Name of the Organization : Charities Services
Type of Facility : Apply For Registration
Country : New Zealand
Website : https://www.charities.govt.nz/
Apply For Registration :
The registration application process is summarised below:
The organisation:
1. Decides that registering as a charity is best for them (research, legal advice, investigating alternatives etc.)
2. Writes or checks signed rules including charitable purpose
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3. Ensures officers meet the criteria
4. Prepares detailed information including charitable purpose, funding sources, activities and benefits
5. Completes an application form and Officer Certification forms for all officers (forms are available from our website or by phoning us)
6. Submits the application form and accompanying documents to Charities Services.
Charities Services:
7. Reviews the application, looking closely at the rules document, the purposes and activities.
8. May contact the applicant for more information.
9. Considers whether the organisation meets the requirements. If your organisation does not meet the requirements Charities Services writes to give you an opportunity to respond before a final decision is made.
10. Provides organisations who meet the registration criteria with a unique charity number and adds their details to the Charities Register – now you’ll officially be a Registered Charity – congratulations!
What you will need to apply:
Here are some helpful tips on how to make sure your application is processed as quickly as possible.
To apply to register an individual organisation you will need:
** an application form – completed online or on paper
** to certify each of your officers – online or on paper
** a signed copy of your rules, including all amendments
Information needed to complete your application includes:
Name and address:
** Your organisation’s legal or most formal name
** Other names (if any) that it is known by
** Postal and street address details
Identification numbers (if they apply to you):
** Companies Office registration number. This only applies if your organisation is an incorporated society, registered charitable trust or company. Visit www.companies.govt.nz to find your number
** Inland Revenue (IRD) number, if you have one
Financial information:
** End of financial year/balance date, if you have one
** Sources of your organisation’s funds. Choose from the list on the form. If you tick that your organisation receives “donations/koha”, Inland Revenue will see this as your application for donee status
** A reasonable estimate of the percentage of funds sourced in New Zealand but spent overseas in your last financial year, if applicable
Important: If you have previously been registered, but were deregistered for failing to file your Annual Return, you must supply us with copies of any missing financial statements, for each of the financial years since you were last registered.
Send the financial statements with your application.
If we re-register you, we will display the financial statements on the Charities Register.
You don’t need to complete an Annual Return form for each missing financial year, just provide the financial statements.
Rules:
** A good quality signed copy of your rules, trust deed or other governing document and all amendments. Don’t send the original, and do make sure that all pages are numbered and included in the copy you send us.
** If your organisation is a Maori Trust Board, please indicate whether the Commissioner of Inland Revenue has approved your trust deed for charitable purposes.
** If your organisation is a marae on a Maori reservation, is the land set apart under section 338 of Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993? Are the funds used for purposes other than:
** administration and maintenance of the marae?
** a charitable purpose of the marae?
Note: Some rules that previously were accepted for registration may no longer meet the requirements of the law. If we are not able to register you again because of this, we will contact you and explain the reasons.
Important: We can’t register any organisation if there is a possibility that it could be used to create or maintain a private financial profit for anyone.** All the money and benefits flowing from a charity must be directed at achieving its charitable purposes.
We will check your rules for clauses that ensure that the payment of money, advantage, or benefit is only directed at achieving your charitable purposes. This includes the payment of salary or wages.
If you are a trust wishing to make a payment to a trustee, your trust deed must clearly allow this payment.
If your organisation is not a trust – for example, if it is a company, incorporated society, or is unincorporated – you must include a winding-up clause in your rules. It must clearly specify that any remaining assets, after you’ve settled any debts and liabilities, must be used for a charitable purpose (or given to another organisation with charitable purposes). It’s not enough for your rules to simply say that the assets will be given to a “similar” purpose. For more details, see Rules and the Charities Act 2005.
Contact:
If you have any concerns or questions please ring us, or email info@charities.govt.nz
Freephone (within New Zealand):
0508 CHARITIES (0508 242 748)
Calling from outside New Zealand:
+64 4 495 7200
Physical Address:
Charities Services
Level 8, 85 The Terrace
Wellington Central 6011
Postal Address:
Charities Services
PO Box 30112
Lower Hutt 5040