Snippets…Nov 2015 – Jan 2016

Further cuts to ACC levies cuts to acc levies

ACC must collect sufficient funds to cover the costs of all current and past claims. In 1999 the Government realised funding was insufficient to cover on-going costs of pre-1999 claims and therefore, introduced a ‘residual levy’ to build up adequate funds.

The residual levy has been incorporated into the work levy whereby, at present it comprises two components; (1) a current portion and (2) a residual portion. Each year, the current portion of the work levy is adjusted to reflect the most recent injury experience within the business’s specific industry. The residual portion however, has been fixed since 2005 and is based on the remaining cost of pre-1999 claims.

Following a recent valuation of ongoing claims costs, the Government has proposed to remove residual levies in 2016/2017, which could result in 75% of businesses paying a reduced levy.

Once the residual levy is removed, work levies will be fully calculated on more recent injury trends and industries with increased injury rates will pay higher levies (and vice versa), i.e. those who operate in industries with higher injury costs.

The Jedi Society Incorporatedjedi

The Jedi Society failed. Its mission was to register with Charities Services and qualify for tax exempt status. But the dark side of the force conspired against it and its application was denied.

The Jedi Society promotes ‘Jediism’, which is defined in the Society’s purposes as the advancement and promotion of the Jedi, to be Guardians of the Peace and to enable understanding and knowledge of the Force. The Society explained to Charities Services that the universal belief of Jediism is a belief in the ‘Force’ and that it “exists in every living thing, and binds everything together.”

The Charities Registration Board declined the application as they did not satisfy the requirement that it was established and maintained exclusively for charitable purposes. Specifically, Jediism was found to be insufficiently structured and not serious enough to advance religion. There was also insufficient evidence supporting the advancement of moral or spiritual improvement in a charitable manner.

Hence the Force, but not Charities Services, will be with them.

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