After a delay due to a technical issue the Charity Commission has now opened its online system for submitting annual returns. The system was originally scheduled to go live towards the end of April. But due to the delay it was not released until 5th of May.
What is a Charity Annual return?
A charity annual return is an online form that charities in England and Wales are required to submit by law to the Charity Commission each year. The return requires you to answer specific questions regarding your charity as well as including copies of the trustee annual report and financial statements (audited or independently examined) for larger charities. The aim of submitting an annual return to the Charity Commission is to provide them with a clear picture of the charity’s financial position and activities throughout the year.
For smaller charities in particular this task can sometimes be time consuming. However, there are benefits to these requirements and you are given 10 months from the end of your financial year to file the annual return. The return must be completed online by logging into your Charity Commission account.
If you would like to find out more about preparing a charity annual return, please visit the government website here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prepare-a-charity-annual-return
How can we help?
At Hawsons we recognise that not-for-profit organisations have very different requirements from other businesses and are currently exposed to a challenging economic climate.
Our dedicated team fully understands the complex, ever-changing regulatory requirements of the charity and not-for-profit sector. Irrespective of your size we wish to support you to maximise the benefits you could achieve through our specialist professional advice.
Charities & not-for-profit organisations are currently facing extensive changes in their regulatory and legal framework. Given the additional pressures on fundraising, complex tax regimes, internal risk exposure, and stakeholder demands, it has never been more important to obtain specialist
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