Not For Profit

The charity annual return service is now available for 2021 and can be found on the link below. https://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/   Charities need to submit their annual return within 10 months of the financial year end.   Dependant on the level of income, the annual return has different requirements; Income under £10,000 It is only the…

Due to Coronavirus, the Charity Commission had previously released guidance allowing Charities to postpone their scheduled AGMs to 30th September 2020, and allowing them to be held digitally.   This guidance has now been updated to allow postponement of AGMs to 30th December 2020.   The updated guidance can be viewed at – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-the-charity-sector  

In recent months many charities have found themselves in financial difficulties and an uncertainty of long-term survival, often caused by factors out of their control. Most notably the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak, which has had several knock-on effects such as a reduction in donation income or decreased operating capacity during the tightened lockdown rules. Other external…

The Charity Commission has launched a new public register for charities – making information more transparent.   Using the below link, anyone can search for details of a charity which includes data such as financials, who the trustees are, and whether the charity fundraises from the public.   The Charity Commission wants members of the…

  In November 2017, the government posted research into awareness and effectiveness of trusteeship in England and Wales. This recommended that charities should do more to promote diversity on their boards. This would involve encouraging applications from women, young people and people from ethnic minority and socially diverse backgrounds. Some of the key findings of…

  Charities with the financial year end of 31 March 2017 must submit their annual return by 31 January 2018, 10 months after the year end. What you need to submit varies based on whether it is an un-incorporated organisation or a charitable company. It also varies based on income of the charity – requiring…

  For many years now, many mid-sized UK charities have been required to subject their annual statutory accounts to independent examination. For such charities, with income within the range of £25,000 to £1m and gross assets of less than £3.26m, an independent examination is a lighter touch of independent scrutiny than a full audit. As…

  A new service is now available for individuals who want to limit the contact they receive from charities. The Fundraising Preference Service (FPS) should give individuals greater control over how and when charities can contact them. The FPS, which launched on 6 July, allows individuals to select charities that they no longer want to…

A significant number of charity accounts fail to explain how the charity is meeting its objectives, while many do not meet basic standards for users, particularly in the very smallest charities, according to research from the Charity Commission.   Of a recent sample, 54% of charities did not meet the public benefit reporting requirement. Some…

The governance and accounting requirements of a registered charity are quite complex. You need a charity accountant who has specialist knowledge of the Charities Act 2011, the related charities SORP and of the specific tax rules that are relevant. We have established a specialist team of charity accounting expertise, who currently act for registered charities in…