Charities in Northern Ireland

At the moment Charities based in Northern Ireland do not and cannot, register. The only formality you need go through is to apply to the Revenue and Customs for charitable status for tax purposes.

How can we prove that we are a charity?
For practical purposes, the letter from the Inland Revenue granting you charitable status for tax purposes is the documentary proof that you are a charity, and your reference number is the Inland Revenue number (usually beginning XO -, XN- or XR-). Please note that this is not a "Registration Number".

Please note a Consultation on new charity laws was launched - 17 July 2006 which covers proposals for a Charities Commission and Register of Charities in Northern Ireland. For more information go to: http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/dsd_charities_review.pdf

Some essential reading for Charity Trustees in Northern Ireland:

Guide for Trustees