Charities Consultative Committee minutes - 20 September 2011

4. Questionnaire - phone survey results - ATO's administration of charities and non-profit entities

An ad hoc ATO phone survey was conducted in April 2011. It was prompted by the desire to gain a deeper understanding of some comments about the ATO in the responses to a Treasury discussion paper released earlier in the year - A scoping study for a national not-for-profit regulator.

The ATO's corporate communication area conducted the ad hoc survey with some of the people who responded to the Treasury scoping study, but their identity was not disclosed to anyone outside of the corporate communication area. A summary of the results was distributed to members.

There was some discussion about the results of the survey, and the Treasury consultation, including the following:

• It was agreed that the submissions to the scoping study were not a representative sample of the NFP sector.
• The overall results of the ATO ad hoc survey gave a slightly positive impression of ATO administration.
• The ATO noted that one surprising result was that responses indicated that people felt the ATO compliance activity was too hard and too soft. This feedback was hard to reconcile.
• Another broader online NFP community - ATO forum was supported, but it is not essential for current work on establishing the ACNC. While acknowledging that the idea is good, the ATO noted that due to pressing other priorities it will not be pursued in the short term.

Sections within Agenda items

• 1. Welcome, apologies and introductions
• 2. Consideration of the minutes from the previous meeting
• 3. Compliance program 2012 - Religious organisations education and assist strategy
• 4. Questionnaire - phone survey results - ATO's administration of charities and non-profit entities
• 5. ACNC Treasury Taskforce update
• 6. ATO ACNC update
• 7. Not-for-profit reforms
• 8. Other business