Guernsey Registry
Charity Annual Validation FAQ

The Guernsey Registry online portal to file details about charities, and complete their annual validation is reasonably straight forward.  However, the Registry has noted a few recurring issues/queries and they have provided the following to help you complete the process.


1)  Unable to see the full page
A number of users are unable to proceed and we often find it is because they are unable to see the bottom of the screen (and the next command i.e. submit) and this is particularly troublesome when adding/editing managing officials.  Our advice is to minimise the screen which can be done by clicking on the three dots or three lines (depending on the search engine) and using the zoom function.


2)  Personal Portal Accounts
When volunteers are creating an account on the Charities Portal, they are creating a personal account, where they can manage their charity/NPO responsibilities for all the charities/NPOs they are involved with.  This make more sense to those involved in a number of charities than it will to those who volunteer with one charity.  The portal account should not be in the charity name or use a shared mailbox and the login details should not be shared.  The personal portal accounts enable the Registry to keep an accurate audit trail of who makes which submission and this will be lost if the portal account is used by more than one person.  Due to the portal accounts being personal private access the charity/NPO has to authorise them to make submission on its behalf (as an authorised filer).

3)  Authorised filers can be but don’t have to be managing officials
The authorised filer can be one of the managing officials but does not have to be. When a charity/NPOs appoints an authorised filer they are  delegating an administrative task.  The need to appoint someone who is computer literate, confident using the portal independently and can be trusted.  When you appoint an authorised filer this will not make them a managing official an they are not responsible for the directing and controlling of the charity.  If the charity wishes to remove an authorised filer they need to email charities@guernseyregistry.com

4)  Authorised filer nomination form or minute but not both
Charities/NPOs can appoint up to three authorised filers on the one form but each of them will need their own pdf copy of the signed completed form to upload to their own personal portal account.  A managing official who is name on the Register needs to have signed the form and only one form is needed for all three.  Alternatively, the charity/NPO may have minutes that name the authorised filer(s), the fact they are appointed by the governing body and the minutes have been signed by a managing official.  The managing officials do not need to complete the authorised filer form as well as provide a copy of the minute.  The authorised filers need to be name in person and not be role or any other generic term.

5)  Has the annual validation been done?
Authorised filers can see the status of all submission under My Filings (see lefthand side of dashboard) but they cannot open another authorised filers submissions.   The “Next Annual Renewal” date will be 28 February 2023 until the 2023 annual renewal has been both submitted and registered.  If this date is 2024 this years renewal has been completed.  If this date is 2022 or 2021 then this means we are missing the historical paper annual renewals and we will require these in order for this date to be updated.  The 2023 Annual Renewal submission will not be accepted by the system until outstanding renewals are received and the Register is updated. 
To see the “Next Annual Renewal” click on the icon in the top righthand corner of the charity name box (within the authorised filers dashboard). 




6)  When submissions update
Authorised filers will receive an on screen and email confirmation when they have made a submission and a common misunderstanding is that this means the Register has updated.  They think it hasn’t work and go to make the same submission.  However, there is a back office process to all submission and they need to wait for the second email that will confirm when the submission has been registered by us.  The Registry details will not update until the submission has been registered by us and we may need to return it for corrections or reject it, if it is not permissible.

7)  Start a new filing
The system providers are working to rename this tab.  When a portal user has become an authorised filer for a charity/NPO, and they click on the charity/NPO name box on the dashboard a list of options appear on the right hand side of the screen.  These options contain two tabs:  the “Start a new filing” tab is for if the user wishes to make an application for a new registration; and so the user needs to make sure they are on the “Manage a Charity/NPO” tab where they will fine a list of options.



8)  Change of managing official details
The golden rule is to wait for a submission to be registered before starting a new submission.  If a charity/NPOs is adding and removing managing officials then they need to do one submission to add the new managing officials, wait for this to be registered, check the Register has updated and then remove the retired managing officials in a separate submission.  Amendments to managing officials all need to be done on the same submission or at least the filer needs to wait for the last submission to be registered/applied before starting a new change.  All of the current managing official data is reconfirmed with each submission.  This is only causing an issues whilst charities are updating the Register for the first time in a year.  Under the new law charities/NPOs are required to update the Register within 21 days of any change and therefore, we do not anticipate multiple submissions.  

9)  Managing official roles
We are working on this issue but the filers are currently not able to submit a change of role for managing officials.  Therefore, roles are not been checked for the 2023 annual validation but if the charity/NPO wishes this to be corrected they currently need to email us at charities@guernseyregistry.com.

10)  When details on an Annual Validation need changing
Volunteers are used to being able to update the annual renewal but this is not possible within the Charities Portal Annual Validation.  If details need changing this needs to be done by a separate submission back dated to 31 December and registered by us before the annual validation can be started. 

11)  Draft submission don’t update
If a filer has saved a draft submission and then made changes, the draft will not include these changes.  

If you have any questions on charity registration or need assistance, please email charities@guernseyregistry.com or telephone 01481 220075.