4000 Charities Receive Penalty
14 August 2015 at 12:55 pm
Over 4,000 charities now have a “red-mark” against their name for failing to report to the national charity regulator, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.
ACNC Commissioner, Susan Pascoe, said it was hoped the red-mark next to the charity’s name on the Charity Register would “send a clear message” to potential donors, volunteers and grant makers that the charities are not compliant with their obligations.
Pascoe said that the charities were required to submit their 2014 Annual Information Statement by 31 January 2015.
“These charities, which are now more than six months late, have a red-mark on their listing on the Charity Register to highlight to people that the charity has yet to meet the legal requirement of submitting their 2014 Annual Information Statement,” Pascoe said.
“Once the charity submits its overdue 2014 Annual Information Statement, the red-mark will be removed.
“Submitting an Annual Information Statement is not only an obligation of being an ACNC registered charity, it’s also a way for charities to demonstrate transparency and show the public the work they are doing in the community.”
Pascoe said that the ACNC would support charities in meeting their ACNC obligations, and that the ACNC was committed to enhancing public trust and confidence.
“Registration with the ACNC gives eligible charities access to various Commonwealth charity tax concessions to help them achieve their charitable purpose,” she said.
“The public expects us to ensure that only charities operating legitimately have access to these benefits.
“To those who haven’t submitted yet, I urge you to join the 40,000 registered charities that have already submitted their 2014 Annual Information Statement.”
Charities can check their reporting due date by viewing their charity’s entry on the ACNC Charity Register at acnc.gov.au/findacharity or by logging into the Charity Portal at charity.acnc.gov.au.
Charities can find further information about the 2014 Annual Information Statement at acnc.gov.au/2014AIS.
A list of charities more than six months late with their reporting is available on the ACNC website at www.acnc.gov.au/redmark.
