Fundraising licensing by state — thresholds, exemptions and reporting compared
Charitable fundraising in Australia is regulated by each state under separate Acts on top of the ACNC. Compare licence thresholds, ACNC exemptions, online platform rules, donor disclosure and reporting across NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT and NT.
Fundraising for charitable purposes in Australia is one of the most fragmented regulatory areas. The Commonwealth Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) handles charity registration, governance standards and the Charity Tax Concessions register — but every state and territory then runs its own fundraising Act with its own licence, threshold, reporting obligations and donor-disclosure rules.
An Australian charity raising money nationally typically needs to hold or be exempt from a fundraising authority in NSW, Vic, Qld, WA, SA, Tas and the ACT — seven separate regimes. The NT is the most relaxed jurisdiction. In response, the ACNC and the states have negotiated a series of mutual-recognition deeds (the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Amendment (Strengthening for the Future) Act 2023 is the latest leg) so that ACNC-registered charities can usually rely on reduced state reporting — but in NSW, Vic and Qld a charity still needs to hold an active state authority/licence.
Online fundraising platforms (GoFundMe, Chuffed, Raisely) created an enforcement gap that the states have been steadily closing. Vic and NSW have led the way with platform-specific rules and platform notifications, while other states still rely on the underlying charity authority. The cells below note where platform-specific rules apply.
For the full plain-English explainer, see our companion guide: Fundraising licensing by state.
Comparison matrix
Click any column header to sort.
Governing Act | Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW) NSW Legislation | Fundraising Act 1998 (Vic) Vic Legislation | Collections Act 1966 (Qld) Qld Legislation | Charitable Collections Act 1946 (WA) WA Legislation | Collections for Charitable Purposes Act 1939 (SA) SA Legislation | Collections for Charities Act 2001 (Tas) Tas Legislation | Charitable Collections Act 2003 (ACT) ACT Legislation | No state-specific fundraising Act (covered by general consumer/criminal law) NT Gov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Regulator | NSW Fair Trading (Charitable Fundraising) NSW Fair Trading | Consumer Affairs Victoria CAV | Office of Fair Trading (Department of Justice) Qld OFT | Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (Consumer Protection) Consumer Protection WA | Consumer and Business Services SA CBS SA | Department of Justice (Consumer, Building and Occupational Services) CBOS Tas | Access Canberra Access Canberra | No primary regulator (event permits via local councils + NT Police for collections in public places) NT Gov |
Licence required threshold When a state authority/licence is triggered. | Authority required if appealing for donations >$15,000/yr from the public NSW Fair Trading | Fundraiser registration required if gross >$20,000/yr CAV | Charity registration required to fundraise from public (no minimum threshold) Qld OFT | Charitable Collections licence required to appeal for charitable purposes Consumer Protection WA | Licence required to collect for charitable purposes (any amount) CBS SA | Notification required (more streamlined than other states) CBOS Tas | Licence required to collect for charitable purposes (any amount) Access Canberra | No general licensing requirement NT Gov |
Exemption for ACNC-registered charities Whether ACNC registration alone exempts the charity from the state licence/authority. | ACNC charities still need NSW authority but get streamlined reporting under reform agreement NSW Fair Trading | ACNC charities exempt from registration if they meet conditions; CAV reduced reporting CAV | ACNC charities still need Qld charity registration (no exemption from registration itself) Qld OFT | ACNC charities still require WA licence; reduced reporting under reform deed Consumer Protection WA | ACNC charities still require SA licence CBS SA | ACNC charities largely exempt from separate state authority CBOS Tas | ACNC charities can apply for streamlined ACT licence Access Canberra | ACNC registration sufficient; no state licence NT Gov |
Online platform rules Whether the state regulates online fundraising platforms (GoFundMe, Raisely, Chuffed) directly. | Yes — online and crowdfunding subject to authority; platform must verify charity status NSW Fair Trading | Yes — Fundraising Act 1998 captures online appeals; CAV guidance for platforms CAV | Online captured where the charity solicits Qld residents; registration required Qld OFT | Online captured where appeal targets WA residents; licence required Consumer Protection WA | Online captured under SA licence; CBS guidance for crowdfunding CBS SA | Online captured under notification scheme CBOS Tas | Online captured under ACT licence Access Canberra | No state-specific online rules NT Gov |
Donor disclosure / cost-of-fundraising Whether donors must be told what proportion of their donation reaches the charity. | Required disclosure for face-to-face street collections + cost-of-fundraising in annual return NSW Fair Trading | Disclosure obligations under Fundraising Act; commercial fundraiser disclosure required CAV | Disclosure obligations under Collections Act; commercial fundraiser disclosure Qld OFT | Disclosure of commercial fundraiser commission required at point of solicitation Consumer Protection WA | Commercial fundraiser disclosure required CBS SA | Disclosure required for commercial fundraisers CBOS Tas | Disclosure required for commercial fundraisers Access Canberra | No state-specific donor disclosure (ACNC standards apply) NT Gov |
Reporting / audit Standard reporting cycle to state regulator (in addition to ACNC AIS). | Annual return + audited financial statements (large charities) NSW Fair Trading | Annual return to CAV; reporting reduced under ACNC harmonisation CAV | Annual returns + records inspection rights Qld OFT | Annual return + audit for licensed collectors Consumer Protection WA | Annual return to CBS CBS SA | Notification + records retention; reduced reporting where ACNC-registered CBOS Tas | Annual statement to Access Canberra Access Canberra | No state reporting beyond ACNC AIS NT Gov |
Every cell links to the cited source. Rules Mate links and summarises — it does not reproduce statutory text. Confirm with the cited regulator before relying on any cell.
Frequently asked
Does ACNC registration replace state fundraising licences?
No — not entirely. ACNC registration covers charity status, governance standards and tax concessions. A charity raising money from the public in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania or the ACT still needs the relevant state authority or licence on top, though reform agreements have reduced duplicate reporting. The NT is the only jurisdiction without a separate fundraising licence regime.
How does online fundraising work across multiple states?
A charity running a national online appeal usually needs to be authorised in every state it solicits donations from. Most charities rely on the largest-population state authorities (NSW, Vic, Qld) and notify others. Crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe and Chuffed verify charity status against the ACNC register but do not exempt the underlying charity from state requirements.
Which state has the lowest fundraising threshold?
Queensland, WA, SA and the ACT require a licence to collect for charitable purposes regardless of dollar amount. NSW exempts appeals below $15,000 per year. Victoria exempts fundraisers below $20,000 gross per year. Tasmania runs a notification scheme rather than a full licence.
Why is the NT different?
The Northern Territory has no specialised fundraising Act. Charitable collections are governed by general consumer protection and criminal law (fraud, misleading and deceptive conduct), and event permits are issued by local councils. Public collections in some public places may require NT Police permission, but there is no charity-specific licence.
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