----- Original Message ----
From: Thomas Dalton <thomas.dalton(a)gmail.com>
To: wikimediauk-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org
Sent: Monday, 21 July, 2008 11:22:32 PM
Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Hello
According to the HMRC, their tax recognition for small charities
should make everyone treat you as a charity. Do the banks not
subscribe to that? Have we at least got that tax recognition sorted
out so we can accept tax deductable donations? You'll struggle to get
£5000 pledged without that.
That's what you would think.
It took a hell of a lot of going in circles, talking to this and that person, and
telephone tag for quite a few weeks, to establish it's not so. HMRC's tax status
is easy to obtain. It's not charitable status, and as best I have managed to find out,
doesn't get you recognized as a charity by a high street bank. You'd think it
would. Saying we have "tax exempt status" also wouldn't carry the same
weight with sponsors and donors as "charitable status" would. The latter means
our finances and scrutiny are done according to applicable UK charity rules and carries
credibility; not just that we operate like any other company but with an agreement we can
claim tax back.
One option we're looking into for resolving this would require a bit of deft footwork
at Companies House, and I'll probably know more whether this route is viable by the
end of the month.
-- Paul Sinclair
businessfirst
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