A consultation to determine the reporting requirements for  charities in Northern Ireland will be launched in October by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.

Announcing the consultation yesterday afternoon CCNI chief executive Frances McCandless (pictured) said: “It will be compulsory for all charities operating in Northern Ireland to apply for registration after the Commission begins the full registration process later this year.

“Once registered with us, and as part of our regulation and monitoring of the sector, all charities will have to complete an annual return, including their annual accounts and reports, and submit these documents to the Commission for inspection.”

Charity regulation was introduced to Northern Ireland for the first time by the Charities Act (Nothern Ireland) 2008 which set up CCNI. But it has been slow in its implementation of the register of charities due to prolonged consultation and amendments to the Act regarding public benefit. The amendments received Royal Assent in January and registration is expected to begin later this year.

Interim annual reporting requirements have been designed “to obtain key information on charities’ governance, finances and activities,” the Commission advises. While the interim measures are in place charities will be able to provide accounts and reports in the format they currently construct them, but this will change when the full reporting requirements come into being, when charities will have to submit details as laid out in the legislation.

Reporting requirements will be introduced in a phased basis and a further consultation on the format, structure and content of the full accounting and reporting requirements will take place next year before the requirements come into effect.

Charities in Northern Ireland can learn more about the registration process by clicking here.