Meet the 'Costs of Volunteering' Taskforce

Federal Cabinet has expressed an interest in the proposal from Senator Guy Barnett* that volunteer costs be dealt with through the taxation system, so Volunteering Australia has moved to set up a Taskforce to look at the proposal in more detail.

In its membership, the Costs of Volunteering Taskforce brings together a depth and breadth of experience in the workings of both the taxation system and the not-for-profit sector.

Chairing the group is Professor Myles McGregor-Lowndes, Director of the Centre of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies at Queensland University of Technology, who has advised and held board positions in a large variety of not-for-profit organisations over a period of 25 years. He is a consultant to McCullough Robertson Lawyers, who provide legal and taxation advice to large national and international not-for-profit organisations. Professor McGregor-Lowndes is also a member of the ATO Charities Consultative Committee on the introduction of the New Tax System, and advisor to the ATO on not-for-profit taxation training and education materials.

Volunteering Australia is represented by CEO Sha Cordingley, and the emergency management sector, which has been particularly vocal and concerned about the issue of costs to individual volunteers, is represented by Major-General Hori Howard, Chair of the Australian Emergency Management Volunteers Forum and former Director-General of the NSW State Emergency Service. Another member of the Taskforce with expertise and a keen interest both in taxation and the community sector is Ian Langford-Brown, National Executive Chairman of Scouts Australia and formerly the Director of Taxation of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

David Thompson brings a strong interest in equity and social justice issues to the work of the Taskforce, and as CEO of Jobs Australia, is chair of the board of the National Nonprofit Roundtable. David has more than 25 years' involvement in the development, management and operation of labour market assistance programs, and is the Principal Policy Adviser on employment, education and training, and youth affairs of ACOSS, as well as an ACOSS Board and Executive member.

Further professional expertise is porvided by John Emerson, a partner at legal firm Freehills, who heads the firm's charity law practice and is recognised Australia-wide as an expert on the tax laws that apply to charities; and by Paul Drum, CPA Australia's senior tax counsel, who has worked in the tax arena for nearly 20 years, with a particular focus on business taxation, and is involved with tax reform at policy, law and administration levels.

The Taskforce has met twice since being established and expects to report to government in November on the issues and options relating to volunteers' out-of-pocket expenses.

October 2006

*Read Senator Guy Barnett's proposal Volunteering in Australia. How can we help?