Register of Cultural Organisations (ROCO)
Important Information: Transfer of administration to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
As of 1 January 2024, administrative responsibility for assessing eligibility for Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status for Cultural Organisations will be transferred to the ATO. The changes will enable consistency of administration, reduce red tape, and provide a simplified application process for organisations seeking DGR status.
All applications received by the department via SmartyGrants before midnight AEST 31 December 2023 will be transferred to the ATO for a decision on DGR eligibility and endorsement. The transfer of information will include all personal and commercial-in-confidence information that has been provided in the application via SmartyGrants and to the Department directly. If you do not want your application to be transferred to the ATO, please do not submit an application for the ROCO.
Any application that is not submitted by 31 December 2023 will be deemed to be closed and will not be assessed or transferred to the ATO for a decision.
From 1 January 2024, the Australian Business Register (ABN Lookup (business.gov.au)) should be used as the primary source of information with regards to an organisation’s DGR status and the ROCO list will be removed from the department’s website.
If you choose not to submit an application at this time, it is still open to your organisation to submit a new application directly to the ATO after 1 January 2024. For further information refer to Apply for DGR endorsement or DGR Registers Reform on the ATO website or contact the ATO Endorsements team via ATOEndorsements@ato.gov.au.
Before you begin
Welcome to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications online submission service, powered by SmartyGrants. You can begin anywhere in the form. Please ensure you save as you go. For queries about the Register of Cultural Organisations guidelines, deadlines, or questions in the form, please contact us on 02 6271 7108 during business hours or email roco.mail@arts.gov.au and quote your submission number.
Click here to view the Register of Cultural Organisations guidelines
If you need more help using this form, download the Help Guide for Applicants or check out Applicant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Navigating through your submission
On every screen (page of the form) you will find a Form Navigation contents box, this links directly to every page of the application. Click the link to jump straight into a page. You can also click 'next page' or 'previous page' on the top or bottom of each page to move forward or backward through the application.
Saving your draft submission
If you wish to leave a partially completed application, press 'save' and log out. When you log back in and click on the 'My Submissions' link at the top of the screen, you will find a list of any applications you have started or submitted. You can reopen your draft application and start where you left off. You can also download an application, whether draft or completed, as a PDF. Click on the 'Download' button located at the bottom of the last page of the application form.
Submitting your application
You will find a Review and Submit button at the bottom of the Navigation Panel. You need to review your application before you can submit it. Once you have reviewed your application, you can submit it by clicking on 'Submit' at the top of the screen or on the navigation panel. You will not be able to submit your application until all the required questions are completed. Once you have submitted your application, no further editing or uploading of support materials is possible. When you submit your application, you will receive an automated confirmation email with a copy of your submitted application attached. The confirmation email will be sent to the email address you used to register.
If you do not receive a confirmation of submission email, then you should presume that your submission has NOT been submitted.
Attachments and supporting documentation
You will need to upload/submit attachments to support your submission. The process of uploading documents is straightforward but requires you to have the documents saved on your computer or another storage device. You will need to allow enough time for each file to upload before trying to attach another file. Files can be up to 25MB each; however, we do recommend trying to keep data files to a maximum of 5MB – the larger the file, the longer the upload time.
Completing a submission as a group or team
A number of people can work on an application using the same log in details as long as only one person is working at a time. Ensure you save as you go.
Spell check
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