The short answer: most GoFundMe donations in Australia are not tax-deductible, but it depends on who legally receives the gift.
- Personal fundraisers are never tax-deductible: individuals are not DGR-endorsed, so donations to them do not qualify.
- Certified-charity fundraisers may qualify, but only if the receiving charity holds DGR endorsement from the ATO and you receive a valid receipt.
- The minimum tax-deductible gift in Australia is $2, and you must keep a receipt or bank statement to claim it.
- "Donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible" is the canonical AU line, but it only applies when the recipient is DGR-endorsed.
- If you are unsure, check the charity's DGR status on ABN Lookup before you give.
Australian donors and charity operators often find that when a fundraising platform sits between a donor and a charity, it is genuinely unclear who is legally issuing the receipt. One Australian not-for-profit told us this uncertainty was their most pressing question when evaluating any online fundraising platform. With GoFundMe, the same question applies: the platform is the interface, but the tax answer turns on Australian law, not on GoFundMe's own rules.
This article works through that question using ATO and ACNC primary sources. It is not tax advice. For your specific situation, speak with the ATO or your own adviser.
In this article:
The short answer
Donations to personal GoFundMe fundraisers are not tax-deductible in Australia. Full stop.
Donations to GoFundMe certified-charity fundraisers are potentially tax-deductible, but only if the charity receiving the gift is DGR-endorsed by the ATO and you receive a receipt that meets ATO requirements. Whether GoFundMe's AU certified-charity product always delivers that receipt in the right form is a question we have not been able to verify from GoFundMe's own AU documentation. We explain what that means for you in the section below.
How tax-deductible giving actually works in Australia
In Australia, a donation is tax-deductible only when it goes to a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR). DGR endorsement is the Australian mechanism for tax-deductible giving, administered by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). It has no direct equivalent in the US or UK tax systems.
There are 52 DGR categories set out in Division 30 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997. From 1 January 2024, the ATO consolidated administration of all 52 categories (ATO, DGR endorsement eligibility). Being registered with the ACNC as a charity does not automatically mean an organisation is DGR-endorsed. According to the ACNC, only about 41.5% of registered charities hold DGR endorsement (ACNC, DGR fact sheet).
The $2 threshold and what a valid receipt must include
The minimum tax-deductible gift in Australia is $2. The donor claims the deduction on their personal income tax return, not as a business expense. You must keep a receipt or bank statement. To support a deduction claim, a valid tax-deductible receipt must include:
- the charity's name and ABN
- a statement that the organisation is DGR-endorsed (for example, "Donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible")
- the donation amount and date
(ATO, Not-for-profit organisations hub; ACNC, DGR fact sheet)
How to verify DGR status
Donors can check whether a charity is DGR-endorsed on ABN Lookup, the free public register maintained by the Australian Business Register. ACNC registration alone is not enough. If a charity does not appear as DGR-endorsed on ABN Lookup, donations to it are not tax-deductible, regardless of the platform used to give.
For a deeper explanation of DGR endorsement by the ATO and what the 52 categories mean for your organisation, see our dedicated guide.
The biggest giving peak for tax-deductible donations in Australia is not December. It is EOFY (end of financial year), 30 June, because donors finalise their personal income tax return for the financial year ending that date. Plan your campaign and receipting accordingly.
Personal GoFundMe fundraisers are not tax-deductible
Under Australian tax law, a deductible gift must go to a DGR-endorsed recipient. An individual raising money for themselves, a family member, a friend, or any other person is not a DGR. It does not matter how worthy the cause is.
This means that if you donate to a GoFundMe fundraiser set up by an individual for personal circumstances (a medical situation, a financial hardship, a memorial fund, a community project run by a private person), your donation is not tax-deductible in Australia. You will not be able to claim it on your income tax return.
This is not a limitation specific to GoFundMe. It follows from the structure of Australian tax law. The same applies to any platform: if the recipient of the gift is a private individual rather than a DGR-endorsed organisation, the donation does not qualify for a deduction (ATO, DGR endorsement eligibility).
GoFundMe certified-charity fundraisers: what we can say, what we cannot
GoFundMe offers an AU product for registered charities. On that product, GoFundMe AU charges a transaction fee of 1.9% + $0.30 AUD (GST included) for certified-charity fundraisers, and 2.2% + $0.30 AUD (GST included) for personal fundraisers. Creating a fundraiser is free. Donor tips to GoFundMe are optional and are never required. International transaction and currency conversion fees may apply depending on payment method (GoFundMe AU pricing, verified 2026-07-29).
