Revenue NSW have announced a range of measures to assist people in bushfire affected areas in NSW, including:

• Exemption from payroll tax for wages paid or payable to employees engaged in bushfire-fighting activities or emergency operations
• Extension of time to pay or to lodge documents, returns or objections
• A hold on fines and debt
• Waiver of interest
• Instalment payment arrangements
• A refund of motor vehicle duty paid to replace a destroyed vehicle

The National Bushfire Recovery Agency has a list of charities with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status that have established bushfire appeals, for which gifts of $2 and above will be tax deductible.

Donors can also check if they are donating to a legitimate fundraising website or group by looking up the ACNC’s charity register, as the ACCC has warned against scammers pretending to be legitimate charities, cold-calling people, or creating fake websites, social media pages or crowdfunding requests.

The ACNC has also provided tips for fundraisers and charities, suggesting that organisations wishing to raise funds consider contributing to, or partnering with, existing charities with resources in affected areas or disaster expertise, rather than setting up a new charity.