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Comment 15 Brian Keegan An uncharitable act? Challenging a charity isn’t necessarily a bad thing to do. In the world in which we now live, we all need them to get it right. The other day, I was greeted on the street by a man with a collection box who wanted to know if I wanted to support his charity. I told him I didn’t. I told him I didn’t like their public policy platform or the way they articulated it. If I did decide to give money to the Developing World, it would go elsewhere. It’s not good karma to challenge a charity. The charities sector fills in the gaps that can’t be reached by private benevolence or government policy. It highlights injustices and inequities, and good people respond with their money and, even more importantly, with their time. Most people are good. If you haven’t done any charitable work ever, or can’t think of anyone you know who has, you are very much in the minority. Pot shots A colossal amount of charity work is carried out by Chartered Accountants, both privately and within organisations. The Institute itself promotes and sponsors Chartered Accountants Support and Chartered Accountants Voluntary Advice. You can be pro-business and be pro-charity. So why do some charities feel they have to take pot shots at business? For example, Oxfam has produced spurious and inaccurate information regarding how Ireland conducts itself in the international tax arena, portraying the country as one of the worst tax havens to the disadvantage of developing nations. This particular item of false news was released in early December of last year and damages the reputation of the country. A cynic might say it was done to generate interest in the charity in the run-up to the Christmas period. This kind of nonsense needs to be called out for what it is. I don’t need to repeat here what Oxfam contended, nor indeed repeat the rebuttal by an apparently irritated Minister for Finance. The incident itself is, however, worth repeating as a reminder of how fragile people’s goodwill can be and how critically important it is for individual charities, and indeed the sector as a whole, to maintain a good image. It doesn’t help anyone’s cause when there are media reports of charities existing seemingly for the benefit of their management, nor when there are newspaper reports of tax avoidance structures involving the use of charities being put in place. The key to a good reputation It seems to me that the accountancy profession can play a critical role in the governance of the charities sector. Good governance is key to the reputation of this sector, before recourse ever has to be made to the statutory authorities. The regulatory framework for charities has a fragile look about it because in Ireland, the availability of charities tax relief is still a decision for the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and not a decision for the Charities Regulator. Back to 1891... Tax law doesn’t define what a charity is. For that, we have to go back to a court case in 1891 involving a Mr Pemsel. Pemsel was the treasurer of a Scottish missionary organisation which not only looked to convert heathen nations (their expression, not mine), but also looked for an exemption from income tax on some of the bequests it received. We still categorise charitable activities based on that century-old decision – the relief of poverty, the advancement of education, the advancement of religion and the ultimate catch-all – “all other charitable purposes beneficial to the community”. The regulatory framework for charities has a fragile look about it because in Ireland, the availability of charities tax relief is still a decision for the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and not a decision for the Charities Regulator. While this definition may well require modernisation, the obligation on charities to be transparent in their activities and accurate in their claims is as valid now as it was in Pemsel’s time. When it works well, and it usually does, the charity sector is a highly efficient way of delivering services. Few State, semi-State or commercial organisations would have such motivated personnel working to deliver the kinds of services many charities offer, often entirely in a voluntary capacity. On reflection, maybe it is not the worst thing to challenge a charity when it gets it wrong. We all need them to get it right. BRIAN KEEGAN Brian Keegan is Director of Public Policy and Taxation at Chartered Accountants Ireland. www.accountancyireland.ie
Page 1 and 2: VOLUME 49 NUMBER 2 APRIL 2017 Diver
Page 3 and 4: Comment 3 President’s comment Apr
Page 5 and 6: Contents 5 Spotlight 30 Pay gap, or
Page 7 and 8: News 7 Enhancing audit quality anch
Page 9 and 10: Est 1887 News 9 UCD and PwC promote
Page 11 and 12: When you fly Aer Lingus, you‘re c
Page 13: Annual Dinner 13 Gillian Doherty, C
Page 17 and 18: Comment 17 Write it down Des Peelo
Page 19 and 20: Comment 19 Emotion: the spoiler Ann
Page 21 and 22: Interview 21 Serving the public goo
Page 23 and 24: Retirement Planning... You have lot
Page 25 and 26: Diversity 25 Diversity... is it goo
Page 27 and 28: Diversity 27 fact that diversity an
Page 29 and 30: LONGBOAT ANALYTICS WINNER FINANCIAL
Page 31 and 32: Diversity 31 than half agreed that
Page 33 and 34: Mandatory Electronic Filing is fast
Page 35 and 36: Diversity 35 We’ve heard the soun
Page 37 and 38: Diversity 37 The road to inclusion
Page 39 and 40: Diversity 39 Sponsorships Organisat
Page 41 and 42: Diversity 41 Thoughts on diversity.
Page 43 and 44: Audit 43 insights for stakeholders
Page 45 and 46: TALK TO TOMORROW’S ACCOUNTANTS TO
Page 47 and 48: Financial Reporting 47 financial re
Page 49 and 50: LEADING PROFESSIONAL PUBLISHING
Page 51 and 52: Restructuring Trends 51 The 2016 re
Page 53 and 54: Restructuring Trends 53 insolvency
Page 55 and 56: Audit Quality 55 should be written
Page 57 and 58: Tax 57 BRASS TAX Current developmen
Page 59 and 60: Tax 59 entrepreneurial and favourin
Page 61 and 62: Tax 61 Furthermore there was no rea
Page 63 and 64: Tax 63 Tax deadlines David Fennell
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Professional Standards 65 Consent O
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Win a two-night stay at Clontarf Ca
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Membership 69 Quigley, Keith Rice,
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Innovation 71 The strategy of innov
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Innovation 73 Graph 1: Title TBD Wh
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Leadership & Management 75 UK acade
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Corporate Governance 77 Figure 1: P
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Leadership & Management 79 Whistlin
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Commercial Feature 81 www.liquidati
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Commercial Feature 83 the high leve
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I trusted my future to Barden So sh
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88 Careers keystrokes and create ju
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90 Careers The hard case for soft s
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92 Careers job can add an entirely
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THE SPECIALIST GOVERNANCE RECRUITME
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EXCELLENCE IN FINANCIAL RECRUITMENT
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98 Member Profile A new orbit From
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NETWORK Building a strong network i
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