Historical reporting thresholds for charities
The framework for accounting and reporting has evolved significantly over the years. The Charities Act 2006 simplifies the rules about when a professional audit is required, and reduced and later eliminated the differences in the thresholds for company and non-company charities. These changes were subsequently reflected in the provisions of the Charities Act 2011. However in the past, the accounting and reporting requirements were more complicated because charitable companies had to comply with specific thresholds set out under company law which were quite different to those applying to non-company charities.
Audit, independent examination and other thresholds
Charity Reporting and Accounting: The essentials April 2009 (CC15b) sets out the current thresholds which apply for accounting periods ending on or after 1 April 2009.
Charitable companies still need to report separately to us and to Companies House when filing their report and accounts and must compile their accounts and Director’s report in compliance with company law.
However, we realise that from time to time, charities, their advisors and others will want to refer back to the requirements for accounting and reporting which applied to earlier financial years. The tables below should help clarify the requirements applying to those years.
How to use this guidance
Before reading this guidance, you will need to know:-
- which financial year(s) you are interested in;
- what the level of income and expenditure was for the charity in question;
- if the charity is a charitable company its total assets (before liabilities) for any year beginning prior to 27 February 2007 but from thereafter you will need to know the total assets of the charity, whether a charitable company or not;.
- whether the charity's governing document requires an audit.
The guidance is in the form of five tables. Each table is headed by the financial year to which the thresholds set out in the table apply. Each table is the laid out in a sequence of non-company thresholds first, followed by charitable company thresholds, and additional information for excepted charities and exempt charities. A charitable company for the purposes of the tables is one which is incorporated under the Companies Acts and for thresholds that apply to any other form of company charity refer to the non-company thresholds for the relevant period.
The tables are in the following order:
- Charities with financial years beginning on or after 1 March 1996 (up to 31 March 2005).
- Charities with financial years beginning on or after 1 April 2005 (up to 26 February 2007).
- Charities with financial years beginning on or after 27 February 2007 (up to 31 March 2008).
- Charities with financial years beginning on or after 1 April 2008 (common external scrutiny thresholds) and which ended on or after 31 March 2009.
- Charities with financial years ending on or after 1 April 2009.
Scrutiny and filing thresholds for registered and scrutiny thresholds for excepted charities since 1996
Table A: Charities with financial years beginning on or after 1 March 1996
Type |
Income level |
Accounts |
External Scrutiny* |
Trustees' annual report |
Information to be sent to Commission |
|
|
Non-company charities (including excepted charities) |
Gross income (or total expenditure) is £10,000 or less |
Accounts must be prepared but not filed |
No requirement if below £10,000 (unless required by Governing Document) |
Only if registered must a report be prepared but it may be simplified |
Annual Information Return only. |
|
|
|
Gross income (or total expenditure) > £10,000 but income not > £100,000 |
Receipts and payments OR accruals based on SORP and Regulations* |
Must have outside scrutiny but trustees may choose either independent examination or audit by registered auditor. |
Must be prepared but may be simplified. |
Annual Return |
|
|
|
Gross income exceeds £100,000 but gross income (or total expenditure) not > £250,000 |
Receipts and payments OR accruals based on SORP and Regulations* |
Must have outside scrutiny but trustees may choose either independent examination or audit by registered auditor. |
Must be prepared but may be simplified. |
Annual Return |
|
|
|
Gross income (or total expenditure) >£250,000 |
Accruals based on SORP and Regulations* |
Audit required |
Full Annual Report must be prepared |
Annual Return |
|
|
*The relevant Regulations are for financial years beginning: |
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Charitable companies |
|
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|
Charitable companies |
Gross income exceeds £250,000 or gross assets exceed £1,400,000 |
Accruals based on SORP |
Audit required |
Full Annual Report must be prepared or suitably modified directors' report |
Annual Return |
|
|
|
Gross income exceeds £90,000 and gross assets are £1,400,000 or less and an audit is not required by Governing Document |
Accruals based on SORP |
Audit exemption** (accountant's report) |
Must be prepared but may be simplified or suitably modified directors' report |
Annual Return |
|
|
|
Gross income £90,000 or less and audit not required by Governing Document |
Accruals based on SORP |
None required (unless required by Governing Document) |
Must be prepared but may be simplified or suitably modified directors' report |
