- Introduction
- Guide to running a company limited by guarantee (CLG)
- Guide to running a registered charity company limited by guarantee (CLG)
- Guide to running an incorporated association in Victoria
- Guide to running an incorporated association in New South Wales
Don’t know your legal structure?
To find out your organisation’s legal structure:
-
If your organisation is a charity, search the ACNC register. Once you have found your organisation’s entry, you can check your rules or constitution which should state the type of legal structure. You can search by name and by ABN or ACN.
-
If your organisation is not a charity, you should start with an Australian Business Register (ABR) search. You will need the name and ideally the ABN or ACN of your organisation. If your organisation is a company limited by guarantee (a federal not-for-profit structure) this will be indicated in the entry as ‘Australian public company’. If your organisation is a state-based not-for-profit structure such as an incorporated association or a co-operative, it's likely that the ABR will list it as 'other incorporated entity'. You will then need to search your state or territory regulator of not-for-profits to confirm your structure.
The new Associations Incorporation Reform Regulations 2023 are now in place
To find out more, see the Consumer Affairs Victoria webpage 'New regulations governing incorporated associations in Victoria'.
