Presbyterian congregations are now registered under the Charities Act. Contrary to previous information, the Charities Commission has decided to issue one certificate for the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand rather than for each presbytery. Every Presbyterian congregation will use the number on this certificate, which is CC33597. This number will be required in future correspondence and documents for tax purposes.
Download the certificate. The registration covers congregations and their regular committees, as well as any Boys Brigade Company attached to the parish. However, it will not cover any separate legal entities of the parish, such as trusts. The parish must submit separate applications for any stand-alone trust.
The Charities Act was passed into law in April 2005. The Charities Commission has been established to oversee the Act, and the overall driver behind the legislation is a desire to uphold public trust and confidence in the charitable sector by increasing its accountability to donors, the public and the Government.