The purpose of the Summary Information Return (SIR) is to provide the public with better information about the work of the larger charities.

The SIR forms part C of the Annual Return that charities with an income over £1million have to complete and submit to us. The public can view a charity’s SIR from a link on its Register entry.

The SIR is designed for charities to provide an easily accessible summary of their key aims, activities and achievements. It can give information about factors that have affected performance and also point readers to sources of more detailed information, such as the Trustees’ Annual Report and accounts or their own website.

It should provide information on the charity itself and any subsidiary undertakings reported within group accounts.

Completing the form

In the online form, the  buttons provide guidance on completing the Annual Return, including the Part C section. This is also available in PDF format from the page Annual Return forms and guidance. For further information, see our Frequently Asked Questions.

When completing the SIR, you should aim to create a document that helps the public understand what your charity does and how it has performed. Please bear in mind that the general public are your main audience, so use language that is as clear and simple as possible.

As it is a summary, there are restrictions on the amount of text you can enter. The character limits are shown against each question on the form.

How to send it

The easiest, quickest and most secure way is to submit this information online. If you complete the SIR online, you must submit Parts A and B of the Annual Return first. If you want to print off a copy of a blank SIR to help you prepare the content, you can do this from the page Annual Return forms and guidance.