Receiving gifts and loans

Receiving gifts and loans

It’s important that you understand what a gift or loan is so that you can meet your disclosure obligations under the Local Government Electoral Act 2011.

A gift is a transfer of money, property, or a service given without receiving something of equal or adequate value in return. A non-monetary gift (or gift-in-kind) is a gift of any goods or services other than money.

A gift includes:

  • money given to a candidate
  • services provided at no or below cost
  • electoral expenditure gifted to a candidate
  • uncharged interest or an amount forgiven on a loan
  • the part of a fundraising contribution that exceeds $200.

A gift does not include:

  • a property transferred under a will
  • a fundraising contribution of $200 or less
  • membership fees paid to a registered political party
  • money transferred from a candidate’s own personal funds to their dedicated campaign bank account
  • volunteer labour or incidental use of a volunteer’s vehicle or equipment.

A loan is any of the following provided by a person or entity other than a financial institution or by use of a credit card:

  • an advance of money
  • provision of credit or another form of financial accommodation
  • payment of an amount for, on behalf of, or at the request of, an entity, if there is an express or implied obligation to repay the amount
  • another transaction that is in effect a loan of money.

Note: this is not a comprehensive list of all types of gifts and loans. You should read Fact sheet 10 – Definition of gifts and loans for more detailed information.

Candidates have obligations to disclose gifts (including donations) and loans received. For more information about your disclosure obligations please click on the Real-time disclosure requirements tab above.

Prohibited donors

Queensland law bans political donations from property developers and industry bodies with property developers as a majority of their members.

It's illegal for a candidate to accept these prohibited donations.

For more information, see ECQ’s prohibited donor scheme page.

Anonymous gifts

It is unlawful for a candidate to receive anonymous gifts or loans totalling $500 or more. This includes gifts or loans where the name, address, or other required details of the donor are not known to the candidate.

Video overviews

Links to further information: