Registration with the Charity Commission

Parochial Church Council’s (PCCs) with a gross annual income of over £100,000 are required to be registered with the Charity Commission.

The Archbishops’ Council continues to work with the Charity Commission to make the process as simple as possible and have agreed Approved Governing Documents.

A guide for PCCs applying to be registered with the Charity Commission (PDF), has been developed to assist those making an application to complete the online form. PCC representatives can apply using the online registration portal on the Charity Commission website, with a link to “start or continue a charity registration application” a short scroll down the page.

Two of the documents you will need when applying are:

• a PDF summarising the Governing Documents for PCCs.
• a PDF summary Statement of Faith

Please note: parishes can no longer seek a written determination to not have to register with the charity commission if annual income is exceptionally above £100,000, and so all parishes with annual income over £100,000 in any year must register with the charity commission. By the end of March 2031, all PCCs with an annual incomes of over £5,000, will be required to be registered with the Charity Commission. The process for this is likely to start in 2026. More information will be provided nearer that time.

After registration

Once you’re a registered charity, you will need to submit an Annual Return and a copy of your Report & Accounts. This will need to be done online.

For registered PCCs, we also offer guidance on when you should show your registered status. Registered charities will also need to report serious incidents to the Charity Commission.

Charity Commission Email Addresses

From 31 March 2019, any emails sent to Charity Commission email addresses containing the letters “gsi” will not be received by the Charity Commission. All Serious Incident Reports should be sent to the email address: rsi@charitycommission.gov.uk.

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