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Message from Charlotte
Charlotte Stanley
Director
Tēnā koutou katoa,
Welcome to the winter edition of our newsletter for this year.
In the past few months there has been a lot of media interest in charities. This is nothing new. There is always a lot of public interest in charities and their operations, especially when things are not going as people think they should. In general, there is strong public support for the charitable sector, but the public also make it clear that they expect charities to be held to account if they are not doing the right thing. In recent months Charities Services has been publicly called upon to deregister charities that may have breached the Charities Act.
Although media attention does not impact how we investigate, it is a good litmus test to show how the public are feeling about charities and the integrity of the Register. As you will be aware, a key part of our role is to promote public trust and confidence in the charitable sector. A trusted sector is a strong sector, and one that has the public support to thrive.
Investigating wrongdoing and taking appropriate regulatory action is a key part of our work to give the public confidence that there is integrity in our charitable system.
This is only one part of our role - providing appropriate support and education to the sector is the foundation of our work as an effective regulator.
I am very pleased to share that our educational webinars have been attended by 5,273 people this year alone, with an additional 14,557 views of the recorded sessions. We have put considerable time and resource into providing information that is relevant and useful to the sector and take this remarkable attendance rate as a sign that it is hitting the mark.
Thank you for your commitment to attending these webinars and helping your charities understand and meet their obligations.
If you need assistance on any matters, from reporting to governance, feel free to reach out to us at info@charities.govt.nz or call 0508 CHARITIES (0508 242 748).
Nā Charlotte Stanley
Pou Whakahaere, Director
Charities Services
National Volunteer Week
National Volunteer Week is being celebrated from June 15-21. This year's theme, Whiria te tangata – weaving the people together, celebrates the collective efforts of volunteering and how it brings communities together.
To find out more about the week, and ways to get involved, see the Volunteer New Zealand website.
Charities Services' volunteer snapshot
Every year, we gather information about volunteering from registered charities. This includes the number of volunteers, the hours they contribute, and the regions and organisations with the most volunteers. This data highlights the significant impact of volunteering in New Zealand. Visit our website to explore the latest statistics.
Reporting reminders
Engaging with auditors early
Does your organisation have a statutory requirement to have an audit or review? Remember, audits and reviews must be completed within 6 months of your financial year-end date.
Audits can take up to 8 weeks or more, so it’s important to start working with your auditor early to give them enough time to finish by your deadline. Visit our website to check the requirements, and whether your organisation needs an audit or review.
Extensions
If you are not able to meet your filing deadline, you may be able to request an extension. Extensions are considered on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed.
To request an extension, you’ll need to provide:
your organisation details
the specific date you need the extension to
reasons for the delay.
Once we receive your request, we’ll review it, let you know if more information is needed, and if an extension can be granted.
Hot tip
Charities who are required under the Charities Act 2005 to have a Review or Audit must hire a qualified auditor. To find or confirm qualified auditors, check the CAANZ website.
New resources
We’re pleased to announce that the Tier 4 Annual Reporting Guide has been updated. This guide provides information about the annual return process, and step-by-step instructions with examples to help charities complete their performance reports using the Tier 4 template. It will help Tier 4 charities meet their obligations under the Charities Act 2005, and the current financial reporting standards set by the External Reporting Board (XRB).
As you know, we have updated the performance report templates for Tier 3 and Tier 4 reporting, to help make it easier and faster to complete your annual returns.
Using these templates ensures that you are using the correct reporting standards and that you have included all the required information.
You can download the Tier 3 and Tier 4 templates from our website.
Webinars
Have you missed out on attending any of our recent webinars? Don't worry, the recordings are available to watch anytime on our website.
Some topics we recently covered are:
Introduction to the Tier 4 Not for Profit Standard and what has changed.
Introduction to the Tier 3 Not for Profit Standard and what has changed.
Reregistering as an Incorporated Society with New Zealand Companies Office.
Upcoming webinars
We are also repeating some of our most popular webinars. We encourage you to join us as we look at reporting using the Tier 3 and Tier 4 Not for Profit Standards.
Each session will guide you through completing a performance report. Whether you’re new to reporting to Charities Services, or need a refresher, make sure you sign up for one of the sessions.
Register for these webinars below:
Introduction to using the Tier 3 Not for Profit Standard – Tuesday 17 June at 12pm.
Introduction to using the Tier 4 Not for Profit Standard – Thursday 19 June at 12pm.
Keep an eye on our upcoming webinars for new sessions.
Join us at a Community Session near you
We are hosting five in-person Community Sessions over the next two months. These are scheduled for:
Thursday 26 June – Wellington.
Friday 27 June – Auckland.
Wednesday 16 July – Rotorua.
Thursday 17 July – Tauranga.
Wednesday 23 July - Palmerston North.
Sessions will include:
A presentation on annual reporting and key information regarding governance, the importance of knowing your rules and the roles officers play within your charity.
Time for questions and answers.
Tea and coffee with our team, giving you a chance to chat and ask any additional questions.
To register, visit the events page on our website.
All sessions are free and can accommodate up to 100 people, so be sure to book early!
If you have any questions, please email us at events@charities.govt.nz.
Photo call
Do you have amazing photos of your charity you would like to share with us? We are putting out a call for photos that could be featured in our Annual Review and other resources we produce. It’s a great way to promote your charity and showcase the important work that you do.
Here’s what you need to know:
Photos need to be of high quality and size suitable for publication.
You will need to get permission from people in the photos. If they are children, you will need permission from their parents or caregivers.
By sending us your photos, you allow Charities Services to use them in various publications and online. We will credit your charity.
Before we can use your photos, we need to ensure you are compliant as a registered charity, so please include your registration (CC) number.
Please send your photos to events@charities.govt.nz.
Photo: Conservation Volunteers New Zealand.
Scam alert
We are aware of a new cold call scam where the perpetrators claim to be from the Department of Internal Affairs.
If you have any doubts about the legitimacy of a call, please hang up.
If you believe the call may be genuine and wish to verify the details of the Department of Internal Affairs caller, please call 0800 25 78 87 and state the name and contact details of the person who called you and the reference you were provided.
If you receive a scam call, please report it to Netsafe. If you have provided personal information to the scammer, you can contact iDCare for help.
For further information on how to report a scam see the Department of Internal Affairs website.
Inland Revenue updates
Return filing and record keeping – update for charities and not-for-profits
There have been changes included in recent legislation.
For more information, please visit Return filing and record keeping - update for charities and not-for-profits.
Draft operational statement: Mutual transactions of associations open for public consultation
This draft operational statement explains the income tax treatment of amounts societies, clubs, and other associations receive from members, other than amounts subject to a specific tax exemption such as for charities or sports clubs.
For more information and to provide feedback, please visit Mutual transactions of associations (including clubs and societies).
Closing date for feedback: 25 June 2025.
Getting in touch
If you need to get in touch with Inland Revenue, please contact them through your myIR account. For more information, please visit myIR Secure Online Services (ird.govt.nz) or email charities.queries@ird.govt.nz.