The unresolved question
Whether a donation to a GoFundMe AU certified-charity fundraiser is tax-deductible turns on a question we have not been able to verify from GoFundMe's own AU documentation: does the DGR-endorsed charity legally receive the gift directly (and issue the receipt itself), or does GoFundMe or an intermediary legally receive the funds and pass them on? That distinction matters under AU tax law because the entity that legally receives the gift is the one that can issue a valid tax-deductible receipt.
GoFundMe's AU help documentation returned an error when our team tried to access it during research. We are not guessing. If you have made a donation to a GoFundMe AU certified-charity fundraiser and want to know whether it is tax-deductible, here is what you should do:
- 1. Ask the charity directly for a tax receipt. The receipt must show the charity's name, ABN, and a statement that it is DGR-endorsed (for example, "Donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible").
- 2. Check the ABN on the receipt against ABN Lookup to confirm it shows as DGR-endorsed.
- 3. If the receipt names GoFundMe or another intermediary rather than the charity, or if no receipt is issued, contact the charity directly before attempting to claim a deduction.
If either of those steps fails, the donation is not deductible for AU tax purposes regardless of what the platform says.
What is never tax-deductible in Australia
Some things are not tax-deductible under Australian law regardless of the platform, the charity, or the cause:
- Raffle tickets. You are purchasing a chance to win, not making a gift. Raffle tickets are never tax-deductible.
- Event tickets and gala/dinner tickets. When you receive something of material value in return (a seat, a meal, entry to an event), the payment is not a deductible gift.
- Auction items where you receive a benefit. If you win a lot at a charity auction, the amount you pay is not deductible.
- Donations to non-DGR organisations. Even if a charity is registered with the ACNC, if it does not hold DGR endorsement, donations to it are not tax-deductible.
- The value of volunteer time or services. The ATO is clear: you cannot claim a deduction for the value of your time or the services you provide.
(ATO, Not-for-profit organisations hub)
How to check if a donation will be tax-deductible
Before you give, or before you claim a donation on your return, work through this three-step check:
- 1. Is the recipient DGR-endorsed? Search the charity's name or ABN on ABN Lookup. If it does not show as DGR-endorsed, the donation is not deductible, full stop.
- 2. Will you receive a valid receipt? The receipt must include the charity's name, ABN, a DGR statement, the donation amount, and the date. Keep it. You will need it at tax time.
- 3. Is the gift $2 or more with no material benefit to you? If you received something of value in return (a ticket, a product, a service), the payment is not a deductible gift.
If all three steps check out, you can claim the deduction on your personal income tax return for the financial year in which you made the gift.
If you are a charity choosing where to fundraise online
Australian charities have a range of platforms to choose from when accepting donations online. Fees, receipt handling, and DGR compliance vary significantly between them. For a factual side-by-side of Zeffy and GoFundMe for Australian charities, see how Zeffy and GoFundMe compare for Australian charities.
Zeffy is a free fundraising platform for not-for-profits. For DGR-endorsed organisations, Zeffy automatically issues tax-deductible receipts on each donation, with no platform fee and no transaction fee. You can collect donations through Zeffy without deducting any platform costs from the gift.
Frequently asked questions
Is a GoFundMe donation tax-deductible in Australia?
It depends on the type of fundraiser. Donations to personal GoFundMe fundraisers are never tax-deductible in Australia because individuals are not DGR-endorsed. Donations to GoFundMe certified-charity fundraisers may qualify, but only if the receiving charity holds DGR endorsement from the ATO and you receive a valid tax-deductible receipt showing the charity's name, ABN, and a DGR statement. Check the charity's DGR status on ABN Lookup before claiming a deduction.
Do I need a receipt to claim a donation on my tax return?
Yes. The ATO requires that you keep a receipt or bank statement to support any tax-deduction claim. For a gift to a DGR-endorsed charity, the receipt must include the charity's name and ABN, the donation amount and date, and a statement that the organisation is DGR-endorsed. Without a valid receipt, you cannot claim the deduction (ACNC, DGR fact sheet).
What is DGR endorsement?
DGR stands for Deductible Gift Recipient. It is the ATO endorsement that allows an organisation to receive tax-deductible donations. There are 52 DGR categories under Division 30 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997. Being registered with the ACNC does not automatically mean a charity is DGR-endorsed. Only about 41.5% of registered charities hold DGR status. Donors can verify DGR endorsement on ABN Lookup (ACNC, DGR fact sheet).
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