In November 2025 the ACNC published a review of the 2023 financial information and annual financial reports of 250 charities. The sample was chosen because those charities were more likely to have errors, so the figures are not typical of every charity. The kinds of error are still worth knowing, because they recur.

What it found

57% of the charities reviewed had material errors. 18% had a material difference between the Annual Information Statement and the financial report. Only 85% submitted a complete set of financial statements.

Among large charities, 25% made errors in reporting what key management personnel were paid. 14% of consolidated reports gave group figures rather than the registered charity’s own. 6% of review or audit reports were modified, mainly in relation to cash donations.

The small things that stop a lodgement

The ACNC also reminds charities that the Responsible People’s declaration and the reviewer’s or auditor’s report must both be signed and dated. An unsigned page is one of the simplest reasons a report comes back.

What this means for your audit

Check that the figures in the Annual Information Statement come from the final, signed financial report, not a draft. If donations are received in cash, the controls over counting and banking them are where an auditor will spend time. Group structures should report the registered charity’s own figures where the ACNC requires it.

Sources

ACNC — Reviewing charities’ financial information and annual financial reports (2023)

ACNC — Financial reviews help improve charity reporting (11 November 2025)