Annual Return |
|
|
Additionally for companies with a financial year ending after 30 March 2004, audit required if:
For other companies below the audit thresholds with a financial year ending after 30 March 2004 and income exceeding £90,000 an audit exemption (accountant's report)** suffices where an audit is not required. |
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Excepted charities
|
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Exempt charities
|
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Table B: Charities with financial years beginning after 1 April 2005
Type |
Income level |
Accounts |
External Scrutiny* |
Trustees' annual report |
Information to be sent to Commission |
|
Non company charities |
Gross income (or total expenditure) is £10,000 or less |
Accounts must be prepared but not filed |
No requirement if below £10,000 (unless required by Governing Document) |
Only if registered must a report be prepared but it may be simplified |
Annual Information Return only. |
|
|
Gross income (or total expenditure) > £10,000 but gross income not > £100,000 |
Receipts and payments OR accruals based on SORP and 2005 Regulations |
Must have outside scrutiny but trustees may choose either independent examination or audit by registered auditor. |
Must be prepared but may be simplified. |
Annual Return |
|
|
Gross income over £100,000 but neither gross income nor total expenditure over £250,000 |
Accruals based on SORP and 2005 Regulations |
Must have outside scrutiny but trustees may choose either independent examination or audit by registered auditor. |
Must be prepared but may be simplified |
Annual Return |
|
|
Gross income or total expenditure over £250,000 |
Accruals based on SORP and 2005 Regulations |
Must be audited by a professional auditor |
Full Annual Report must be prepared. |
Annual Return |
|
The Regulations referred to are the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2005 No 572 |
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Charitable companies |
|
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|
|
Income exceeds £90,000 and gross assets exceed £1,400,000 or gross income exceeds £250,000 or gross assets exceed £2,800,000 |
Accruals based on SORP |
Must be audited by professional auditor |
Full Annual Report must be prepared or suitably modified directors' report |
Annual Return |
|
|
Gross assets below £1,400,000 and gross income in range £90,001 to £250,000 |
Accruals based on SORP |
Accountant's report (audit exemption) report may be prepared instead of full audit report |
Must be prepared but may be simplified or suitably modified directors' report |
Annual Return |
|
|
Gross assets less than £2,800,000 and gross income is £90,000 or less |
Accruals based on SORP |
None required (unless required by Governing Document) |
Must be prepared but may be simplified or suitably modified directors' report |
Annual Return |
|
Excepted charities |
|
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|
Exempt charities |
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Table C: Charities with financial years beginning on or after 27 February 2007
Type |
Income level |
Accounts |
External Scrutiny* |
Trustees' annual report |
Information to be sent to Commission |
|
Non-company charities |
Gross income is £10,000 or less |
Receipts and payments OR accruals based on SORP and 2005 Regulations |
No requirement |
Only if registered must a report be prepared but it may be simplified |
Annual Information Return only |
|
|
Gross income exceeds £10,000 but does not exceed £100,000 |
Receipts and payments OR accruals based on SORP and 2005 Regulations |
Trustees may choose either independent examination or audit by registered auditor, unless one or other is stipulated in charity's governing document |
Must be prepared but may be simplified |
Annual Return. |
|
|
Gross income exceeds £100,000 but does not exceed £500,000, AND gross assets do not exceed £2,800,000 |
Accruals basis in accordance with SORP and 2005 Regulations |
Trustees may choose either independent examination or audit by registered auditor, unless one or other is stipulated in charity's governing document. |
Must be prepared but may be simplified |
Annual Return |
|
|
Gross income exceeds £500,000, or gross assets exceed £2,800,000 and gross income exceeds £100,000 |
Accruals basis in accordance with SORP and 2005 Regulations |
A statutory audit is required and audit must be carried out by a registered auditor |
Full Annual Report must be subscribed. |
Annual Return. |
|
The Regulations referred to are the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2005 No 572 |
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|
Charitable companies |
|
||||
|
|
Gross income exceeds £500,000 or gross assets exceed £2,800,000 |
Accruals based on SORP |
Accounts must be audited by a registered auditor. |
Full Annual Report must be prepared or suitably modified directors' report |
Annual Return |
|
|
Gross income exceeds £90,000 but does not exceed £500,000 and gross assets do not exceed £2,800,000 |
Accruals based on SORP |
An accountant's report (or audit exemption report) may be prepared. |
Must be prepared but may be simplified or suitably modified directors' report |
Annual Return |
|
|
