Political money and lobbying
Political donation disclosure compared
Short answer
- UK central party threshold
- Above £11,180 1
- UK accounting unit threshold
- Above £2,230 1
- UK reporting cycle
- Quarterly donation and loan returns 2
- US individual limit to a candidate, 2025 to 2026
- $3,500 per election 4
- Australia threshold, 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2026
- More than $17,300 5
- Australia threshold from 1 January 2027
- More than $5,000 6
What donation disclosure does
Donation disclosure rules make parties, candidates and some campaigners report gifts above a set amount to an official body. The body then publishes the reports. The rules differ on three points: the amount that triggers a report, how often reports are due, and who receives them.
Limits and thresholds are different tools. A limit caps how much one donor can give. A threshold sets the point at which a gift must be reported. The United States uses contribution limits for federal candidates 4. The United Kingdom and Australia rely mainly on reporting thresholds 1,5. Australia's 2025 reform adds caps on gifts and electoral spending 6.
United Kingdom: Electoral Commission
A 2023 order raised the UK reporting thresholds in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act. The £7,500 figure became £11,180 and the £1,500 figure became £2,230 1. The Electoral Commission says parties must report donations accepted above £11,180, or above £2,230 for accounting units. Smaller gifts from one donor must be reported when together they pass the threshold 2.
Parties file donation and loan returns every quarter 2. The Commission publishes the information it receives on Political Finance Online 3. Northern Ireland differs. The Commission says the law does not allow it to publish donations and loans from before 1 July 2017 there 3.
The Commission's release of 5 March 2026 said parties accepted £64,838,824 across 2025, and reported £15,450,561 in donations and public funds in the fourth quarter of 2025 2.
United States: Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission lists an individual limit of $3,500 per election to a candidate committee for the 2025 to 2026 federal elections. The limit is indexed for inflation in odd-numbered years 4. The FEC page describes 48-hour notices for contributions of $1,000 or more in set periods, and says campaigns must keep contribution designations for three years 4.
Australia: Australian Electoral Commission
The Australian Electoral Commission publishes the federal disclosure threshold for each period. It was more than $16,900 for 2024 to 2025 and more than $17,300 for 2025 to 2026. The same $17,300 figure applies from 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2026 5.
The Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Reform) Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 20 February 2025. Its major changes start on 1 January 2027 6. From that date all donations totalling more than $5,000 must be disclosed, and donations for a federal purpose must be reported as soon as within 24 hours during an election period 6. The AEC says transitional rules apply from 1 July 2026 7.
Quick comparison
| Jurisdiction | Trigger | Timing | Body |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Above £11,180, or £2,230 for accounting units 1 | Quarterly returns 2 | Electoral Commission 3 |
| United States | $3,500 per election limit for individuals 4 | 48-hour notices for $1,000 or more in set periods 4 | Federal Election Commission 4 |
| Australia, to 31 December 2026 | More than $17,300 5 | Annual returns 7 | Australian Electoral Commission 7 |
| Australia, from 1 January 2027 | More than $5,000 6 | As soon as 24 hours in an election period 6 | Australian Electoral Commission 6 |
Common questions
What is the UK donation reporting threshold?
Above £11,180 for a central party and above £2,230 for an accounting unit, under the 2023 thresholds order 1,2.
How often do UK parties report donations?
Every quarter. The Electoral Commission says parties must submit quarterly donation and loan returns 2.
How much can one person give a US federal candidate?
$3,500 per election for the 2025 to 2026 cycle, according to the FEC 4.
What changes in Australia in 2027?
From 1 January 2027 donations totalling more than $5,000 must be disclosed, with faster reporting in election periods and new caps 6.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@whofundswhat.com.
Sources
- legislation.gov.uk: The Representation of the People (Variation of Election Expenses, Expenditure Limits and Donation etc. Thresholds) Order 2023, article 4
- Electoral Commission, republished by Wired-Gov: Political parties accept almost £65m in donations in 2025 (5 March 2026)
- Electoral Commission: Donations and loans
- Federal Election Commission: Contribution limits
- Australian Electoral Commission: Disclosure threshold (updated 10 July 2025)
- Australian Electoral Commission: Understanding the reform (updated 22 September 2026)
- Australian Electoral Commission: Financial disclosure (updated 1 April 2026)
Related
- Lobbying registers compared
Who must register as a lobbyist and what is published in the US, EU, UK, Canada, Ireland, France and Germany, from the laws and register pages.
- Foreign influence registration schemes compared
How the US FARA, the UK Foreign Influence Registration Scheme and Australia's FITS work: who registers, deadlines, penalties and what is public.
- How to read a funding disclosure
A step-by-step guide to reading donation, lobbying, charity and ownership disclosures: thresholds, reporting periods, bands and what is not published.
- Ownership, funding and control: three different questions
How ownership, funding and control differ in official records, from UK PSC rules and US BOI reporting to lobby and charity registers.