In this, the Commission works with state and territory governments and agencies to standardise legislation and regulation across the nation.

[10] The ACNC was established under Chapter 5 of the federal Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012, which received assent on 3 December 2012.

[11] On 16 June 2014, a parliamentary report of the Australian Senate's Standing Committees on Economics recommended that the ACNC be abolished to "relieve the regulatory burden from many charities", and instead form a National Centre for Excellence as an "advocate for the sector and a leader in innovation".

Chaired by Patrick McClure, the review was tabled on 22 August 2018 and was welcomed and responded to by the ACNC on 6 March 2020.

[15][16] In a move criticised by some charities, the Turnbull government appointed former Labor politician Gary Johns as Commissioner of the ACNC.