Incorporated Societies

The 2022 Act introduces new compulsory features to be included in your constitution, such as:

• a dedicated contact person,
• members need to give consent,
• minimum number of members reduced from 15 to 10,
• the requirement for a society to have a committee,
• new duties for officers, including acting in good faith and in the best interests of the society, complying with the 2022 Act and the constitution, and exercising the care and diligence that a reasonable person would exercise in the circumstances,
• a dispute resolution processes,
• conflict of interest clauses and a duty to disclose conflicts
• annual returns are now required
• the ability for societies to amalgamate, and
• new accounting standards for financial reporting.

For all changes go to - Key changes | Incorporated Societies

See below for links to more in-depth information.

Advantages of being Incorporated

• Your society will be a legal entity, able to enter into contracts in your society’s name.
• Your members won’t be personally liable for the society’s debts.
• Your society can apply for funding from funding agencies that require legal status.

Potential consequences of not re-registering

• Your society will cease to exist as a legal entity
• Your society name will no longer have protection
• Your bank accounts could be frozen
• Future funding could be at risk, as many funders don’t work with groups that do not have a legal status.
• You will lose the right to make decisions on behalf of your society – i.e. distributing your assets.
• If you decide not to re-register, you will need to wind-up or become a different type of entity.