Community Foundation Announces new Chair

The Community Foundation for Ireland has appointed a new Chairperson, Louis FitzGerald. A chartered accountant, Louis retired from Airtricity in 2008 which he had co-founded in 1997. He is also a Trustee & Ambassador at Renewable World (formerly the Koru Foundation) and a director of several investment companies. Louis takes over from Brian Wilson and previous Chairs include businessmen John Gallagher and Chris Horn.

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Proposed New Tax Treatment of Charitable Donations

Julie Herlihy, a Tax Partner at Baker Tilly Ryan Glennon responds to recent proposed changes to the tax benefits for charitable giving. Julie is a member of The Community Foundation’s Professional Advisor Philanthropy Network.

The current turbulent economic climate is proving challenging for charities. The combination of sometimes dramatic decreases in financing with increasing numbers of requests for assistance has resulted in increased pressure on most charities.

Against this backdrop, the Irish Charities Tax Reform Group have been involved in detailed discussions with the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Finance in an attempt to ensure policies are adopted by the Government to incentivise independent fundraising and promote activity within the sector. In particular, they have sought two changes for charities; the current tax relief system and the current VAT system.
 

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