The Zimbabwe Rural Schools Library Trust New Zealand has been given overseas donee status through the enactment of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2017-18, Employment and Investment Income, and Remedial Matters) Bill by the New Zealand parliament.
This means that all donations that were made to Zimbabwe Rural Schools Library Trust from 1 April 2017 and donations made in future allow the donor to receive a tax benefit.
Donations entitle individual taxpayers to a tax credit of 33.3% of the amount donated up to the level of their taxable income, companies and Maori authorities to a deduction for donations up to the level of their net income.
The development has been happily received by trustees, Goodwill Ambassadors, well-wishers and volunteers globally, and serves to authenticate the operations of the trust.
“Achieving overseas donee status is a rigorous process reserved for a few organisations each year and we congratulate all involved in the process,” acknowledges Sam Fellows, a Tauranga based lawyer who is the Trust’s Compliance Advisor in New Zealand.
Registered charitable organisations operating in New Zealand who wants to spend the larger portion of income earned in New Zealand on causes outside New Zealand are required to achieve Overseas Donee status to enable their sponsors to get a tax rebate.
They are subjected to a rigorous vetting process including police checks to establish who the members are and if there is the reason for them not to hold office.
The vetting process also includes a close look at the organisation’s operational record and its future projections.
The Trust’s Chairman in New Zealand said their intention has always been to operate within the confines of the law, that is why they decided to register the trust in accordance with the laws of New Zealand before starting any operations.
“Achieving Overseas Donee Status is obviously a big vote of confidence for us, and a morale booster to all those associated with the trust.
“It is becoming very hard to trust people with money these days due to an increase in cases of fraud and financial mismanagement.
“The granting of donee status proves who we are,” said Driden.
The announcement of the granting full done status to the trust is the culmination of a process that began three years ago as revealed by Driden.
“It has been a marathon which we are excited to have accomplished, dating back to April 2015 when we enquired with Charities Services how we could get accepted as an overseas done.
“It was a lot of hard work by all the board members.
“In July 2016 the New Zealand Cabinet approved our request for overseas donee status, but we had to wait as there was the need to pass legislation relating to Inland Revenue’s business transformation programme.
“Due to the time pressure on Parliament back then, enactment of that bill was delayed.
“All the same, it has been a worthwhile wait,” added Driden.
An important aspect about the Zimbabwe Rural Schools Library trust is that it does not look at benefiting the children in Zimbabwe alone, but it intends to encourage to read and use libraries globally.
To this end, the Hamilton West School 2016 Room 20 class composed and recorded a song encouraging children globally to value reading books.
Title “My Book”, the song is one of 22 songs that will feature on a musical album on learning, reading and use of libraries to be released soon.
Also, books written by New Zealand children at Glenorchy School in the South Island have been sent to Msengezi Primary School in Dande, Mashonaland Central Province in Zimbabwe as an effort to kick-start a cultural exchange programme among children.
Well-wishers wishing to donate to the Zimbabwe Rural Schools Library Trust can do so in various ways:
1. Using a credit or Master Card, donate through the trust’s Everydayhero Account accessed through the following link
https://donate.everydayhero.com/d/8L6Y_2xrWE2X43DBiTomwA/amount
2. Deposit into the Trust’s New Zealand SBS Bank Account 03-1355-0850295-00 Swift Code WPACNZ2W, and state your name in the reference field and email the trust on info@zimlibrarytrust.com to advise where your receipt can be sent
3. Deposit into the Trust’s Zimbabwean Steward Bank Account 1005562879 Swift Code STBLZWHX
