Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Charity definition

What does Charity mean? In practice, a charity is an organisation established solely for charitable purposes to deliver public benefit, with assets held for those purposes and supervised by the courts and charity regulators. Common forms include a trust, unincorporated association or company limited by guarantee (including CIO/SCIO). Surpluses cannot be distributed to members; funds must be applied to the purposes. Political activity is permitted only as ancillary. Status determines regulatory duties and eligibility for charity tax reliefs. England and Wales: Charities Act 2011, s 1, defines a charity as an institution established for charitable purposes only and subject to High Court control;...

Charity Commission: objectives, decision reviews, First-tier Tribunal appeals and service complaints (England and Wales)

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Practice notes

The charity commission

The Charity Commission oversees more than 170,000 charities (as at 31 March 2025), and in the 2024–25 financial year it supervised charity income totalling in excess of £100 billion. Its remit is limited to England and Wales. North of the border, the Office of the Charity Regulator (OSCR) undertakes comparable responsibilities. The websites of both the England and Wales regulator and Scotland’s OSCR offer comprehensive guidance on every stage of establishing and managing a charity, and should be the initial point of reference for anyone engaged in charitable activity. Constituted as a body corporate, the Charity Commission’s powers and duties are presently governed, on the Crown’s behalf, by the provisions of the Charities Act 2011 (CA 2011), as amended...

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Web page updated on 11/06/2026

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