Gifts and legacies
How do we survive?
The N.O.P. Foundation cares for a large number of birds that come to it government services (e.g., customs and police). However, the government only pays for this service in certain specific cases. We do most of our work for free, without any kind of government subsidy. This means we are almost entirely dependent on private donations. That’s why we’re so grateful for your help!
How is your gift spent?
The N.O.P. Foundaton is a small, practical organisation. We work with volunteers and sponsored products, to keep our overhead to a minimum. We guarantee that donations are used responsibly, and that most of the funds by far are spent directly on our cause: giving the birds the best possible care, and educating the public.
Money donations
Cash money or bank transfer?
Donations can be made in cash money or by bank transfer. Although it might feel good to count out cash, a bank transfer is more advantageous for the donor. Cash money donations are hard to prove. If a donation is shown on your bank statement, the Tax Office will accept this as proof that you donated, and how much, and will allow you deduct the gift when you fill in your income tax forms. You can make the Tax Office share in supporting our good cause!
There are some conditions for deducting gifts and donations from your income. A donation has to be at least € 60.00, and the sum of all donations made in a single fiscal year must total up to 1% of your gross yearly income (the so-called threshhold amount). Keep in mind that generosity is only rewarded up to a point. The part of your gift that goes beyond 10% of your gross yearly income is not deductable.
You can remove the threshhold!
This deduction threshhold can be removed by making your gift into an “annuity”. To do this, you must have a notary make up an “Act of Notary”, in which you commit to giving a certain amount each year, for at least five years. The law allows deduction of all annuities made to charities (such as the N.O.P. Foundation), regardless of the amount. The higher your income tax bracket, the more you save on taxes. We are especially grateful for annuity gifts because of the financial security they give us as we plan our activities from year to year. Annuities enable us to build a real future! However, you should be aware that annuity gifts generate unavoidable overhead costs on our side; so an annuity will only help the N.O.P. Foundation if the amount is at least € 120.00 a year.
The paperwork may sound like a lot of trouble, but it’s not. As any notary can tell you, it’s really quite simple to do. You fill in the forms at home and send them back to us, and our own notary does the paperwork at our cost.
Who will benefit most from donating through an annuity?
Any donor can make an annuity donation, be it a natural person or a firm or company. The annuity is intended for people or businesses who want to give a large sum divided into smaller, yearly amounts, or who want to commit to long term support for our foundation. The annuity is the ideal solution for businesses looking for fiscally advantageous ways of supporting the N.O.P. Foundation.
Wills and legacies
You can also donate to us by naming the N.O.P. Foundation in your will. The N.O.P. Foundation is a recognised Public Service Organisation (Article 24, paragraph 4). This means that we pay the minimal tax rate for legacies left to us by will. Because of our Article 24.4 status, we don’t pay any taxes at all for legacies up to € 8.602,00*! For larger donations, we pay the special, low 8% tax rate. This guarantees that almost all of your legacy benefits the birds.
Legacies and (partial) heirs-at-law
You can will the N.O.P. Foundation a single lump sum. This is called a “legacy”. Another possibility is to appoint the N.O.P. Foundation as a (partial) heir-at-law. This means you can determine a certain percentage of your inheritance to benefit the birds, rather than a specific, predetermined sum. This can be the best solution if your wealth consists of various goods whose executory value is difficult to know in advance.
* This is the tax-free amount allowed in 2005. The tax-free amount is adjusted by the government yearly to correct for inflation.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like more information. Tonny van Meegen, director of the N.O.P. Foundation, will be glad to help you (+31-40-2052772). Your own notary can, of course, advise you about the best strategy for your personal situation, to be sure that your donation is of maximum benefit to all concerned.
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