What happens if we miss a deadline?

For accounts/annual return: Charity Commission sends a notice. If ignored, escalates to official warnings. For PAYE/Gift Aid: HMRC penalties. All are avoidable with a calendar.

Do small charities have fewer deadlines?

No, just fewer reporting thresholds. Every charity must file accounts, file annual return, pay PAYE, review safeguarding. Size does not reduce compliance burden.

Can we batch compliance tasks?

Not really. Each task has a deadline. But you can set a "compliance week" each month where you batch-process several tasks.

Annual Compliance Calendar: Never Miss a Deadline Again

Charity compliance has 15-20 key dates per year. Most charities only know about one (accounts). Here is the full calendar.

Charities have one of the highest compliance burdens of any organization type. Accounts, annual returns, PAYE, Gift Aid, safeguarding, insurance-all with different deadlines.

Here is the complete calendar. Copy it. Use it. Print it.

January: New year reset

Deadline: 31 Jan
Task: Submit PAYE for Dec (if you have staff). Online at HMRC.
Task: Plan compliance calendar for the year (print this!).
Task: Schedule trustees meeting for Q1.

February: Q1 operations

Deadline: 28 Feb
Task: Submit PAYE for January.
Task: Review and renew insurance (general liability, directors and officers, etc). Expiry often Feb-Mar.

March: Financial year-end planning

Deadline: 31 Mar (most charities)
Task: Submit PAYE for February.
Task: If your financial year ends 31 Mar, start accounts preparation.
Task: Review restricted fund balances.

April: Year-end close

Deadline: 30 Apr (PAYE)
Deadline: 30 Apr (Gift Aid claims; monthly/quarterly claims due).
Task: Final accounts close (if 31 Mar year-end).
Task: Bank reconciliation and audit prep (if required).

May: Trustee review

Task: Trustees meeting to review Q1 performance and approve accounts.
Task: Annual safeguarding review (update policy, check DBS, report to Charity Commission).
Deadline: 19 May (if you need to file by 31 May).

June: Annual accounts filing

Deadline: 31 May or 31 Aug (depending on registration level) - submit accounts to Charity Commission.
Deadline: 30 June (PAYE).
Task: Annual return (Charity Commission form e-return) - due within 9 months of year-end (e.g. if 31 Mar year-end, due 31 Dec).
Task: Annual trustees meeting to sign off accounts.

July: Summer operations

Deadline: 31 July (PAYE).
Task: Quarterly board meeting.
Task: Outcomes review (Q2 data).

August: Mid-year check

Deadline: 31 Aug (PAYE, Gift Aid claims).
Deadline: 31 Aug (Charity Commission accounts filing, if you did not file in May).
Task: Budget vs actual review.

September: Q3 planning

Deadline: 30 Sep (PAYE).
Task: Trustees meeting.
Task: Plan annual report and accounts for next year-end.
Task: Safeguarding incident review (any reports since May?).

October: Fundraising planning

Deadline: 31 Oct (PAYE).
Task: Approve next year budget (if calendar year end) or update current-year forecast.
Task: Review major donor pipeline.

November: Year-end prep (if Dec year-end)

Deadline: 30 Nov (PAYE).
Task: If your financial year ends 31 Dec, start planning accounts close.
Task: Send grants to accountant / auditor (if external).

December: Year-end close (if Dec year-end)

Deadline: 31 Dec (PAYE).
Deadline: 31 Dec (Gift Aid annual claim; submit all year's donations).
Task: Final bank reconciliation.
Task: Audit/exam process begins.
Task: Trustees meeting to sign off accounts (by end of Feb next year).

Ongoing tasks (monthly)

Bank reconciliation.
PAYE submissions.
Accruals reconciliation (restricted vs unrestricted funds).

Ongoing tasks (quarterly)

Outcomes data review.
Funder reporting (if required).
Budget variance analysis.
Trustees meeting.

Ongoing tasks (annually)

Accounts submission (Charity Commission).
Annual return (Charity Commission).
Gift Aid annual claim.
Safeguarding review.
Insurance renewal.
DBS check renewal (if required).
Annual auditor/independent examiner engagement.

Pro tips for never missing a deadline

Use shared calendar: Add all deadlines to Google Calendar or Outlook. Share with trustees and finance lead.
Set reminders: 2 weeks before each deadline, send team a reminder email.
Designate owners: PAYE → Finance lead. Safeguarding → Designated lead. Accounts → Accountant. Clarity prevents excuses.
Build buffers: Do not do accounts on 30 Aug (deadline). Do them 25 Aug. Buffer prevents panic.
Check requirements: Some charities have additional deadlines (e.g. funding agreements). Add them to your calendar.

Compliance is not optional. It is the cost of running a charity. Build systems and calendars and it becomes routine.

Deadlines by registration level

Unregistered charity (under £5k)

No annual return. No accounts filing. Just PAYE if you have staff. (But register if you grow above £5k!)

Registered, under £25k

Receipts & payments accounts (simple). Annual return. PAYE.

Registered, £25k-£500k

Full accounts. Independent examination. Annual return. PAYE.

Registered, over £500k

Full accounts. Audit (required). Annual return. PAYE. Often additional regulatory oversight.

This guide is part of our Charity Tax and Compliance hub, where you can explore every practical guide in this area.