How to Claim a Donation on Your Tax Return | Fred Hollows

The Fred Hollows Foundation is deeply appreciative of the many supporters who give generously and support our cause to end preventable blindness worldwide.

For supporters of The Fred Hollows Foundation, it is important that they understand how to claim their tax deductible donation as part of their tax return for the financial year. Fortunately, knowing how to claim a donation on your tax return is simple and quick.

All it takes is entering the total amount of your eligible donations under section D9 – Gifts or Donations of your tax return. The Australian Taxation Office will then reduce your taxable income accordingly.

Please note that this article contains general information only, current at the time as writing. It should not be seen as financial advice and all enquiries should be directed to a certified tax accountant.

Ready to give? Make a tax-deductible donation to The Fred Hollows Foundation today.

What Makes a Donation Tax Deductible in Australia?

For a donation to be claimable on your Australian tax return, two main conditions must be met:

DGR Status

The organisation must be a registered Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR). Only donations to organisations endorsed by the ATO as DGRs, such as The Foundation, can be tax deductible.

You can verify DGR status for any charity using the ABN Lookup or the ACNC Charity Register tools. For more information, see our article here.

No Benefit

The donation must be a genuinely voluntary gift with no return benefit. You cannot have received goods, services, or a material benefit in return such as raffle tickets, merchandise, or event entry.

Deductible donation checklist

To help you understand whether your gift can be deducted from your taxable income, here is a handy list of things that are NOT for tax deductions:

Raffle tickets
Merchandise from the charity
Event tickets
Charity dinner entry costs
Donations via a crowdfunding platform
Donations to individuals
Salary sacrificed donations
Time spent volunteering
Pro bono professional service provision

One caveat to this is if you received an item that is considered a token and therefore of no material value. For example, if you receive a sticker or lapel pin in acknowledgement of your support, your donation may be tax deductible.

Remember to seek advice from a registered tax agent for more information.

How Does a Tax Deduction on a Donation Actually Work?

A tax deduction is not a refund of your donation.

It means the ATO calculates your tax on a lower income figure (i.e., your taxable income is decreased by the value of your donation).

In essence, you owe less tax than you otherwise would have.

What this means is that the higher your taxable income, the greater the after-tax value of your generosity. For a more comprehensive breakdown, check out our article on how much of your donation is tax deductible.

What Do You Need Before You Claim?

To successfully claim your tax deduction, you will need to have an acceptable tax receipt proving your donation.

That’s why The Fred Hollows Foundation issues automatic tax receipts for every donation, so that our supporters have everything they need when it comes time to lodge their tax return.

Statements for Monthly Givers

The Foundation also provides an annual giving statement for our generous monthly supporters. This statement is acceptable according to the ATO as it summarises every contribution.

This means that you do not need to track individual receipts.

Workplace Giving

If you are involved in a workplace giving program, your donations will be done automatically via your employer’s payroll system.

Your year-end payment summary or payslips are sufficient proof of donation.

Digital Receipts

It is not required that you keep physical copies of receipts. Digital receipts or digitised copies of legitimate receipts are acceptable.

In some instances, alternate forms of donation evidence, such as a bank statement, may be valid. We recommend seeking personal advice from a tax accountant if you are unsure.

How Do You Claim a Donation Using myTax — Step by Step?

Claiming a charitable donation on your Australian tax return is straightforward.

Here's how to do it:

Add up the amounts of all gifts and donations you can claim.
Check that you have receipts for all of the donations you plan on claiming.
Log in to your myGov account.
Click on and open the ATO portal.
Start or re-open your saved tax return for the financial year.
Navigate to Deductions.
Select D9 – Gifts or Donations.
Refer to label J.
Enter the total of all eligible donations made during the financial year.

What Is the Deadline to Claim a Donation in a Tax Return?

To claim a donation in the 2025–26 tax return,

Only transactions completed on or before 30 June will be counted for that financial year’s tax return. Remember, the ATO uses the date the payment was processed and not the date you lodge your return when determining which financial year it falls in.

Donations processed on or before 30 June are claimable the prior financial year’s return
Donations processed from 1 July onwards will be claimable in the next year’s financial return

Why Does Giving to The Fred Hollows Foundation Matter?

For every $1 we receive from supporters, The Foundation ensures 75 cents goes directly towards our eye health programs, treatment delivery, community education, and advocacy work across over 25 countries.

That’s why giving to The Foundation matters: It directly funds the work our team does in ending avoidable blindness. From training doctors to equipping local clinics, and from delivering sight-restoring surgery to promoting sustainable eye-health practices, even small and once-off donations can be life changing.

Make a tax deductible donation to The Fred Hollows Foundation.

Frequently Asked Questions about Donations and Tax Returns

Is The Fred Hollows Foundation a registered DGR?

Yes, we are. The Fred Hollows Foundation is endorsed by the ATO as a registered Deductible Gift Recipient.

You can verify our active DGR status at any time on the ABN Lookup system or via the ACNC Charity Register.

Do I need to include my receipt when lodging online?

No. All you need to do is enter the total donation amount in your return and keep the receipt on hand as the ATO may request it later.

Remember: Digital records, including email and PDF receipts, are valid.

What if I can't find my receipt?

If you have misplaced or lost your receipt from The Fred Hollows Foundation, just get in touch with our team. We can provide a copy for you whenever you need.

Can I claim donations I made in previous years that I forgot to include in my tax return?

You can request amendments to tax returns through the ATO. For specialist advice, please contact your registered tax agent.

Which forms of donations are tax deductible?

All charitable donations, e.g., cash, credit card payments, bank transfers, EFTPOS, and cheques, qualify as tax deductible if the other conditions are met.

Are regular monthly gifts all tax deductible?

Yes, every monthly contribution is tax deductible. Recurring gifting is counted as separate tax-deductible contributions in the financial year each transaction is processed and will reduce your taxable income.

Can I claim a donation to The Fred Hollows Foundation's overseas programs?

Yes, you can. The Foundation is an endorsed Overseas Aid Gift Deduction Scheme (OAGDS) organisation, which means donations to our overseas aid fund are also tax deductible in Australia.

Can you spread a large donation deduction over multiple years?

It may be possible to spread a large donation deduction over up to 5 years in some circumstances. This can be very useful for large one-off gifts where the deduction in a single year may even exceed your taxable income. Speak to a registered tax agent about completing an Election to Spread Gift Deduction form before lodging your tax return.

Ready to support The Foundation’s mission with a tax deductible donation?

Find out how to give to The Fred Hollows Foundation today.