Charity Accounts

We prepare annual accounts for charities of every kind in accordance with the Charities SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice), including trustees' annual reports, the statement of financial activities (SOFA) and balance sheets. Whether you are a registered charity, a charitable company, a CIO or an exempt charity, we make sure your reporting meets Charity Commission requirements and lands on time — protecting your charity's reputation and your trustees' peace of mind.

What Charity Accounts Must Include

Charity accruals accounts are prepared under the Charities SORP, which is based on FRS 102, and typically comprise: - Trustees' annual report describing activities and public benefit - Statement of financial activities (SOFA) analysing income and expenditure by fund - Balance sheet and, for larger charities, a cash flow statement - Notes covering accounting policies, related parties, staff costs and fund movements

Fund accounting sits at the heart of charity reporting: restricted, unrestricted and endowment funds must each be tracked and disclosed correctly. We keep your funds clean all year so that year-end reporting is straightforward and defensible.

Receipts and Payments or Accruals Accounts?

Smaller non-company charities with gross income of £250,000 or less can usually prepare simpler receipts and payments accounts — a cash-based summary with a statement of assets and liabilities. Charitable companies and charities above that income level must prepare accruals accounts under the SORP. Note that charities cannot use the FRS 105 micro-entities standard; the SORP framework based on FRS 102 applies instead. We advise which basis is right for you and prepare whichever your charity needs.

Independent Examination or Audit?

The level of external scrutiny depends on your charity's size: - Gross income over £25,000: accounts need external scrutiny — usually an independent examination - Gross income over £250,000: the independent examiner must be a member of a professional body listed in the Charities Act - Gross income over £1 million (or over £250,000 with gross assets over £3.26 million): a statutory audit is required

The government has announced increases to these thresholds — including a rise in the audit threshold from £1 million to £1.5 million of income — expected to apply for accounting periods ending on or after 30 September 2026. We track the changes and tell you exactly what your charity needs, so you never pay for more scrutiny than the law requires.

Filing Deadlines

Registered charities with income over £25,000 must file their annual return, accounts and trustees' report with the Charity Commission within 10 months of the financial year end. Charitable companies must also file accounts at Companies House within 9 months. CIOs file only with the Charity Commission — one of the reasons many charities choose that structure. We manage every deadline and file on your behalf, keeping your public record clean for funders who check it.

Who We Help

We prepare accounts for registered charities, charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs), charitable companies limited by guarantee, exempt charities and charitable trusts. Our work integrates with our charity audit, independent examination, charity VAT and Gift Aid support, so one team covers your whole compliance picture.

What You Get With Acumon

• SORP-compliant accruals accounts with full fund accounting
• Trustees' annual reports that tell your story as well as tick the boxes
• Advice on receipts and payments vs accruals accounts for smaller charities
• Independent examination and audit threshold guidance, including the 2026 changes
• Charity Commission and Companies House filing handled for you
• Gift Aid, charity VAT and tax advice from the same team
• Deadline management with reminders for trustees

Why Acumon for Charity Accounts?

• ICAEW-registered firm of chartered accountants
• UK-based team of 90+ staff covering accounts, audit and tax
• Integrated charity accounts, independent examination, audit and VAT support from one team
• Xero Gold Partner, with Sage and QuickBooks support for charity bookkeeping

Get a Fixed-Fee Quote

Tell us what you need and we'll come back within one business day with a clear scope and a fixed price — no hourly-rate surprises. Call 020 8567 3451 or use the form and we'll be in touch.