Latest Audit and Assurance

Technological advances in the ways that data is captured, processed, stored and communicated continually change the ways in which we do business. In the context of auditing, data analytics concerns the process of extracting, transforming, validating and analysing large volumes of data to make judgements and form conclusions. The way we approach auditing must change…

  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…

Audit thresholds are linked to the small company limits, which are currently set by the EU. The UK can choose to impose a lower threshold than the small company limits, but not a higher one. As a result of Brexit, power will return to the UK, and as a result the cap on audit thresholds…

Solicitors: New rules for handling client money. The consultation period has now closed on the proposed new rules for how solicitors handle their client money: Proposed Draft Solicitors Accounts Rules

Audit Exemption Turnover Threshold: Raised to £10.2m. The Government is to raise the audit exemption threshold to the maximum allowed under EU law. In a statement read out in parliament, Anna Soubry, minister for small business, industry and enterprise, said the decision had been made after considering responses to its discussion paper. Companies will not be required to…

Export Insurance: Mitigating export risk. Whilst commercial banks and insurers will be your first source of support, if you can’t get export insurance from the private market, UK Export Finance may be able to help.  UK Export Finance is the UK’s export credit agency and is the operating name of the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD)…

Pay Suppliers Electronically: Beware fraudsters. Do you hold your suppliers bank details on file – one tactic recently used by fraudsters is to advise businesses of changes to a supplier’s bank details, they then wait until a genuine purchase invoice is paid. Unfortunately because the supplier’s bank details are compromised, the payment goes to the…

Pay Suppliers Electronically: Beware fraudsters. Do you hold your suppliers bank details on file – one tactic recently used by fraudsters is to advise businesses of changes to a supplier’s bank details, they then wait until a genuine purchase invoice is paid. Unfortunately because the supplier’s bank details are compromised, the payment goes to the…

Charities: Changes to audit exemption thresholds. Changes to charity audit thresholds came into force on 31 March 2015, aimed at reducing the regulatory burden for charities. They include increasing the basic audit threshold from £500,000 to £1 million, meaning less charities will be required to subject their accounts to a statutory audit. Those charities can instead…

Solicitors: Further consultation on proposed changes to Accountants’ Reports on client monies. Following a furore over plans to water down the rules for accountants’ reports on law firms’ financial accounts and safeguards for client monies, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has launched a second consultation on accountants’ reports, which will be open until 28 January 2015.…