The Charity Commission has opened its annual return for 2023, with organisations being asked to respond through its new online service.
Its new return form is available to charities through the My Charity Commission Account service.
Charities with yearly incomes of £10,000 or more must complete the online form within 10 months of the end of their financial year.
For example, if a charity's financial year end was 31 December 2022, the deadline to complete their annual return form is 31 October 2023.
Changes to the questions
The Charity Commission announced the changes to its annual returns question last December, after a 12-week consultation with charities and the public.
All charities must answer at least 26 questions as part of the annual return, 10 more than the previous year.
Depending on the size of the charity, there is a maximum of 49 questions, which is 13 more than in 2022.
Smaller charities do not have to answer five of the new questions as the regulator introduced income thresholds to them.
The Commission has reworded 19 of the questions to make them easier to understand.
The regulator also revised questions that asked for data on monetary values so fewer now ask for information that is beyond what is already collected by charities as part of their normal accounting processes.
‘Ensuring smaller charities do not face an excessive reporting burden’
Helen Stephenson, chief executive of the Charity Commission said: “The annual return is important, it helps the Commission to identify risks and problems in the sector and it helps the public to make informed choice about charities.
“The new data we are gathering through AR23 will also support policy-makers, researchers, the sector, and the public to gain a more in-depth understanding of the nature and profile of charities in England and Wales.
“We have worked hard to ensure AR23 is proportionate, ensuring smaller charities do not face an excessive reporting burden. I am grateful to all who took part in last year’s consultation and encourage all charities to complete the return within their reporting deadline.”
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