Charity Commission Registration

All PCCs are charities in their own right and PCC members are therefore charity trustees.

If a PCC has an annual income of over £100,000 it is required to register with the Charity Commission.

PCCs with income of less than £100,000 are not required to register and are excepted from the duty to register.

The Parish Resources website has a detailed step-by-step guide to registration and PCCs are strongly recommended to use this guide as it contains wording agreed between the Church of England and the Charity Commission. The guide is available here.

Following registration PCCs will need to complete an annual return and upload their report and accounts by 31^st October each year. A reminder will be e-mailed by the Charity Commission to the contact e-mail address they hold. It is important that the return is completed on a timely basis as late submission is publicly recorded on the PCC’s entry on the Charity Commission website.

The Charity Commission return is an entirely separate return to the diocesan annual return and upload of the annual report and accounts which must be completed by the end of May each year.

Once registered you will receive a charity number which must appear on all parish paperwork, all notices (including a cheque book if you have one) and your website.