Gross assets do not exceed £2,800,000 and gross income does not exceed £90,000 |
Accruals based on SORP |
No external scrutiny required. |
Must be prepared but may be simplified or suitably modified directors' report |
Annual Return |
|
Excepted charities |
|
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|
Exempt charities |
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Table D: Charities with financial years beginning on or after 1 April 2008 (common external scrutiny thresholds) which ended on or before 31 March 2009
Type |
Income level |
Accounts |
External Scrutiny* |
Trustees' annual report |
Information to be sent to Commission |
|
Non-company charities |
Gross income is £10,000 or less |
Receipts and payments or accruals accounts in accordance with SORP and 2008 Regulations |
No requirement (unless required by Governing Document) |
Only if registered must a report be prepared but it may be simplified |
Annual Information Return only |
|
|
Gross income exceeds £10,000 but does not exceed £100,000 |
Receipts and payments or accruals accounts in accordance with SORP and 2008 Regulations |
Accounts must have outside scrutiny but trustees may choose independent examination or audit by a registered auditor, unless the governing document stipulates one or the other |
Must be prepared but may be simplified |
Annual Return (usually online but paper form may be requested). |
|
|
Gross income exceeds £100,000 but does not exceed £500,000 |
Accruals basis in accordance with SORP and 2008 Regulations. |
Accounts must have outside scrutiny but trustees may choose independent examination or audit by a registered auditor, unless the governing document stipulates one or the other. |
A full Annual Report must be prepared |
Annual Return (usually online but paper form may be requested). |
|
|
Gross income exceeds £500,000 or gross income exceeds £100,000 and gross assets exceed £2,800,000 |
Accruals basis in accordance with SORP and 2008 Regulations |
Statutory audit carried out by a registered auditor |
A full Annual Report must be prepared |
Annual Return. |
|
|
Where the charity has either charitable or non-charitable subsidiaries and the income of the group exceeds £500,000 |
Accruals basis in accordance with SORP and 2008 Regulations |
Statutory audit carried out by a registered auditor |
Accruals based on SORP |
The parent charity completes the Annual Return and Summary Information Return on a group basis |
|
The Regulations referred to are the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 No 629 |
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|
Charitable Companies |
|
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|
|
Gross income is £10,000 or less |
Accruals accounts in accordance with SORP |
No requirement unless governing documents stipulates it |
Must be prepared but may be simplified or suitably modified directors' report. |
Annual Information Return. |
|
|
Gross income exceeds £10,000 but does not exceed £500,000 and where gross income exceeds £100,000, the charity's gross assets do not exceed £2,800,000 |
Accruals accounts in accordance with SORP |
May have independent examination or audit, unless Articles of Association stipulate an audit |
Annual Report (which may be simplified if gross income does not exceed £500,000) or suitably modified directors' report |
Annual Return. |
|
|
Gross income exceeds £500,000 or gross assets exceed£2,800,000 and gross income exceeds £100,000 |
Accruals accounts in accordance with SORP |
Statutory audit carried out by a registered auditor |
Full Annual Report (which may be a suitably modified directors' report) |
Annual Return. |
|
|
Where the charity has either charitable or non-charitable subsidiaries and the income of the group exceeds £500,000 |
Accruals basis in accordance with SORP and 2008 Regulations regarding group accounts. |
Statutory audit carried out by a registered auditor. |
A full Annual Report must be prepared, together with the additional disclosures about the activities of subsidiaries required by the SORP. |
The parent charity completes the Annual Return and Summary Information Return on a group basis |
|
|
Where either the company is not small or the group is not a small group, as defined by the Companies Act 2006 |
Accruals basis in accordance with SORP |
Statutory audit under the Companies Act carried out by a registered auditor |
A full Annual Report must be prepared, (which may be a suitably modified directors' report) together with additional Business Review disclosures required by Company Law |
Annual Return. |
|
Excepted charities |
|
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|
Exempt charities |
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Table E: Charities with financial years ending on or after 1 April 2009
Type |
Income level |
Accounts |
External Scrutiny* |
Trustees' annual report |
Information to be sent to Commission |
|
Non-company charities |
Gross income is £25,000 or less (£10,000 or less for the requirement for information to be sent to the Commission) |
Receipts and payments or accruals accounts in accordance with SORP and 2008 Regulations |
No requirement (unless required by Governing Document) |
Only if registered must a report be prepared but it may be simplified |
Annual Information Return only. (This is still a requirement if income is £10,000 or less) |
|
