Public consultation launched on £20,000 threshold for charities in NI
A session is to be held in Newry as part of a public consultation on a threshold below which charities in Northern Ireland would not be required to register with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, or to provide an annual report and accounts.
The consultation, announced by Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, will also seek views on the regulatory framework for those charities falling below the threshold and choosing not to register.
The consultation follows provision made within the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 that allows the Department for Communities (DfC) to introduce a registration threshold to remove the requirement for low-income charities to register with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. This has the potential to reduce the administrative burden for small charities and remove barriers to volunteering.
The primary aim of the consultation is to build on information already gathered in collaboration with sectoral representatives and the Commission on how a threshold could operate in Northern Ireland, including the shape of the regulatory framework for those charities falling below the threshold and choosing not to register.
The consultation is open to everyone to respond and will last for twelve weeks, closing on 11 August 2024.
The department is also holding consultation information sessions to assist you in responding to the questionnaire. One will be held in Newry on June 18, 2024 from 11.30am to 12.30pm. To book click here.
Other consultations will be held at the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh, NICVA in Belfast, The Braid in Ballymena and the Holywell Trust in Derry, while an online event will also take place.
More information regarding the consultation, including how to respond can be found at: www.communities-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-ps20k-registration-threshold-charities-northern-ireland