There are only three months to go until the 2019 Annual Information Statement is due for charities that operate on a standard financial year (1 July to 30 June).
Already, 1500 charities have submitted their Annual Information Statements ahead of the 31 January 2020 due date.
I strongly encourage the 25,000 remaining charities to submit their statements as soon as possible.
Completing the Annual Information Statement now will reduce your risk of wait times should you need support from our Advice team during the submission process.
Submit now to beat the end of year rush.
Read our guide to help you prepare to submit your Annual Information Statement.
Submit your Annual Information Statement via the Charity Portal.
Phishing emails
We are aware of some charities receiving phishing emails that purport to be from the ACNC. The email requests that the charity provide personal information via return email.
While the ACNC may request personal information from a charity, for example in relation to a registration application, charities should be wary to whom they provide personal information.
If you receive an email purporting to be from the ACNC, and are not sure whether the request for information is legitimate, I would encourage you to call your registration analyst directly or call our Advice team on 13 22 62 to confirm the authenticity of the email.
Any request for information from the ACNC will include a signature block, with telephone and email contact details of the person sending the request.
Please be careful.
Proposed new economy-wide cash payment limit
A few months ago, I mentioned Treasury’s consultation on draft legislation and explanatory materials about an economy-wide cash payment limit.
The cash payment limit means that charities will not be able to accept cash donations of $10,000 or more.
The House of Representatives have now sent the draft legislation to a committee for consideration. The committee are preparing a report, which is due for release by 7 February 2020. As part of preparing that report, the committee is calling for further submissions.
Submissions are open until 15 November 2019.
To support the legislation, should it be passed, Treasury have released draft rules, an explanatory statement and a factsheet. You can read these documents on Treasury's website.
Charity Fraud Awareness Week recap
Last week was the second annual Charity Fraud Awareness Week, an initiative created in the UK and led by the Fraud Advisory Panel and the Charity Commission of England and Wales.
The week was well received across the world, with Regulators, charities and individuals supporting the initiative.
I’d just like to take the opportunity to remind everyone that the resources published on the online hub will remain available.
If you missed any of the resources we shared over the week, you can check our Facebook page for links.
I also wrote a piece reflecting on charity fraud, which was published on our website.
I look forward to our continued involvement in the years to come.
Free webinar
Our next free webinar will be held on 21 November 2019.
The webinar will provide some useful tips and tricks to help charities manage reporting obligations and prepare to submit the 2019 Annual Information Statement.
Best wishes,
The Hon Dr Gary Johns