Taking advantage of a new state law, Gainesville has created the Gainesville Police Foundation.
The Law Enforcement Strategic Support Crime Act allows businesses and individual taxpayers to claim a state tax credit for contributions to qualified law enforcement foundations, such as the Gainesville Police Foundation, according to Police Chief Jay Parrish.
“This dollar-for-dollar tax credit program allows single filers to claim up to $5,000, married couples up to $10,000, and qualified C corporations up to 75% of their state tax liability up to $3 million,” Parrish added.
It’s a way, he said, to not only support the police department, “but to keep your hard-earned tax dollars right here in Gainesville, Georgia, where they can be used to keep Gainesville-Hall County the safe place we want to live and raise our families.”
Parrish gives a couple of examples of how money raised by the foundation could be used.
First of all, the growing number of events – such as the First Friday and Blue Sky concerts, Christmas on Green Street and Mule Camp Market. “…there’s equipment that we could buy that we just don’t have it in our budget that would (make for safer events).”
Secondly, the department’s mental health non-responder program where mental health experts are “paired up” with officers responding to a situation where a crime may not be an issue, but somebody is having a mental health crisis.
Overseeing the non-profit foundation is a citizen board of directors which must approve all expenditures, “a safe way to see that we are not going to misuse your money,” Parrish said, “adding (it’s money) you’ve got to pay anyway,” so, he added, why not keep it at home for something “local” rather than sending it to Atlanta where it will be “divvied up” and spread all over the state.
He also suggested that anyone interested in donating but still with questions should talk with a CPA or their tax advisor.
Follow the instructions below to apply for your tax credit donation.
This can be completed online using the Georgia Tax Center.