Charitable trusts must register with the Charities Commission from February to retain their tax-exempt status and safeguard their credibility.
The commission, set up last year under the Charities Act, will also weed out dodgy entities that refuse to divulge information on their activities or act against their stated objectives.
Information about registered organisations - including their rules and annual accounts - will be posted on the commission's website, charities.govt.nz.
Commission chief executive Trevor Garrett said anyone discovering that a charity was failing to follow its own rules could complain.
" If people say they are a registered charity and they're not, the Charities Commission can take them to court."
- NZPA
Charities need to bare all
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