroup.org.uk.
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