|
Gross income exceeds £25,000 but does not exceed £250,000 |
Receipts and payments or accruals accounts in accordance with SORP and 2008 Regulations |
Accounts must have outside scrutiny but trustees may choose independent examination or audit by a registered auditor, unless the governing document stipulates one or the other |
Must be prepared but may be simplified |
Annual Return (usually online but paper form may be requested). |
|
|
Gross income exceeds £250,000 but does not exceed £500,000 and where gross income exceeds £250,000, the charity's gross assets do not exceed £3,260,000 |
Accruals basis in accordance with SORP and 2008 Regulations. |
Accounts must have outside scrutiny but trustees may choose independent examination or audit by a registered auditor, unless the governing document stipulates one or the other. |
Must be prepared but may be simplified |
Annual Return (usually online but paper form may be requested). |
|
|
Gross income exceeds £500,000 or gross income exceeds £250,000 and gross assets exceed £3,260,000 |
Accruals basis in accordance with SORP and 2008 Regulations |
Statutory audit carried out by a registered auditor |
A full Annual Report must be prepared |
Annual Return. |
|
|
Where the charity has either charitable or non-charitable subsidiaries and the income of the group exceeds £500,000 |
Accruals basis in accordance with SORP and 2008 Regulations |
Statutory audit carried out by a registered auditor |
A full Annual Report must be prepared based on SORP |
The parent charity completes the Annual Return and Summary Information Return on a group basis |
|
The Regulations referred to are the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 No 629 |
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|
Charitable Companies |
|
||||
|
|
Gross income is £25,000 or less |
Accruals accounts in accordance with SORP |
No requirement unless governing documents stipulates it |
Must be prepared but may be simplified or suitably modified directors' report. |
Annual Information Return (This is still a requirement if income is £10,000 or less). |
|
|
Gross income exceeds £25,000 but does not exceed £500,000 and where gross income exceeds £250,000, the charity's gross assets do not exceed £3,260,000 |
Accruals accounts in accordance with SORP |
May have independent examination or audit, unless Articles of Association stipulate an audit |
Annual Report (which may be simplified if gross income does not exceed £500,000) or suitably modified directors' report |
Annual Return. |
|
|
Gross income exceeds £500,000 or gross assets exceed£3,260,000 and gross income exceeds £250,000 |
Accruals accounts in accordance with SORP |
Statutory audit carried out by a registered auditor |
Full Annual Report (which may be a suitably modified directors' report) |
Annual Return. |
|
|
Where the charity has either charitable or non-charitable subsidiaries and the income of the group exceeds £500,000 |
Accruals basis in accordance with SORP and 2008 Regulations regarding group accounts. |
Statutory audit carried out by a registered auditor. |
A full Annual Report must be prepared, together with the additional disclosures about the activities of subsidiaries required by the SORP. |
The parent charity completes the Annual Return and Summary Information Return on a group basis |
|
|
Where either the company is not small or the group is not a small group, as defined by the Companies Act 2006 |
Accruals basis in accordance with SORP |
Statutory audit under the Companies Act carried out by a registered auditor |
A full Annual Report must be prepared, (which may be a suitably modified directors' report) together with additional Business Review disclosures required by Company Law |
Annual Return. |
|
Excepted charities |
|
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|
Exempt charities |
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External scrutiny all periods (Charity Commission powers)
*Where outside scrutiny is not required or where trustees may choose an independent examination instead, we have the power to require an audit in exceptional circumstances.
Threshold income and asset calculations
The Charity Commission exercises its administrative powers under section 169 of the Charities Act 2011 to provide an administrative definition of gross income, total expenditure and gross assets when issuing each Annual Return. Refer to the relevant Annual Return for the relevant year where definitions are required.
With respect to groups, the definition of income is specified in Regulation 9 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and gross income is calculated in accordance the methods and principles of the SORP net of intra group transactions.
Independent examination of charity accounts for financial years beginning on or after 27 February 2007
Prior to 27 February 2007 an examiner had to have the requisite skills and experience. Since then where a charity is eligible for an independent examination and its gross income exceeds £250,000 the examiner must also be a member of a listed body (refer to section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. For details of the independent examination of charities refer to CC31 Independent Examination of Charity Accounts.
Further help
If you have any queries about this guidance, please contact us.