Charity prosecution threat replaced with fines
Wednesday 18th August 2010, 2:29PM BST.
CHARITIES now face on-the-spot fines of £500 if they fail to register with the taxman.
The new approach was agreed by the States in July. It was felt the previous penalty of criminal prosecution was too harsh.
Non-profit organisations have had to make themselves known to the Registrar of NPOs if they are based in Guernsey, Herm or Jethou and have assets of, or more than, £10,000 or a gross annual income of or more than £5,000.
There is, however, an exemption for charities that are administered by a person licensed by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.
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I am a huge supporter of the non-profit sector but charity is big money these days and unscrupulous people could easily take advantage.
I’m interested to know what people think about the idea of a Charity Commission similar to the UK? Is it necessary on Guernsey?
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Paul
Regrettably this is a necessary evil. The powers that be think terrorists are useing Guernsey charities to fund thier activities. We had better watch out when we put money in the Charity tins!
But £500 fine for non registration seems a little steep.
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Charities can be dubious outfits run by extremely well paid people in very plush surroundings.
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Yes, Andy they CAN be. They can also be outfits run by extremely talented people who sacrifice their time and effort to help others whilst being paid next to nothing.
I do think some kind of accountability is necessary though, such as a legal requirement to publish their accounts. I think the public has a right to know where their donations are going. Besides, financial transparency for charities is a good thing in my opinion.
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