Blog: Preparing for the registration threshold

By Punam McGookin

Head of Charity Services at the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland

Right now, nothing has changed - all charities still need to register with the Commission. But last summer Communities Minister Gordon Lyons gave the green light to start preparing for a new registration threshold.

In simple terms, that means deciding how big a charity needs to be before it must register with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.

This will be a big change – first (and soon) some smaller charities will be able to decide whether to register or not if they meet the threshold criteria. Secondly, in the not‑too‑distant future, some smaller charities will also be able to come off the register, if they are already on it.

Here’s what’s happening behind the scenes at the Commission to get everything ready.

What will change?

Once the registration threshold comes into effect:

• charities with annual income of £20,000 or less, and
• assets of £100,000 or less

will not have to register or submit annual reports and accounts to the Commission.

Charities may still decide to register with the Commission, even if they are below the threshold. That will be a decision for their trustees to make, weighing up the pros and cons as it applies to their charity. Whether a charity is registered or not, charity law will still apply.

How the Commission is preparing

Following the Minister’s approval, the Commission has begun extensive internal work to prepare for this change. This includes preparing for updates across operations, external guidance, IT systems and communications to ensure a smooth transition for charities and the public.

A major programme of work is underway to review and rewrite external guidance, forms and public information. This is so they reflect the introduction of the threshold and highlight that some charities will have a choice about registering with the Commission. This includes:

• revising Registering as a charity guidance, FAQs and the wording of the Expression of Intent form and webtext
• updating related materials such as model governing documents, screenshots and toolkits
• reviewing broader guidance including Starting a new charity and Running your charity
• Reviewing the impact on other guidance such as Powers for unincorporated charities and Changing your charity’s name.

Much of this work involves removing or updating long-standing phrases such as “all charities regardless of size must apply to register”, which will no longer apply when the threshold takes effect.

The Commission also plans to produce:

• new standalone guidance for charities that fall below the threshold and choose not to register, helping trustees understand that they remain charities in law and must still comply with charity law. This guidance will also explain the implications for unregistered charities when they require the Commission to make a regulatory decision – what steps they, and the Commission, will need to take.
• a tailored set of FAQs for this group.

For now, the focus remains on updating materials around the registration process

Alongside the external materials, teams across the Commission are also working on the internal side of things - the “behind‑the‑scenes” manuals, workflows and training materials staff rely on every day.

This includes:

• reviewing and updating operational manuals so staff have clear, consistent instructions once the threshold is introduced.
• identifying where processes need to change or new ones need to be created.
• planning staff training and briefing sessions to make sure everyone is confident and ready for the new system.

This internal work is essential to making sure the Commission can give charities clear and accurate support.

Building functionality for the future

Work is also underway to update the Commission’s online systems so they can support the new legal framework.

This includes:

• updating the online registration process to inform applicants about the threshold and their options.
• embedding threshold information at key points before, during and at submission.
• building functionality to allow eligible charities to request de‑registration once this aspect of the registration threshold goes live in the future.
• enhancing the online services portal for registered charities to support these changes.
• updating the public register of charities to display and manage de‑registered charities appropriately.

These updates will ensure the registration system is clear, transparent and user‑friendly for all charities, whether they are registering, updating their details or considering de‑registration in the future.

What happens next?

The Department for Communities is progressing the regulations needed to give legal effect to the change.

Further updates will be shared once the regulations are finalised. In the meantime, the law remains unchanged for the moment: all charities are still required to register.

Once the regulations are in place, the Commission will provide further updates on the timetable for change and the support available. To stay informed, charities are encouraged to sign up to the Commission’s newsletter and keep an eye on the website for updates and alerts.