Sir, - In her article on fundraising by charities (Business This Week, April 28th) Jane O'Sullivan tells us that the "only place Irish charities need to register is with the Revenue Commissioners if they wish to obtain tax exemption status". The "if" is very important and requires explanation.
There is no such thing as a "registered" charity in Ireland. There is no requirement that charities register, nor is there a facility for them to do so. Some organisations do state that they are registered charities. This is incorrect. The Revenue Commissioners recognise organisations as charities for the purposes of tax law, but do not register them and do not have any supervisory role. Under the Freedom of Information Act, the commissioners recently issued a list of organisations that qualify for tax relief. Though not complete, this is probably the most extensive listing of charitable bodies available in Ireland.
This clarification, and a host of other useful information for organisations involved in fundraising for the community and voluntary sector, with or without charitable status, is contained in the fourth edition of CAFE's definitive guide, the Irish Funding Handbook, which will be published in June. - Yours, etc,
Arthur Duignan, Assistant Director, Creative Activity for Everyone, Townsend Street, Dublin 2.