• Political Donations, Loans and Electoral Expenditure
• Audit Requirements
• Candidates and Groups at Local Government Elections
• Candidates and Groups at State Elections
• Elected Members to NSW Parliament
• Local Government Councillors and Mayors
• Political Donors
• Official Agents and Party Agents
• Registered Company Auditors
• Disclosure
• Third-Party Campaigners

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• Local Government Councillors and their Official Agents
• Members of NSW Parliament
• Registered Political Parties
• Third-Party Campaigners
• Political Donations
• Prohibited Donors
• Electoral Expenditure
• Donors
• Public Funding
• Official Agents
• Registers
• EFA Guidelines

Important Links

Q1 What is a political donor?
A political donor is an individual on the electoral roll for Federal, State or Local Government elections that makes a political donation to a political party, Local Government councillor, Member of Parliament, candidate or group of candidates in NSW.

Q2 What is a political donation?
A political donation is:

• a gift (monetary or otherwise) made to or for the benefit of a political party, local government councillor, Member of Parliament, candidate or group of candidates in NSW,
• an amount paid by an individual as a contribution, entry fee or other payment which entitles them or any other person to participate in, or obtain benefit from a fund raising venture or function.

Political donations include:

• a donation of money,
• the provision of a service at no charge or at a discounted charge,
• the giving of a gift,
• the purchase of a ticket or other item at a fund raising event or function.

Q3 What are reportable political donations?
Reportable political donations are donations of $1,000 or more made by a political donor to a NSW political party, local government councillor, Member of Parliament, candidate or a group of candidates.

Political donations of less than $1,000 made by an individual to the same political party, local government councillor, elected member, candidate or a group of candidates during the same financial year are to be treated as reportable political donations if the total value of those donations is $1,000 or more.

Reportable political donations must be disclosed to the EFA on a Disclosure of Political Donations and Electoral Expenditure by a Political Donor form.

If you make a reportable political donation to a political party, councillor, elected member, candidate or group of candidates you should be given a receipt. The receipt is required to show the date your donation was made, your full name and residential address, the value of your donation and the purpose of the payment or gift.

Political donors are required to disclose reportable political donations to the EFA every twelve months.

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Q4 Who can make political donations?
Political donors are not permitted to make political donations (reportable or small) unless the political donor is an individual who is on the federal, state or local government electoral roll.

Political donors are not allowed to accept reportable political donations from another person unless the person is an individual who is on the federal, state or local government electoral roll.

Q5 What types of donations are unlawful?
Political donors are not permitted to make indirect campaign contributions to a NSW political party, councillor, Member of Parliament, candidate or group of candidates unless the value of the contribution is less than $1,000.

Indirect campaign contributions are where a political donor provides a gift or service at no charge or at a discounted charge to a NSW political party, councillor, Member of Parliament, candidate or group of candidates.

Indirect campaign contributions include:

• the provision of office accommodation, vehicles, computers or other equipment,
• a political donor making a full or part payment for expenditure incurred by a political party, councillor, Member of Parliament, candidate or group of candidates.
• a political donor waiving all or part of a payment to the donor by a political party, councillor, Member of Parliament, candidate or group of candidates.

Indirect campaign contributions are not prohibited in the following circumstances:

• the provision of volunteer labour, and
• anything provided by a person whose value is not $1,000 or more (unless the total value of all things provided in the same financial year is $1,000 or more).

Political donors are not permitted to accept reportable political donations from another person unless the person is an individual on the federal, state or local government electoral roll and the name and address of the person is known or provided to the political donor.

Political parties, councillors, members of Parliament, candidates and groups of candidates are not permitted to accept reportable political donations from a political donor unless the person is an individual on the federal, state or local government electoral roll and the name and address of the donor is known or provided to them.

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Q6 I've donated some money to a candidate and got a receipt. What do I do with it?
If you made donations to a candidate totalling $1,000 or more, you must disclose these donations to the EFA. Donations of less than $1,000 are not required to be disclosed.

Q7 I've donated some money to a candidate and didn't get a receipt. Do I have any disclosure obligations?
If you made donations to a candidate totalling $1,000 or more, you must disclose these donations to the EFAy. Donations of less than $1,000 are not required to be disclosed.

Q8 I bought a ticket (or tickets) to a fundraising dinner held by a candidate. Do I have any disclosure obligations?
If you paid $1,000 or more for the ticket/s, this constitutes a reportable political donation and must be disclosed to the EFA.

Q9 Do I need an official agent?
No. Donors are not required to have an official agent.

Q10 What do I have to disclose?
Political donors must disclose political donations of $1,000 made by completing the Disclosure of Political Donations by a Political Donor form.

Political donors are required to lodge disclosures every twelve months for the period 1 July to 30 June. Political donors who do not make reportable political donations of $1,000 or more in a disclosure period are not required to lodge a declaration for that period.

Q11 Do I have to disclose the details of all donations I gave?
No. You must disclose details of all reportable political donations (ie donations of $1,000 or more).

Q12 I've made lots of small donations to a political party. Do I have to disclose anything?
Add up all the donations you've made to this party in the financial year. If they total $1,000 or more, then you must disclose them. If not, you needn't disclose.

Q13 Do I need to have my disclosure audited?
No. Donors are not required to provide audit certificates with their disclosures.

Q15 Do I need to provide any supporting documents when I lodge my disclosure?
No supporting documentation is required.

Q16 When do I have to lodge my disclosure?
Disclosures for the period ending 30 June are required to be lodged with the EFA between 1 July and 22 September.

Q17 Where do I send my disclosure?
Disclosures can be posted to:

The Secretary
Election Funding Authority of NSW
GPO Box 4046
Sydney NSW 2001

Alternatively you can fax your disclosure to (02) 9290 5410 or email to enquiries@efa.nsw.gov.au

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