Destiny Church protest reignites debate on tax-exempt status for charities

If you ever feel like you’re always being asked to donate money to some cause or another, you probably aren’t wrong.

In New Zealand, there are more than 28,000 registered charities – with an annual income of more than $21 billion – on top of over 110,000 not for profit organisations.

Legislation leaves the definition of a charity pretty broad – if you say you’re tackling poverty, advancing education or religion, or beneficial to the community in any way, you could sign up to the charities register.

That broad definition is in the spotlight again this week though, after an aggressive protest by Destiny Church at a rainbow family event sparked backlash over the church’s charitable status.

So, is the law up to date, or is it time we take a look at what organisations are getting a tax break?

Today on The Front Page, former Independent Advisor to the Tax Working Group, Andrea Black, is with us to discuss.

Today on The Front Page, University of Otago professor of public health, Peter Crampton joins us to give a rundown on our health system.  

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You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

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