Treasurer: yearly obligations

This guide is for treasurers of Queensland croquet clubs that are incorporated associations. The yearly steps come from the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (Qld); the tax points come from the ATO. The club's rules set its financial year end, often 30 June.

How clubs do it

1. Prepare the accounts within 6 months of year end: the financial statement, plus a verification statement or audit report (the signed check that the accounts are right).
2. Hold the AGM within 6 months of year end. The treasurer usually presents the accounts there "for adoption".
3. Declare payments to committee members, senior staff and their close relatives at the same AGM.
4. Lodge the signed accounts, the verification statement or audit report, Form 12 and the fee with the Office of Fair Trading within 1 month of the AGM.

The accounts and the AGM

The Office of Fair Trading says the financial statement includes a profit and loss statement, a balance sheet and any mortgages over club property. The records behind the accounts are in Treasurer: Financial Records.

"For adoption" means the members vote to accept the accounts as the club's record for the year. The Act gives the secretary 28 days to show the accounts to any member who asks.

Declaring payments

Since 1 July 2024 the Act says the committee declares at each AGM all payments and benefits in the year to committee members, senior staff and their close relatives. Benefits include free use of club facilities. If nothing was paid, that is still declared and minuted. Paying a member for lawn work can have WorkCover, tax and superannuation effects too. You can read more in Paying people at a club.

Lodging with the Office of Fair Trading

The secretary, president or treasurer lodges. The Office sends Form 12 within 1 month of year end; if it does not arrive, 13 QGOV (13 74 68) can send one. Fees are on the forms and fees page. For more time, the Office takes requests by email to registration.services@justice.qld.gov.au.

Fines at 2026/27 rates: up to $1,727 per committee member for not presenting the accounts ($3,454 in a large club) or not declaring payments; up to $691 each for the secretary, president and treasurer for lodging late.

Tax: what the ATO says

• Income tax. A not-for-profit sporting club that is not a charity, follows its rules and spends its income only on its purpose can treat itself as exempt from income tax (ATO, sporting organisations; ruling TR 2022/2).
• Yearly check. That club, if it has an active ABN, lodges the NFP self-review return by 31 October each year. In it the club checks it still qualifies as exempt (ATO, how to lodge the NFP self-review return).
• GST. A non-profit registers for GST only when its GST turnover (roughly, its yearly income from sales, fees and hire) is $150,000 or more (ATO, GST registration for not-for-profits).
• ABN. When a club with no ABN bills a business over $75, say for court hire, the business generally keeps back tax at the top rate (ATO, withholding if ABN not provided).

Few sporting clubs are charities, the ACNC says. One that is may not need to lodge with the Office of Fair Trading.

Where this comes from

1. Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (Qld): ss.59A, 59AA, 59AB (preparing the accounts), s.59B (presenting at the AGM), s.59BA (lodging), s.59C (members seeing the accounts), s.70D (disclosing payments)
2. Queensland Government, Changes that started on 1 July 2024
3. Queensland Government, Incorporated associations forms and fees (Form 12)
4. Queensland Government, Preparing your annual return: ACNC charities may be exempt
5. ACNC, Regulation of charities in Queensland and Sporting clubs or associations
6. ATO pages linked under "Tax: what the ATO says" (checked 29 Oct 2026)