Law changes for incorporated societies

The new Incorporated Societies Act 2022 (2022 Act) came fully into force on 5 October 2023.

If your incorporated society is currently registered under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 (1908 Act) you will need to reregister it under the 2022 Act to remain an incorporated society. This will need to be done by 1 April 2026.

Reregistration is not the same as starting a new society.

It’s also more than simply changing your constitution.

The person applying to reregister must have authority to manage information on the society’s behalf.

Your society will need to do a number of things before it can apply to reregister.

• You will need to prepare a constitution that meets the requirements of the 2022 Act. Your society might also need to adopt some new processes to comply with the 2022 Act.
• You will need to hold at least one general meeting to approve the constitution and decide on other features of your society (such as who will be on the committee, whether you will appoint other officers).
• You need to review your operational processes to make sure they will comply with the 2022 Act.
• Review your societies balance date (end of financial year)

See the video recording of our webinar Changes in the Charity Sector on this subject for more information and don't hesitate to give us a call to help you through it.

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