Australians are claiming their gifts to charity on tax more than ever, with a total of $3.1 billion donated in the 2014-15 financial year - a 15 per cent increase, or $464 million, on the previous year.
The annual report produced by QUT's Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies (ACPNS), analysed Australian Taxation Office statistics on tax-deductible giving for the period and discovered the total tax-deductible donations made by Australians far exceed inflation.
Other highlights from the report include:
- 4.57 million Australian taxpayers claimed deductible gifts in 2014-2015, with the average donation $674.14, an increase of 17.11 per cent from 2013-2014
- Queensland was third behind NSW and Victoria with $382.42 million in total deductible gifts but was the third lowest (behind Victoria, NSW, ACT, Tasmania and SA) in relation to the percentage of their taxable income donated – 0.26 per cent compared to the national average of 0.40 per cent
- Overall, 31.84 per cent of Queenslanders claimed charitable tax-deductions, while the national average was 34.58 per cent.
- Average Queensland donation was $458.07 (National average $674.14)
- Women gave a higher proportion of their income than men but men gave more overall
- The more people earn, the more they claim as tax-deductible donations while the median amount donated by men and women rises with age
- Judges, Magistrates, Members of Parliament and medical professionals claimed the highest median tax-deductible donations of all professions
- The Victorian suburbs of Hawksburn, Toorak (postcode 3142) topped the country giving over $100 million
- Taxpayers in Ascot, Hamilton Central and Hamilton gave the most overall in Queensland while those in Eagle Farm claimed the largest average deductible gift in the state
- Find out how much your suburb and occupation give here
ACPNS Emeritus Professor Myles McGregor-Lowndes said more than 200,000 taxpayers with an income over $180,000 had contributed nearly $1,187 million which accounted for much of the growth in the period.
“However just over a half of taxpayers in the $180,000-plus income bracket claimed a donation,” Professor McGregor-Lowndes said.
The ACPNS tax-deductible giving report, containing analysis of tax-deductible giving by postcode, gender, state and occupation, is available online:
https://eprints.qut.edu.au/107788/
https://eprints.qut.edu.au/107787/
https://eprints.qut.edu.au/110446/
Media contact:
Amanda Weaver, QUT Media, 07 3138 3151, amanda.weaver@qut.edu.au
After hours: Rose Trapnell, 0407 585 901, media@qut.edu.au
