Charity status

NICVA has issued the following information regarding the new Charity status rules: The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland is now carrying out the role of registering charities in Northern Ireland and anticipates that it may take up to four years to register all existing and new charitable organisations.   If an organisation is currently recognised as a charity by HMRC then it will have to register with the Charity Commission when called to do so.   The Commission is using the following lists to call organisations to register so it is extremely important you check that you are one of the following lists.  The three lists are: *  Deemed lists: organisations registered with HMRC for charitable tax exemptions by 19 August 2013.  Please note that you may not necessarily be on the deemed list even though you have a letter from HMRC confirming that you are recognised as a charity for tax purposes. If you are not on this list and should be then you need to contact both the Commission and HMRC. *  Non-deemed list: all other charitable organisations, whether long or newly established, which are not recognised as charitable by HMRC need to complete an expression of intent for charity registration so that they can be added to the list and then called forward by the Commission. *  Special circumstances list: organisations which have made a case to have their application brought forward or have been placed on this list by the Commission.  Organisations can only be added to this list by the Commission. For those organisations which have received charitable recognition by HMRC after 20 August of this year you will need to complete an expression of intent for charity registration.  Please see the Charity Commission’s website for more details on what to do.