ACNC Deadline Approaching

Have you submitted your 2013 Annual Information Statement?

Regardless of size or purpose all charities registered with the ACNC must submit an Annual Information Statement to the Commissioner each year. The first AIS will need to be completed for the 2012-2013 financial year. If your charity has a financial year calendar (ending 30 June), its first Annual Information Statement (AIS) is due on 31 March 2014.

What if my charity's year end is not 30 June?

In some circumstances, charities may not report in accordance with the financial year. If this is the case, your charity will need to apply to the ACNC for a 'substituted accounting period' by submitting Form 4A.

The ACNC will approve an application for a substituted accounting period when the charity can show a genuine need for a different reporting period. For example, if your charity has:

  • a history of reporting on the calendar year;
  • activities that align to a different reporting period; or
  • access to reduced accounting or auditing rates during a different reporting period.

The ACNC Commissioner, Susan Pascoe, notes that "the approach takes into account that this is the first time many charities have needed to report to the ACNC, that there may be some charities who are not aware of their obligations and, that the ACNC Act does not allow me to delay the issuing of administrative penalties for late lodgement".

How do I lodge the Annual Information Statement?

The AIS should be submitted through the ACNC Charity Portal. You can login to the Charity Portal with the Username and Password that were posted to your charity in 2013. If you require assistance logging in please contact 13 22 62. For more information about the Charity Portal please take a look at our previous blog.

Any tips for new players?

All information submitted within the 2013 AIS will be electronically published on the ACNC charity register. We recommend saving and reviewing the application before lodgement and perhaps asking someone else involved with the charity to review the saved answers.

We have reviewed Annual Information Statements for a number of charities and would be pleased to assist your charity.

But isn't the ACNC being disbanded?

Despite the Government's rhetoric that it will disband the ACNC (see our previous blog), the ACNC is still legally in operation and charities are still required to comply with their obligations under the current legislation, including lodging an Annual Information Statement.

The Government has recently reaffirmed its intention to place legislation before Parliament soon to disband the ACNC. We will keep you informed of developments regarding the future of the ACNC but we recommend compliance with legal obligations to lodge Annual Information Statements until there is any change in the law.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.