On the same day, the Assistant Treasurer issued a joint media release with the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector - see Productivity Commission report into the contribution of the not-for-profit sector.

The report found that:

The current regulatory framework for NFPs [not-for-profit organisations] is characterised by uncoordinated regimes at the Commonwealth and state/territory levels. Disparate reporting and other requirements add complexity and cost, especially for organisations operating in more than one jurisdiction.

In the report, the Productivity Commission makes a number of recommendations for improved regulation for the NFP sector including:

• the establishment of a national ‘Registrar for Community and Charitable Purpose Organisations’ to regulate national not-for-profit entities;
• development of nationally harmonised fundraising laws and a national fundraising register;
• adoption of a statutory definition of ‘charitable purposes’;
• providing a 'one stop shop' for tax endorsement of not-for-profits;
• implementation of a single reporting portal for not-for-profits with the view to 'report once, use often';
• establishment of an ‘Office for Not-For-Profit Sector Engagement’ to drive the Commission's recommendations.