Filing your annual return
Under the Charities Act 2005, all registered charities must file an annual return within 6 months of their balance date (the end of their financial year).
Why it matters
Filing your annual return shows that your charity is operating and meeting its legal obligations. It also keeps the Charities Register accurate and up to date, which maintains transparency for the public and funders.
What you need to do
There are 4 steps to complete your annual return:
- Prepare a Performance Report (if you are a Tier 3 or 4 charity) or financial statements (if you are a Tier 1 or 2 charity) in line with the reporting standards.
- Complete an Annual Return Form. The easiest and cheapest way to do this is online by logging in to your charity’s account.
- Submit your completed Annual Return Form with your Performance Report or financial statement.
- Pay a filing fee (if applicable). View the fee summary and payment instructions.
What is a Performance Report?
The Performance Report provides a summary of your charity’s activities and finances over the past year. It includes:
- a description of your charity’s purpose and key activities
- financial statements showing income, expenses, assets and liabilities
- notes explaining financial details and any significant changes.
Your Performance Report must meet the reporting standards for your charity’s tier. You will need to include this report when submitting your annual return. Templates and guidance are available for Tier 3 and Tier 4.
What information you need to provide in the Annual Return Form
The Annual Return Form will ask you to:
- check and update your charity’s details (name, address, contact information, balance date etc.)
- provide officer details (full name, date of birth, position, address). Note: Date of birth and address are not made public. This information is collected under the Privacy Act 2020 to help accurately identify officers. It is used only by Charities Services and other agencies authorised by law.
- confirm your charity’s purpose, main activities, structure and if there have been any changes to your rules
- list any related charities or entities your charity controls or is controlled by
- provide information about your staff and volunteers
- enter financial details (such as income, expenses, assets, liabilities, reporting tier, audit/review status, related party transactions)
- answer questions about overseas activities and use of funds.
If your annual return is incomplete or you do not file
- Funders and the public will not be able to search for your charity on the Charities Register.
- Your charity’s registration could be at risk.
- Repeated incomplete returns will lead to deregistration.
Withholding information
In special cases, you can apply to have certain information withheld from the public register. Learn more about restricting information here.