{"id":"sr:charities-regulations-2025","name":"Charities Regulations 2025","slug":"charities-regulations-2025","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":183839,"registerId":"vic-sr:charities-regulations-2025-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Charities Regulations 2025","content":"Version No. 001\n\n**Charities Regulations 2025**\n\n**S.R. No. 115/2025**\n\nVersion as at  \n17 November 2025\n\n**TABLE OF PROVISIONS**\n\n*Regulation Page*\n\n1 Objective 1\n\n2 Authorising provision 1\n\n3 Commencement 1\n\n4 Revocation 1\n\n5 Definition 1\n\n6 Fees for application for directions to apply property cy près 1\n\n7 Fees for application for approval that Part IA of the Act applies—approval for investment in common funds 2\n\n═════════════\n\nEndnotes 3\n\n1 General information 3\n\n2 Table of Amendments 5\n\n3 Explanatory details 6\n\n**Version No.** **001**\n\n**Charities Regulations 2025**\n\n**S.R. No. 115/2025**\n\nVersion as at  \n17 November 2025\n\n\t1 Objective\n\nThe objective of these Regulations is to prescribe fees for the purposes of the **Charities Act 1978**.\n\n\t2 Authorising provision\n\nThese Regulations are made under section 7 of the **Charities Act 1978**.\n\n\t3 Commencement\n\nThese Regulations come  into operation on 17 November 2025.\n\n\t4 Revocation\n\nThe Charities Regulations 2015[[1]](#endnote-1) are **revoked**.\n\n\t5 Definition\n\nIn these Regulations—\n\n***the Act*** means the **Charities Act 1978**.\n\n\t6 Fees for application for directions to apply property cy près\n\nFor the purposes of section 4(1) of the Act, the relevant prescribed fee is—\n\n(a) if the total value of the corpus of the property is less than $30 000—$320; or\n\n(b) if the total value of the corpus of the property is $30 000 or more but less than $130 000—$770; or\n\n(c) if the total value of the corpus of the property is $130 000 or more—$970.\n\n\t7 Fees for application for approval that Part IA of the Act applies—approval for investment in common funds\n\nFor the purposes of section 7F(2)(c) of the Act, the relevant prescribed fee is—\n\n(a) if the total value of the corpus of the property is less than $30 000—$320; or\n\n(b) if the total value of the corpus of the property is $30 000 or more but less than $130 000—$770; or\n\n(c) if the total value of the corpus of the property is $130 000 or more—$970.\n\n═════════════\n\nEndnotes\n\n1 General information\n\nSee [www.legislation.vic.gov.au](http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au) for Victorian Bills, Acts and current Versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information.\n\nThe Charities Regulations 2025, S.R. No. 115/2025 were made on 5 November 2025 by the Governor in Council under section 7 of the **Charities Act 1978**, No. 9227/1978 and came into operation on 17 November 2025: regulation 3.\n\nThe Charities Regulations 2025 will sunset 10 years after the day of making on 5 November 2035 (see section 5 of the **Subordinate Legislation Act 1994**).\n\nINTERPRETATION OF LEGISLATION ACT 1984 (ILA)\n\nStyle changes\n\nSection 54A of the ILA authorises the making of the style changes set out in Schedule 1 to that Act.\n\nReferences to ILA s. 39B\n\nSidenotes which cite ILA s. 39B refer to section 39B of the ILA which provides that where an undivided regulation, rule or clause of a Schedule is amended by the insertion of one or more subregulations, subrules or subclauses the original regulation, rule or clause becomes subregulation, subrule or subclause (1) and is amended by the insertion of the expression \"(1)\" at the beginning of the original regulation, rule or clause.\n\nInterpretation\n\nAs from 1 January 2001, amendments to section 36 of the ILA have the following effects:\n\n• Headings\n\nAll headings included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after  \n1 January 2001 form part of that Statutory Rule. Any heading inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Statutory Rule.  \nThis includes headings to Parts, Divisions or Subdivisions in a Schedule; Orders; Parts into which an Order is divided; clauses; regulations; rules; items; tables; columns; examples; diagrams; notes or forms.  \nSee section 36(1A)(2A)(2B).\n\n• Examples, diagrams or notes\n\nAll examples, diagrams or notes included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Statutory Rule. Any examples, diagrams or notes inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, form part of that Statutory Rule. See section 36(3A).\n\n• Punctuation\n\nAll punctuation included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after  \n1 January 2001 forms part of that Statutory Rule. Any punctuation inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Statutory Rule.  \nSee section 36(3B).\n\n• Provision numbers\n\nAll provision numbers included in a Statutory Rule form part of that Statutory Rule, whether inserted in the Statutory Rule before, on or after  \n1 January 2001. Provision numbers include regulation numbers, rule numbers, subregulation numbers, subrule numbers, paragraphs and subparagraphs. See section 36(3C).\n\n• Location of \"legislative items\"\n\nA \"legislative item\" is a penalty, an example or a note. As from 13 October 2004, a legislative item relating to a provision of a Statutory Rule is taken to be at the foot of that provision even if it is preceded or followed by another legislative item that relates to that provision. For example, if a penalty at the foot of a provision is followed by a note, both of these legislative items will be regarded as being at the foot of that provision. See section 36B.\n\n• Other material\n\nAny explanatory memorandum, table of provisions, endnotes, index and other material printed after the Endnotes does not form part of a Statutory Rule. See section 36(3)(3D)(3E).\n\n2 Table of Amendments\n\nThere are no amendments made to the Charities Regulations 2025 by statutory rules, subordinate instruments and Acts.