Definition
The Charity Commission is the regulator and registrar of charities in England and Wales. It decides whether an organisation is a charity, keeps the public register of charities and receives their annual returns and accounts.
What it does
- Registers charities. A charity with income over £5,000 must normally register, and every CIO must register whatever its income.
- Keeps the register. Each charity’s trustees, income, spending and filed accounts are published online.
- Receives yearly filings. Registered charities with income over £10,000 complete an annual return. Larger charities, and all CIOs, also send their trustees’ annual report and accounts. The deadline is 10 months after the financial year end.
- Gives guidance and investigates. It publishes guidance for trustees and can step in where a charity is being mismanaged.
What it does not do
The Charity Commission does not deal with tax. A charity applies to HMRC separately to be recognised for tax relief, and files any Corporation Tax return with HMRC. Scotland (OSCR) and Northern Ireland have their own regulators.
In Tax Optimiser
The charity’s Charity Commission registration number goes on the CT600E.
Read more: Corporation Tax for a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).