Lisa Thurston wrote:
Further to my email about ads on Wikipedia, I want to
point out some
concerns I have about the current Wikimedia fundraising drive too.
Why haven't tax professionals been consulted to specify exactly what the
tax-deductibility status donations to Wikipedia have in the top donor
countries? It should be found out and explictly specified on the home page.
I for one won't donate without knowing my donation is tax-deductible in
Australia. And if, for instance, it did say "tax deductible in Australia"
Aussies *would* notice it instantly seriously consider donating!
In fact, if the answer for Australia or Canada or Sweden or whatever is "not
deductible" then Wikipedia should make a request for Wikipedians in those
countries to form local chapters to obtain the NGO/charity status. This
wouldn't just help Wikimedia out by generating more revenue, but create a
stronger Wikipedian community outside US and central Europe.
While we're interested in having tax deductibility for as many donors as
possible, it is not the Wikimedia Foundation's business to provide tax
advice for anybody. We should stay far away from this. Even in the
obvious case, plugging tax deductibility in the US is somewhat
problematic because quite a few people will not realize that this is
only worth something to them if they itemize their deductions. That's
why the better approach is to simply say, "Donations may be tax
deductible, consult a professional for details."
Incidentally, regarding the specific case, I believe Tim Starling's
preliminary investigation suggested that tax deductibility in Australia
may not be all that likely.
--Michael Snow