[talk-au] OSM representation in Australia

[John Smith]

--- On Wed, 12/8/09, Matt White <mattwhite at iinet.com.au> wrote:
> I was more referring to the ongoing requirements -
> taxation/finance 
> reporting (BAS statements are applicable to non-profits,
> but not sure 
> about IAS statements), plus the yearly ones (GST, FBT
> amongst others - 
> perhaps the ASIC registration).

non-profits are tax exempt, and don't need to do GST/BAS unless they turn over more than $100,000/yr.

> Plus potentially public liability and other insurance, and
> as if the org 
> was to pay anyone for work (and I guess iwe should probably
> aim have a 
> viable enough operation to require at least part time
> employees), you 
> get into PAYG, super and the like.

Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves too soon, we don't even have an entity let alone be in a postition to have employees.

As for public liability, it is limited to $2mil in NSW for non-profit associations, also unless you are running sporting events the risk of being publically liable is very low. Just because you are a member and have a car accident in the process of mapping would be out of the scope of the association as that is an activity you are doing on your own initative.

> It doesn't cost much to start a non-profit, but it does
> cost money to 
> operate one. Not 100% on this, but for companies, things
> like the end of 
> finacial year tax stuff has to be signed off by an
> accountant, plus all 
> the other incidentals.

If this goes ahead there will most likely be an accountant involved doing all the books/paper work so that should be covered.

> (I'm not trying to be negative here - just speaking from
> having spent 
> the last decade dealing with all this stuff after
> registering a company 
> 13 years ago cos it was cheap and seemed like a good idea
> at the time...)

Companies are a completely different thing entirely, they are for profit for starters, and don't get tax exempt status, not the same thing as a charity, it just means the entity wouldn't normally be liable to pay GST other taxes for anything.

> However, any money we donated to the chapter would be a tax
> deduction, 

It's very difficult to get that status with the ATO, there is 40-50 categories and they all deal with benefiting the community in health or education or the arts or enviromental groups or shelters etc.