Three ACT organisations have lost their charity status as part of an effort to tidy up the sector.
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The former charities were deregistered after repeatedly failing to provide information to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.
The commission revoked their charitable status only after giving each organisation 28 days to get in touch and making multiple attempts to contact those listed.
The Aboriginal Corporation of Employment Development, which had a mailing address in Canberra but a street address in central Sydney, has had an active ABN since 1999.
The organisation, however, did not provide annual information statements for 2014 and 2015, leading the ACNC to conclude it was no longer operating.
Similar conclusions were drawn about Autism Association ACT, based out of Pearce.
The organisation and its ABN were still listed on the charity register despite having amalgamated with the Asperger Syndrome Support Network to form Autism Asperger ACT in 2006.
The result of the merger has retained its charitable status and has submitted every required annual information and financial statement to date.
The Southpaw Stroke Club, the last of the local charities to be deregistered, was in a similar situation.
The Hughes-based support group, which has held its ABN since 2000, is one of three groups within the larger Stroke Association of the ACT.
The association itself has an ABN, but has not registered with the ACNC to be eligible for tax deductions and exemptions.
The three organisations were among 159 nationwide to lose their charity status in the latest round of deregistration, effective as of May 12.
Another two had their charitable status revoked back in February, while 1162 groups were spared deregistration after they were issued with reminders to send annual information statements to the commission in March.
Charities risk revocation if they fail to submit two or more consecutive annual information statements, detailing the revenue bracket, staff numbers and the purpose of the organisation.
These "double defaulters" have been gradually removed from the charity register, based on the month in which their information statements are due.
The process is designed to prevent overlaps or defunct groups from appearing in the register, which was established when the ACNC started operating in 2012.
"Many of the 149 charities were identified as charities that had likely ceased operating," Commissioner Susan Pascoe said.
"All of them had unclaimed mail returned to the ACNC on their behalf and had not responded to ACNC attempts at contact."
If the organisations are still operating, their organisers have another 50 days in which to contact the ACNC and ask for the charitable status to be returned.
