The Scout Association is organising its first ever day of action at the Houses of Parliament on St Swithun’s Day, 15th July, to ask assistance from MPs in the campaign against the changes in charges for surface water run off. See http://www.scout.org.uk/water.

Previously charity/community premises had not been charged as much as commercial properties for this service by the water utilities, with billing based on rateable value. The new approach is based on drainage surface area. More on the “Rain Tax” at http://www.dontdrainus.org.

From KnowHow NonProfit: A new online charity accounting toolkit is available from CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy), designed with the smaller voluntary and community organisation in mind.

There is a demonstration module available, more details at http://www.knowhownonprofit.org/news/new-online-charity-accounting-toolkit/.

NCVO and the Charity Finance Directors’ Group have set up an independent expert group on trustee and senior management expenses.

Former Charity Commissioner Lindsay Driscoll will chair the group which will seek to develop best practice following the recent intense focus on publicly-funded expenses elsewhere. Others on the group are the chef exec of the Directory of Social Change, professor of voluntary sector management Paul Palmer and Don Bawtree, charity unit partner at accountancy firm BDO Stoy Hayward. There will be wide sector consultation.

See CFDG news item at http://www.cfdg.org.uk/cfdg/press_release_220609.asp, or Charity Finance, http://www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=2926.

Recent guidance from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) sets out the basis on which community and other non-commercial events can be charged for the costs of policing.

The guidance is within a larger document setting out policy, ‘A Guide to Income Generation in England and Wales’, available at http://www.acpo.police.uk/policies.asp.

(Source: Voluntary Arts England newsletter)

Third Sector magazine reports that a meeting in Madrid this week, which will discuss what can be done to ensure closer working between charity tax campaign groups in member states, could lead to a pan-European association.

More at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/911353/ (registration required).

The Charity Tax Group is conducting surveys to find out:
– whether voluntary organisations are being prevented from sharing services because of irrecoverable VAT issues. Deadline 19th June, http://www.ctrg.org.uk/consultations?id=30, and
– whether organisations are being affected by changes to water charges which mean that community buildings will be charged at the same rate as commercial premises. Deadline 26th June, http://www.ctrg.org.uk/consultations?id=32.
(Source: NCVO Public Policy Update)

Charity Finance Directors’ Group and accountants PFK have opened their eighth annual risk survey of the not-for-profit sector.

“We will explore the impact of the credit crunch and economic downturn to date, the extent to which risk management has helped you so far, and what is making the difference between effective and less effective risk management.” http://www.pkf.co.uk/risksurvey.

The Charity Commission guidance notes CC28 (previously known as Disposing of charity land) has been revised and republished as ‘Sales, leases, transfers or mortgages: What trustees need to know about disposing of charity land’. http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publications/cc28.asp.

HM Revenue and Customs is hoping that long delays to reclaim Gift Aid, due to more incorrect claims following the change to the basic rate of tax announced in the 2008 Budget, will soon be resolved.

Charity Finance news alert reports that delays should soon be minimised thanks to extra training and technology upgrades, http://www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=2838.

HM Revenue and Customs guide to the Gift Aid claim procedure has now been updated with the time limit changes from 1st April 2010.

The general time limits for making repayment claims will be 4 years and those limits will apply equally to all charities. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/gift_aid/reclaim.htm#7.

Martin Narey, chief executive of Barnardo’s, has pledged that he and his senior management team will publish a full list of their expenses in the wake of recent revelations about MPs. In an event on ‘Leadership in Tough Times’ he said that visibility of leadership was essential.

See Social Enterprise magazine, http://www.socialenterprisemag.co.uk/sem/news/detail/index.asp?id=978.

HM Revenue and Customs has produced a March 2009 update of the Gift Aid Toolkit CD-ROM for charities.

To obtain a copy, phone 08453 02 02 03 and select Option 6 (http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/news.htm).