General Information
Tax Exempt Status - Victorian Government Schools
Victorian Government schools (as Public Educational Institutions) are exempt from income tax by operation of the Australian Income Tax Assessment Act (ITAA) (item 1.4 of section 50-5 ITAA97), with no certificate of tax exempt status required.
Some grant and new bank account applications require that schools supply some form of a "tax exemption certificate" with applications. In these cases schools should identify themselves as an exempt body (Australian public school) under item 1.4 of section 50-5 ITAA97. If this is insufficient, suppliers may accept a copy of the school's ABN registration.
Government schools are also exempt from debits tax, but still must provide a certificate of exemption, when requested, to financial institutions.
It is not possible for Victorian Government Schools to provide either a "certificate of incorporation" or a "certificate of tax deductible status" as schools are neither corporations nor gift-deductible entities. Most entities seeking to claim exempt status are required to be endorsed by the Commissioner as an income tax-exempt charity (sec 50-52 of the ITAA97).
To obtain this endorsement, entities must satisfy the other conditions required for exemption. The ATO ' Charity Pack publication provides useful guidance on the endorsement arrangements (Item 1.5B). Since schools do not fall into any of these categories, they are tax exempt without requiring the endorsement of the Commissioner.
Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide
The new online Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide website contains the latest policy advice and information from the Department. Information is available about school councils and governance, curriculum, environment, accountability, management, and resources. DEECD employees are able to access the website using their EduMail user name and password.