Backdating registration applications
Under the Charities Act 2005, we can backdate registration to the date we received a complete application, if the organisation met the registration requirements at that time.
We consider two things when deciding the earliest date registration can be backdated to:
- the date we received a complete application
- whether the organisation was qualified for registration during the whole period between the effective date of registration and the date it was registered.
The earliest date we can backdate registration to is the date we received a complete application from an organisation that was qualified for registration.
In most cases, we will automatically backdate registration to the earliest date the application meets the criteria. If you do not want your registration to be backdated, tell us when you apply. You can do this by email or letter with your application. You do not need to complete a separate form.
What counts as a complete application
For backdating purposes, we treat an application as complete when we have received:
- a completed application form
- a copy of the organisation's governing document (rules) that meets requirements.
If the organisation needed to change its rules before it met those requirements, we can only backdate registration to the date those changes took effect.