Skip to main content

End-of-year closedown Our offices and phone lines will close down over the holiday season but you can still contact us online. Find out more

If your not-for-profit is registered for GST, you only need to pay GST on certain types of income. If you’ve sold an asset, you may need to pay GST on the sale.

Include in your GST return

Include these income types in your GST return, and claim expenses (input tax credits) on them.

  • Subscriptions
  • Grants
  • Subsidies
  • Suspensory loans
  • Trading activities
  • Raffles or housie proceeds
  • Admission fees
  • Affiliation fees
  • Sale of purchased goods
  • Sale of assets or equipment
  • Insurance receipts
  • Hall or equipment hire
  • Rent received (commercial) 
  • Penalty payments (fines)
  • Advertising or sponsorship
  • Gaming machines

Charging GST

Include expenses in your GST return but not income

Do not include these as income in your return, but you can claim expenses on them.

  • Donations
  • Koha
  • Bequests
  • Unconditional gifts

Zero-rated supplies

Do not include in your GST return

These income types are exempt from GST, so you do not include them in your return or claim expenses on them.

  • Sale of donated goods or services
  • Rent received (residential)
  • Interest or dividends

Exempt supplies

GST when you buy or sell an asset 

If your not-for-profit claims GST when you buy an asset, the asset is treated as part of your taxable activity.

Then when you sell or dispose of that asset, you need to pay GST on the income from the sale. The same applies for anything like a sale – for example, an insurance payout or if you’re deregistered for GST.

When you do not need to pay GST on a sale 

If you chose to pay GST on an asset that was not part of your taxable activity before 31 March 2021, you do not need to pay GST when you sell or dispose of that asset.

Last updated: 15 Nov 2022
Jump back to the top of the page