There was mixed news for charities in the latest from Australia's longest available generosity data – total donations and average amounts donated rose in 2018-19, but the percentage of taxpayers claiming a donation fell to the lowest figure in four decades.
Western Australia takes the prize for most generous, while in Queensland, the postcode with the highest average gift claimed by taxpayers is 9726, representing the Gold Coast Mail Centre.
The yearly report produced by QUT's Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies (ACPNS) uses Australian Taxation Office data dating from 1978 to crunch the numbers on tax-deductible giving.
It found that 55 per cent of high net-worth taxpayers (those with $1M+ earnings), donated in 2018-19. Other highlights from the report include:
- The total amount donated and claimed by individuals as tax-deductible donations in 2018–19 was $3.93 billion (compared to $3.75 billion for the previous income year). This sees an increase of $181 million (or 4.85 per cent) from the previous income year
- In 2018–19, the average tax-deductible gift for all taxpayers was $933.20, compared to $845.73 in the previous year
- A total of 4.21 million Australian taxpayers (or 28.69 per cent of the Australian taxpaying population) made and claimed tax-deductible donations. This has decreased from the previous year when 31.01 per cent of taxpayers made and claimed a gift. This percentage is at its lowest since 1978–79 and is the first time since then that it has fallen below 30 per cent
- Women give more of their taxable income then men and more women made taxable donations but the average donation claimed by men was greater
- Chief Executive and Managing Directors retained the highest average amount donated, although the amount decreased by 13.76% between 2018-19 and 2017-18
- Western Australia is the most generous state, with the highest total and average donations claimed in 2018-19, as well as the Australian postcode with the highest percentage of taxpayers claiming a donation - Joondalup DC (WA 6027)
ACPNS Centre Director, Associate Professor Wendy Scaife said the data was critical to highlight trends and opportunities, such as the concerning drop in giving participation and the chance to engage more of Australia's higher income earners in giving.
"This 2018-19 data also will become also the benchmark for the tumultuous giving years that have followed due to the bushfires and pandemic," said Associate Professor Scaife.
The ACPNS tax-deductible giving report, containing its analysis of tax-deductible giving by postcode, gender, state and occupation, is available online:
Full report: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/212682
Short Information Sheet: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/212688
Ancillary Funds Information Sheet: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/211850
Discover more about the project (including how 'giving' your postcode and occupation are), on the ACPNS giving stats page.
