Read in Welsh/ Darllenwch y Gymraeg
Overview
You will find information on this page to help members associations and unincorporated associations comply with new rules on donations and gifts introduced by the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.
Quicklinks:
- how do we find out if the information on this page applies to our organisation ?
- members associations
- unincorporated associations
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23 May 2011: Party Election Finance (PEF) OnlinePEF Online is our new interactive registers database system. You can use the search facility to find information about registered political parties, registered campaigners in referendums and non-party campaigners (third parties) and to search donations, loans and spending information. From today you can register a new party online, change your registration details and file statutory returns. If you would like to talk to us about using PEF Online you can contact us on 020 7271 0616 or pef@electoralcommission.org.uk. |
How do we find out if the information on this page applies to our organisation?
You can check whether your organisation is an unincorporated association by looking at the information provided on the Business Link website.
A members association is an organisation that is not a political party but it is wholly, or mainly, made up of the members of a political party. Members associations belong to a category of regulated organisations and individuals known as 'regulated donees'. See more about regulated donees.
If your organisation meets the criteria of the members association definition you should follow our guidance for members associations.
Members associations
We regulate members associations. They report donations and loans as they receive them and they are responsible for checking the permissibility of the donations and loans they receive.
Forms and guidance
There are different forms and guidance for regulated donees in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is important to check that you have downloaded the appropriate forms and guidance for your location. We provide:
Click here to view forms and explanatory notes for members associations...
Forms and explanatory notes for members associations based in Great Britain:
| Forms | Guidance |
|---|---|
| No additional explanatory notes | |
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Form RD1B: Report of donation not accepted by a regulated donee in Great Britain (PDF) |
No additional explanatory notes |
|
Form RD1C: Report of a controlled transaction by a regulated participant (XLS) |
Explanatory notes on completing an RD1C (PDF) |
|
Form RD1D: Report of an impermissible transaction by a regulated participant (XLS) |
Explanatory notes on completing an RD1D (PDF) |
| No additional explanatory notes |
Forms and explanatory notes for members associations based in Northern Ireland:
Members associations that are also unincorporated associations
Members associations that are unincorporated associations must comply with the new rules for unincorporated associations. See:
You should notify us when you make political contributions of more than £25,000 in a calendar year. Political contributions include the donations and loans made to political parties, organisations that campaign in elections, and individuals in elective office such MPs or members of the devolved legislatures.
These details are published on the register of unincorporated associations.
You should continue to report donations as you receive them. You will not be required to report gifts which are donations twice.
But if you do send us a notification of political contributions after January 2010, you will also be asked to complete Form MA1 at the end of each calendar quarter until your reporting responsibility lapses.
The forms you need are:
- Form UA1: Notification of an unincorporated association making a political contribution (PDF)
- Form MA1: Quarterly nil report of gifts received by a members association after a political contribution was made (PDF)
Unincorporated associations
Unincorporated associations should notify us when they make political contributions of more than £25,000 in a calendar year. Political contributions include the donations and loans made to political parties, organisations that campaign in elections, and individuals in elective office such MPs or members of the devolved legislatures.
As well as notifying us you will need to tell us about the reportable gifts received by your association in:
- the calendar year before you made the contribution
- the calendar year of the contribution and
- the calendar year following the contribution
This information is published on the register of unincorporated associations and the register of recordable gifts to unincorporated associations.
For more information see:
Reportable gifts include:
- a single gift of more than £7,500
- two or more gifts given by the same person in the same calendar year which total more than £7,500. You need only count individual gifts worth more than £500 toward this total
- any additional gifts given by source that you have already reported as having given a gift in that calendar year, if the gifts have a value of, or add up to, more than £1,500
In the meantime unincorporated associations intending to make political contributions of more than £25,000 after January 2010 should keep records of the gifts, which are worth more than £500, that they receive from 21 July 2009 onwards.
The forms you need are:
- Form UA1: Notification of an unincorporated association making a political contribution (PDF)
- Form UA2: Report of gifts received by an unincorporated association before a political contribution was made (PDF)
- Form UA3: Quarterly report of gifts received by an unincorporated association after a political contribution was made (PDF)
