Consultation on registration threshold for Northern Ireland charities

22 May 2024

News article

Have your say on the £20,000 registration threshold that applies to Northern Ireland-based charity organisations.

The Department for Communities (DfC) has launched 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 will also seek views on the regulatory framework for those charities falling below the threshold and choosing not to register.

Charity registration threshold

The consultation follows provision made within the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 that allows 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 Charity Commission for Northern Ireland 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.