Forming a Charity
Registration of a Charity
To register with the Charity Commission, a charity must have an annual income of £5,000 or more. In exceptional circumstances the Charity Commission may consider registration but this is the general rule.
All organisations which fulfill the charitable status requirements and the minimum income requirement must register with the Charity Commission.
Before you can register, you must have formally adopted a governing document. We can draft this for you and arrange for its execution by all the relevant parties. One of the most common reasons for a delay with registration is the 'objects clause' of the governing document failing to meet the 'exclusively charitable object' test. By seeking our advice at an early stage, we can avoid unnecessary and lengthy delays of this sort.
In some cases, the trustees may be required to submit a CRB check with their application to the Charity Commission.
Some charities are 'exempt' or 'excepted' from registration (mostly national museums, universities and some educational institutions). Most exempt charities will have to register soon. At present, those with an income exceeding £100,000 and with no principle regulator have to register. If you are in any doubt, please speak to us and we can discuss the need to register.
