1. Australian Charities andNot-for-profits CommissionACNCMark FergusonAustralian Charities and Not-for-Profits CommissionTaskforce - Information Portal1 May 2012

2. Why a national regulator? Current regulatory framework is unclear andadds complexity and cost Registration & reporting offers transparency Transparency builds trust & confidence Will provide information and guidance improve understanding & good governance Better able to engage with charities and dealwith issues that arise 3. The ACNC will Be an Independent statutory office own appropriation report to Parliament (through Asst. Treasurer) Have headquarters in Melbourne Get back office services from ATO e.g. payroll Develop MOUs with Taxation Commissioner toensure budgetary and staffing independence Have a budget of $53.6m over four years 201114(including IT build) 4. The ACNC Role Register charities (ATO apply tax concessions) Establish and maintain an up-to-date, publiclysearchable online register of charities Establish a one-stop-shop for charities whichenables them to apply for charity registration, apply for ABN, access Commonwealth tax concessions, and potentially access other services including state and territory tax concessions 5. ACNC will also Provide a report once, use often service forcharities to assist in reduction of regulatoryreporting with co-operation of States/Territories Provide information and guidance for the sector Promote public trust and confidence in thesector Monitor compliance and investigate regulatorybreaches 6. Regulatory Approach Light-touch, risk-based, evidence-based approach Emphasise mainstreaming; encourage publicwatchdogs; adopt dual track approach Provide information, guidance and education Use graduated powers, provide opportunity forself-correction Regulatory Principles: relevance, proportionality,consistency, transparency, timeliness. 7. RegistrationNFP applicant to provide Details and contact info Charitable purpose and activity Charity beneficiaries Source of funds and where they operate Officer details and any remuneration Tax concessions sought Governing documents and declaration 8. ACNC Portal UK example 9. ACNC Portal UK charity trustees 10. ACNC Portal UK charity overviewEmployees: 2,856Volunteers: 30,884 11. What could this mean to you? From 1 October 2012 all new charity registration will bethrough the Australian Charities and Not-for-profitsCommission (ACNC) Charities currently endorsed by the ATO will be automaticallyregistered with ACNC Ongoing eligibility will be reviewed following passage of thenew charities legislation in 2013 Annual reporting to ACNC will be required of all registeredcharities To reduce compliance burden, this information will beprovided to other federal government agencies Information will be available to the public through the onlineportal from 1 July 2013 (or earlier) The broader NFP sector may need to register in the future -but not now. 12. Consultation issues include Support role of ACNC as national regulator, mindful of diversity of NFP sector Support portal and red tape reduction is critical Support tiered financial and governance reporting Sensitive to complex structures Need to work with other regulatory, government and intelligence agencies Must not forget needs of small charities, reliant on volunteers and those located in remote areas 13. Feedback on Portal concerns Accessibility resource constraints - older computers or none at all geographical isolation may prevent web connection volunteers may lack computer skills Information privacy and system security Some charities details should not be available Security of information collected Provision and use of public information Need to provide timely and clear guidance Risk use of data to create league tables 14. Current status Most of the senior staff have been appointed andrecruitment is advanced for remaining staff Major work systems & processes documented June move to ACNC offices in Collins St Melbourne Website build with online registration is on trackfor 1 July 2012 (initial timeframe) New 1 October 2012 launch allows extra contentwith inclusions based on sector feedback Investigating further site upgrades before launch 15. Implementation Plan Release in May Will provide detail on Charity registration reporting framework information portal and education strategy Outlines expectations of charities over thenext eighteen months 16. Thank youComments or Questions?Email: ACNCMailbox@ato.gov.auWeb: http://acnctaskforce.treasury.gov.auYouTube:http://www.youtube.com/acnctaskforceFacebook:http://www.facebook.com/acnctaskforce?sk=wall