Charitable Associations Annual Report

Every year charitable associations must submit an annual report.  It can easily be done through the online registry, and only takes a few minutes – especially if you have no changes to make.   If you fail to submit an annual return for 6 months, your Charitable Association will be removed from the register.  There are no annual report filing dates in December or January due to the holiday season.  If your association was registered in December, then the annual report date will be November. If your association was registered in January, your filing date will be in February.

Annual Report requirements

The regulations under the Charitable Associations (Incorporation) Act indicate the reporting requirements.

The annual report outlines the activities and other details of the charitable association over the previous 12 months including details of:

  • Whether it had operations only in Vanuatu, or in Vanuatu or in Vanuatu and other countries, and
  • Whether it undertook activities in all or any of the following sectors:
    • Religious
    • Educational
    • Cultural
    • Scientific
    • Sports
    • General social welfare and community development
    • Political Party
  • Financial details, including income and expenses. More information is available here, and
  • On request of the Registrar, documentation supporting the above details
  • Prescribed Annual Report document is available here. Note: Please upload this document during filing of annual report online or submit via paper-form along with Form 3 with the VFSC office.

There is a fee to  file an annual report. More information on fees is available here.

If a committee does not provide its annual return within one month of the reporting time frame then the Registrar may issue a notice requiring the committee to provide the report. If the committee continues to not provide the annual report, then it can be dissolved on orders of the Registrar after final notice is given.

It costs a fine for failing to file an annual report. More information on fines is available here.

Getting a reminder

You will receive three reminders by email (to the address you provided). The first is on first day of the month the annual report is due.  You will receive a second reminder two months after the first day it is due.  A third reminder will be sent 3 months after the first day it is due.

After 3.5 months from the first day the annual report is due, the Charitable Association will be listed as ‘in receivership’ on the registry.

Once you have paid your fee you will be able to click submit on your online application.  If you have never used the VFSC Registry website, you will first need to create an account.  Click on the Create an Account link from the home page.  Once you have done this, search for your company, and click request authority.  Follow these instructions for getting authority over your Charitable Association.

 Late fees and Liquidation

You have three months to submit your annual report. After that time you will pay a late fee and risk being shown as ‘in liquidation’.  The Registrar is then required to appoint a Receiver for the purposes of rectifying all breaches of the Committee of the Charitable Association or dissolving the Charitable Association and disposing of the assets according to the Constitution of the Committee.

More information on fees is available here.