You might think that every charity or voluntary organisation has to register with us. But not all voluntary organisations are charities, and some charities don’t have to register. There are hundreds of thousands of voluntary organisations in the UK, but fewer than 180,000 of them are charities registered with us. This is because:
- an organisation can only be a charity if it has aims which are for the public benefit
- registration doesn't make an organisation into a charity - it must already be one
- some organisations that are charities don't have to, or are not allowed to, register
Applying to register a charity can involve a lot of work. We don't want to waste your time if your charity doesn't have to register, or cannot register. Click on the links if any of these statements apply to your charity.
How can I prove that my charity is genuine if it isn't registered?
You can apply to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for tax relief. Like a registered charity number, you can use an HMRC charity number as evidence of your charitable status.
You can also direct people to our guidance to explain why your charity doesn't have to register.
My charity's annual income is less than £5,000
We don't register charities whose income is less than £5,000. This helps to avoid unnecessary administrative costs and effort for smaller charities and for us. Small charities don't need to register to prove that they are charities or benefit from charitable status.
We have more resources and information for charities with incomes of less than £5,000.
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My charity's head office isn't in England or Wales
We can only register charities that are governed by the laws of England and Wales. This usually means being based in England and Wales.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own charity regulators. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) registers and regulates charities in Scotland:
OSCR, 2nd Floor, Quadrant House, 9 Riverside Drive, Dundee, DD1 4NY
Telephone 01382 220446
Website www.oscr.org.uk
The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI) regulates charities in Northern Ireland:
Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, 4th Floor, 24-26 Arthur Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT1 4GF
Telephone 028 90 515490
Email admin@charitycommissionni.org.uk
Website www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/
Other countries have different laws, so we cannot advise you on their requirements.
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My charity is part of a larger organisation
Some charities have local branches. Local branches of charities only register with us if they are independent (for example, they control their own funds).
Check with your parent organisation to see if you need to register.
Charities that are members of particular national organisations or movements (such as Scouts, Guides and some Christian denominations) are 'excepted' from registration
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My charity might be 'exempt' or 'excepted' from registration
'Excepted' charities don't need to register, but we are still their regulator. We can ask for information about their activities or investigate them if we have any cause for concern.
'Exempt' charities cannot register with us and we are not their regulator because they are supervised by another organisation or body.
See our guidance on exempt and excepted charities for more detail.
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