Yes, a qualifying resale of an original artwork sold as part of a charity auction is still subject to the artist’s resale royalty right. While the auction house or vendor may choose to waive their own fees or commission as a business decision, this does not exempt the resale from the artist’s entitlement under the Resale Royalty Scheme.
However, an artist may choose to decline to receive payment of all or part of a resale royalty, in which cases RRA will collect and manage the royalty in accordance with the statutory Regulations. These anticipate that the amount will be transferred to a Cultural Fund for the purposes of supporting the career sustainability of visual artists. Updates about the Cultural Fund can be found here later in 2025.
For any feedback or policy inquiries regarding this matter, please direct your correspondence to the Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH). Their contact details can be found within our complaints policy document, accessible here: Complaints Policy