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Australian Electoral Commission
The commencement date for the funding and disclosure reforms has changed from 1 July 2026 to 1 January 2027. This was announced by the Special Minister of State, Senator the Hon Don Farrell, on 31 March 2026.
The resources on these pages are being updated as a result and some fact sheets and guidelines may not yet reflect the new commencement date.
This page offers guidance materials to help individuals and entities navigate their changed responsibilities under the new Funding and Disclosure (FAD) scheme.
Information on financial disclosure obligations under the current scheme (until 31 December 2026) is available here.
The text of the amended Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 as it is expected to read in the future can be found on the Federal Register of Legislation.
Fact sheets introduce you to a topic and assist you in understanding your new obligations clearly and quickly.
Guidelines provide a detailed interpretation to help you understand and meet your new obligations.
Disclosure obligations applying to donors and recipients under the new scheme.
Information about who must file annual returns, deadlines involved and the financial information to include.
How eligible political parties and individuals can access administrative assistance funding, use it and claim payment.
Guidance on accessing, using and claiming payment for administrative assistance funding available to political parties and individuals.
Learn about federal accounts, including which entities must hold them and how they operate under the new scheme.
Who must register as an associated entity and the steps individuals, groups and entities should take to meet the requirements.
Annual limits on electoral expenditure for individuals, groups and entities.
Limits on how much donors may give and how much recipients may receive in a calendar year.
Funding and disclosure reforms in the Electoral Reform Act will commence on 1 January 2027.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is progressively publishing guidelines for the future Funding and Disclosure Scheme. The guidelines are provided to enable entities, and individuals, an opportunity to engage with the future Funding and Disclosure Scheme prior to the commencement date. Information on current financial disclosure obligations is available here.
The guidelines also outline how the AEC intends to operationalise the reforms contained in the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Reform) Act 2025.
Version 1 of each guideline will be published over February and March 2026. The AEC will refine and publish future versions of the guidelines:
To ensure that you are working with the latest version of a guideline, the AEC strongly recommends that you Register for Updates and check back regularly.
The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture and community. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.