This is a joint consultation by the Office of the Third Sector and the Charity Commission, reviewing the regulatory and reporting thresholds in the various Charities Acts. The proposals have been designed to achieve proportionate regulation, balancing the need to minimise regulatory burdens whilst maintaining a sufficient level of transparency and accountability.

Questions in the consultation include:

• Whether the overall package of recommendations in the paper strikes a balance between reducing the burden on charities and the effective regulation of charities?
• Whether the overall approach goes too far? and if so, whether the current thresholds should be retained or reduced? If the latter, what thresholds would you suggest?
• Registered charities with income over £10,000 must send their annual accounts to the Commission. Should this £10,000 threshold  be raised? and if so, is £25,000 the right figure?
• All registered charities must prepare a Trustees Annual Report (TAR). Should a TAR preparation threshold should be introduced to ease the burden on small charities? and if so, is £25,000 the right figure, or should the level be the same as the registration threshold (£5,000) or another figure such as £10,000?
• Charities with income over £100,000 must prepare accruals accounts. Should this £100,000 threshold should be increased? if so, is £250,000 the right figure?

Closing date for comment: 31 March 2008