Prepare a charity annual return

Charities registered in England or Wales must send an annual return to the Charity Commission or report their income and spending every year.

You need to have set up your own My Charity Commission Account, using an individual email address and password, to access services on behalf of a charity.

If you have already set up your new account, with personal login information, you can sign in to submit your charity’s annual return.

You must submit your annual return within 10 months of the end of your financial year.

For example, if your financial year end is 31 December your deadline is 31 October the following year.

What charitable companies and unincorporated organisations need to submit

Accounting thresholds are changing. Read guidance for information on the changes which apply to financial years ending on or after 30 September 2026.

You only need to report your income and spending.

Select ‘Annual return’ from your available services when you login to your account.

You must answer questions about your charity in an annual return.

You do not need to include any other documents.

You must answer questions about your charity in an annual return.

You will need to declare that there are no serious incidents that you have not reported to us. Report serious incidents before you submit your annual return.

You will need to provide copies of your:

Find out what type of accounts you need to prepare and whether they need to be independently examined or audited.

Prepare your annual report and accounts first. You can then upload them when you complete your annual return.

What charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs) need to submit

Accounting thresholds are changing. Read guidance for information on the changes which apply to financial years ending on or after 30 September 2026.

You will need to provide copies of your: