Lodging your association's annual return

You must lodge an annual return with us within 1 month of holding your annual general meeting (AGM), except if your incorporated association is exempt from lodging an annual return under the Associations Incorporation Regulation 1999.

You must hold an AGM within 6 months after the end of your incorporated association's financial year.

Submitting an annual return is an important responsibility of any incorporated association committee.

Attach your financial statement

Your annual return must include a copy of your association's financial statement.

The president or treasurer usually presents a financial statement at the AGM. Your association then adopts the financial statement.

The financial statement should include:

• a profit and loss statement (for income and expenditure)
• a balance sheet (for assets and liabilities)
• all mortgages, charges and securities that affect any of your property at the end of the financial year
• a copy of a signed audit report or verification statement from your accountant, auditor or verifier—the type of report we expect depends on the size of your association.

If your association didn't make any transactions during the financial year or doesn't have any assets, liabilities or property, you can attach a document that reflects this instead of a financial statement. An example would be a balance sheet showing a zero balance or a profit and loss statement showing no changes for the financial year.

The president or treasurer will need to verify this information is correct in a verification statement.

How to lodge your annual return

We'll send an annual return form to your association within 1 month of the end of the financial year. Please contact us if it doesn't arrive or you need a new copy.

Within 1 month of your AGM you must:

• fill out your annual return form
• attach your financial statement, including the auditor or verifier's statement
• pay the required fee
• lodge your annual return form with the financial statement.

You can lodge your annual return online—select 'Fair Trading Individual New Application'—or in person at, or by post to, an OFT contact centre.

Seeking an extension

Email us at registration.services@justice.qld.gov.au if your association needs more time to lodge the annual return.

You'll need to include:

• the name of your incorporated association
• a contact phone number
• your postal address
• the reason you need the extension
• the date you need the extension until.

We'll tell you within 4 weeks if we've granted your extension.

Defining your financial year

Your financial year can be any 12-month period. Most associations choose either January to December (a calendar year) or July to June (a period commonly understood as a financial year).

In some cases a financial year might be longer or shorter than 12 months. These can be when your association:

• first starts or ends
• decides to change the start or end date of the financial year.

In these cases, the financial year must be no shorter than 3 months and no longer than 15 months.

Request to view financial statement

Any member can ask to see the financial statement—the secretary must give or show them a copy within 28 days of the request. The member may need to pay the reasonable costs associated with viewing the statement (e.g. photocopying costs).