Registration of a Charitable Organisation With the Charity Commission

Charitable company registration with the charity commission: if your organisation is a charitable company and its income has exceeded the £5,000 threshold, you may need to register with the Charity Commission, whose core role is to safeguard the public's interest in charity. In order to establish your charity firm, you will need to:

• Decide on a name and structure for your charity, if you have not already done so
• Recruit trustees
• Adopt a governing document
• Provide proof that your charity's income exceeds the £5,000 threshold

The Charity Commission also requires that your memorandum and articles of association include:

• A charitable objects clause
• A non profit distribution clause, which will ensure that the money received by your charity is used to promote its charitable aims
• A dissolution clause

The Charity Commission reviews each application individually. Therefore, you must provide as much information as you can to aid them in making a quick decision. The Charity Commission aims to register your charity within 30 working days. However, the time taken will depend on a range of factors, including:

• The adequacy of the information you have provided on your charity's activities
• The complexity of your charity's structure
• Your charity's aims – for example, the Charity Commission need to ensure that your charity is not party political

If you need to form your charity company by a particular date, you may wish to ask Coddan to submit an application on your behalf. We will complete the paperwork on your behalf, enabling you to speed up the process of setting-up of your charitable organisation.

Entry Onto the Register of Charities

If your application is successful, the Charity Commission will include your charity's details on its Register of Charities. It is important to realise that incorporation is not the end of the process. You will have to retain your charity's accounts and keep the Charity Commission informed of any changes to your charity organisation.

Registration Exemptions

You will not need to register with the Charity Commission if your charity's head office is based outside of England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland or if your charity is part of, regulated and governed by another organisation.

If your charity's income is likely to remain below the £5,000 threshold, you will be free to enjoy the benefits of charitable status without having to register with the Charity Commission. You will be able to apply to HMRC as a charity for tax purposes, and financial institutions should readily accept your HMRC charity company number as evidence of your charitable status.

↟ Get Back On To Top