Charity Taxation in the United Kingdom
Comparative Analysis: The Global Perspective The Fiscal Treatment of Charitable Contributions in the UK Debra Morris, Charity Law Unit, University of Liverpool (Currently Visiting Lecturer, Cayman Islands Law School) Introduction In addition to the fiscal privileges enjoyed by charities themselves, there are considerable tax incentives given to individuals and companies to make charitable donations. In his first Budget Speech in July 1997, the new Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, announced that the Government would undertake a Review of Charity Taxation, to be primarily focused on the simplification of the present tax regime affecting charities, and on the question whether charities might be relieved from the burden of paying irrecoverable Value Added Tax (VAT). Charities and other interested parties were invited to submit their views by 1 December 1997, and the Government then proposed to publish a Consultation Document in the Spring of 1998. During the first phase of open consultation, nearly 3,000 responses on a wide range of subjects were received from charities, their representative groups, businesses and individuals. Approximately a year behind schedule, the Government issued a Consultation Copyright © 2001 by Debra Morris. All rights reserved. Document1 in March 1999 containing points for consideration and invited comments by 31 August 1999. The contents of the Consultation Document revealed that, during the course of the Review, the Government’s thinking underwent a shift in emphasis, as it abandoned the idea of providing any significant new tax reliefs for charities and decided to focus instead on making the tax system ‘more modern, flexible and simple’ for donors and charities.
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