\n\n3 Explanatory details\n\n1. Reg. 4: S.R. No. 131/2015. [↑](#endnote-ref-1)","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"summary":{"complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Scope change cannot be assessed because the substantive content of the regulations was not included in the provided text. Only the title, statutory rule number, and version history metadata were available for analysis."},"complexity_factors":["Insufficient legislative content provided — only metadata and version history are present, preventing meaningful complexity analysis","No operative provisions, definitions, schedules, or substantive rules were included in the supplied text","Cannot assess cross-references, exceptions, or regulatory burden without actual content"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument is the Charities Regulations 2025 (Statutory Rule 115/2025): delegated legislation that sets detailed rules for charities in Australia and appears to be a consolidated version incorporating later amendments. \n\nIt will principally affect registered charities, their boards and administrators, donors, and the ACNC as regulator. The actual regulatory changes and obligations are unknown here because the full text of the regulations was not provided."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"These Regulations do not expand or narrow the substantive reach of the Charities Act; they prescribe fee amounts for specified applications and revoke the prior 2015 Regulations (reg 4). They modify administrative costs for applicants by fixing tiered fees (regs 6–7) and set commencement (reg 3) and a sunset date in the Endnotes, but they do not alter who may apply or the statutory powers referenced in the Act."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow subject-matter: only prescribes fees for two application types (regulations 6–7).","Simple tiered fee schedule: three straightforward value bands and fixed dollar amounts (regs 6(a)–(c), 7(a)–(c)).","Cross-references to the Charities Act 1978: fees apply for applications under specific Act provisions (authorised by reg 2; tied to s.4 and s.7F(2)(c) as stated in regs 6–7).","Valuation dependence: practical complexity in applying the thresholds arises from determining the 'total value of the corpus of the property' (term used in regs 6–7) and may require valuation or accounting processes.","Administrative lifecycle: commencement, revocation of the 2015 Regulations (reg 4), and a statutory sunset noted in Endnotes create simple but relevant implementation steps.","Identical fees for distinct applications increases ease of administration but concentrates policy choice in fee levels rather than differential treatment."],"plain_english_summary":"These Regulations set fixed application fees under the Charities Act 1978 for two specific types of charity applications: (1) directions to apply property cy près and (2) approval that Part IA applies for investment in common funds. Fees are tiered by the total value of the property corpus, come into force on 17 November 2025, and replace the 2015 Regulations. They affect charities, trustees or executors who make these applications because those applicants must pay the prescribed fee when lodging an application."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulations maintain the exact same scope as their predecessor. They continue to do precisely what the Charities Act 1978 authorises: prescribe fees for specific administrative applications. There is no expansion into new areas of charity regulation, governance, or compliance."},"complexity_factors":["Only 7 regulations total, with minimal text","Single defined term ('the Act')","Simple tiered fee structure with three clear monetary thresholds","No cross-references between provisions beyond basic authorising provisions","No conditional logic, exceptions, or nested definitions","Straightforward revocation of previous regulations without transitional provisions"],"plain_english_summary":"This is a short piece of Victorian subordinate legislation (regulations) that sets out the fees charities must pay when making certain applications under the Charities Act 1978 (Vic).\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Revokes** (cancels) the old Charities Regulations 2015 and replaces them with updated fee amounts.\n- **Sets fees for two types of applications:**\n  1. **Cy-près applications** (pronounced \"see-pray\"): When a charity wants to change how it uses donated money or property because the original purpose has become impossible, impractical, or illegal to carry out.\n  2. **Common fund investment applications**: When a charity wants approval to pool its investments with other charities in a common fund.\n\n**How the fees work:**\nThe fee depends on the total value of the property (the \"corpus\") involved:\n- **Under $30,000**: $320\n- **$30,000 to $129,999**: $770  \n- **$130,000 or more**: $970\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Victorian charities (non-profit organisations) that need to apply to the Supreme Court or relevant authority for cy-près directions, or that want to invest in common funds.\n- These organisations will pay slightly different fees than under the 2015 regulations.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis updates the cost of doing business for charities in Victoria. While the fee structure remains tiered by property value, the specific dollar amounts have been adjusted from the 2015 levels."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/charities-regulations-2025","history":"/api/acts/charities-regulations-2025/history","analysis":"/api/acts/charities-regulations-2025/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/charities-regulations-2025/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/charities-regulations-2025/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/charities-regulations-2025/documents"}}