Charities losing over €12m in VAT bill

IRISH charities are losing over €12m each year which could be used for essential services because their activities are excluded from VAT exemption under EU legislation.

A major report on the issue, due to be published later today at the annual conference of the Irish Charities Tax Reform Group in Dublin, will provide the first true estimate of the human cost of the problem.

The conference will also examine how Government tax reform could increase funding to the sector by removing existing tax burdens and stimulating new forms of donation.