Overview

This bill proposes to amend the Charities Act 2011, automatically classifying all religious institutions as charities, regardless of whether they meet the existing public benefit requirement.

Description

The core change introduced by this bill is the amendment of section 4 of the Charities Act 2011. Currently, organizations must demonstrate public benefit to be registered as a charity. This bill overrides that requirement specifically for religious institutions. Section 4(2) of the Act, which outlines the public benefit test, would no longer apply to religious organizations. The bill is limited in scope to England and Wales only and is titled the Charities Act (Amendment) Act 2013.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify changes to government spending. However, altering the charity registration process could indirectly impact government funding allocated to charities and potentially lead to increased administrative costs related to charity regulation.

Groups Affected

This bill significantly affects:

• Religious Institutions: They would automatically gain charity status, potentially benefiting from tax exemptions and other advantages.
• Charities Commission (England and Wales): Their workload and processes related to charity registration and oversight would likely be impacted.
• Taxpayers: The potential loss of tax revenue due to automatic charity status granted to religious institutions is a consideration.
• Secular Organizations: Those who may be competing for charitable donations or funding could be impacted if the number of registered charities increases dramatically.

Powered by nyModel