Charity Commission

Pay trustees

Use this form to apply for consent to pay a trustee, including expenses, or find out if consent is needed.

Before you start

You can use this form to apply for permission to:

• pay a trustee less than £1,000 a year
• pay expenses to a trustee
• appoint a member of staff as a trustee
• employ a 'connected person' – someone with a financial link to a trustee, like a business partner or spouse
• employ a trustee
• pay a trustee for serving as a trustee
• pay a trustee for providing a service
• pay a trustee to replace lost income

Check your charity’s governing document – if it allows you to pay trustees you do not need to complete this form.

Read our information on trustee payments and how to deal with conflicts of interest:

• Trustee payments and expenses
• Conflicts of interest

Don't complete this form if:

• you want to change the 'trustee benefits' or 'conflicts of interest' clauses in your governing document
• 50% or more of the trustees will receive a payment as a result (unless this totals less than £1,000 a year)
• you will personally benefit from the payment (another trustee should complete the form instead)
• you are an NHS charity

NHS charities

What you will need to tell us

You will need to have the following to hand:

• the reason for the payment
• details of the recruitment process, if there was one, demonstrating that it was open and fair
• a copy of the contract or agreement to pay the trustee, if there is one
• a job description for the paid work
• your charity’s most recent accounts, if they have not been filed

Completing the form