Tax relief figures suggest drop in Irish charity income
Figures provided to the Irish Dail by the Irish finance minister indicate that donations to charities fell last year.
Finance Minister Michael Noonan reported last week that there was a €1.6 million drop in the income tax relief the exchequer gave on PAYE donations to charity. In reply to a question by Michael McGrath TD, Michael Noonan provided figures which showed tax relief in 2013 was worth €23.5 million against €25.1 million in 2012.
Quoted in the Irish Times, Mr McGrath said the drop in donations “even before the controversy about charity funding emerged”, showed the need for charities to “step up to the mark” in funding and business activity transparency.
Many charities will receive tax relief income from PAYE donations in 2013 this year and if the ‘top up’ controversy has had as big an effect as some charities suspect it will be reflected in returns in 2014.
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