Charity Commission annual return deadline

Charities registered in England and Wales with annual income above £10,000 must file an annual return with the Charity Commission within 10 months of the end of the financial year.

What is this filing?

The annual return reports the charity's finances, activities, and trustees. Filing requirements vary by income: full return (≥£500k income), short return (£10k–£500k), update only (<£10k). Separate filings apply for charities in Scotland (OSCR) and Northern Ireland (CCNI).

When is it due?

10 months after the financial year end. So a charity with a 31 March year end has a filing deadline of 31 January the following year.

What's the penalty for missing it?

The Charity Commission can mark a charity as 'in default' on the public register for late filing. Persistent default may trigger a formal inquiry and removal of trustees. There is no monetary late-filing penalty equivalent to Companies House for charities.

How PenaltyProof helps

PenaltyProof's charity annual-return monitoring (paid plans, opt-in) uses Charity Commission API data to track the deadline per registered charity on your list.

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