Greens move to support Not-for-profits

The Australian Greens today called on the Coalition and the Government to support their amendments in the Senate that will increase the cap on allowable fringe benefits for low-income workers in charitable organisations to $40, 000.
 
"Not-for-profit organisations are finding it increasingly difficult to attract and keep staff as they can't compete with industry and Government wage levels," said Senator Rachel Siewert today.
 
"These caring organisations who are the backbone of our Australian community are now struggling to fill vacancies. The income of workers who do the hard yards of looking out for the disadvantaged does not reflect the value of this work to the community."

"At the moment, the cap on the fringe benefits tax is $30,000. That rate hasn't gone up or been indexed since the year 2000 meaning that the value of fringe benefit exemptions has eroded over the last eight years," said Senator Siewert.
 
"The proposed Australian Greens amendment puts the value of the cap back where it would have been if it had been indexed," she said.
 
"The Greens are proposing a raise of the cap to $40,000 in order to take the pressure off charities, while the proposed Henry review of the tax system addresses the wider issues."

"Fringe benefits has in the past been a way that public benevolent institutions have been able to stretch the value of donations and grants to try to offer low-paid workers a half-way decent income," she concluded.
 
For more information or comment call Chris Twomey on 0407 725 025 Email senator.siewert@aph.gov.au  |  http://www.rachelsiewert.org.au