[WikiEN-l] Re: Personal donations to Wikipedia

Mon Jan 2 07:05:37 UTC 2006

Lisa Thurston wrote:
> Further to my email about ads on Wikipedia, I want to point out some
> concerns I have about the current Wikimedia fundraising drive too.
> 
> Why haven't tax professionals been consulted to specify exactly what the
> tax-deductibility status donations to Wikipedia have in the top donor
> countries? It should be found out and explictly specified on the home page.
> I for one won't donate without knowing my donation is tax-deductible in
> Australia. And if, for instance, it did say "tax deductible in Australia"
> Aussies *would* notice it instantly seriously consider donating!
> 
> In fact, if the answer for Australia or Canada or Sweden or whatever is "not
> deductible" then Wikipedia should make a request for Wikipedians in those
> countries to form local chapters to obtain the NGO/charity status. This
> wouldn't just help Wikimedia out by generating more revenue, but create a
> stronger Wikipedian community outside US and central Europe.

We discussed this on foundation-l in August. See this post and the rest 
of the thread:

http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2005-August/003884.html

If my reading of the ATO website is correct, donations to Wikimedia are 
not tax deductible in Australia. In fact, donations to any entity which 
primarily aims to maintain an international website will not be 
considered tax-deductible in Australia, whether the organisation is 
based in Australia or not. This is because the activities being 
supported are not "in Australia", and they don't qualify under either of 
the exception categories. See http://tinyurl.com/c3rdc under "What does 
in Australia mean".

Sorry to disappoint you, but you'll have to pay your taxes even if you 
do give money to Wikimedia.

-- Tim Starling