The regulator’s My Charity Commission Account service is going live on 31 July, it has announced.
This means charities will no longer be able to file annual returns through the regulator’s existing digital system from next week.
The regulator described its new service as charities’ “front door”, the roll-out for which has begun with charities’ named contacts to ensure organisations are able to access the services and file their annual returns in the new way.
In the coming months, the service will be extended to all individual trustees as the regulator hopes to facilitate a more direct relationship with them, and to ensure better data security.
Those charities that have not yet been invited to sign up for an account will hear from the Commission once the service is live, it said.
Annual return deadlines
Charities will have to submit any remaining annual returns for 2022 and all annual returns for 2023 onwards through the new system.
Those that are part-way through filing their 2022 annual return in the current system have until 28 July to complete the process.
Those that do not submit their annual return by the deadline will need to start again via My Charity Commission Account after the change over.
The annual return for 2023 will be launched in late August via My Charity Commission Account.
A statement from the Commission reads: “This is a significant change. The regulator is making preparations for any disruption that trustees may experience during the transition, including making additional staff available in its contact centre.”
‘I call on all charities to act quickly’
Nick Baker, the Commission’s chief operating officer, said: “There is a lot of work still for us to do before we meet our long term ambition for a new, direct form of online communication between the Commission and each and every charity trustee.
“But the end of this month marks an important milestone in the development of My Charity Commission Account, enabling charities to access the new service for the first time.
“I call on all charities to act quickly when they receive an onboarding invitation from the Commission.”
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