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CC15 - Charity Reporting and Accounting: The Essentials

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A. Foreword

A message from the Chair and the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission - copy to follow

B. The Accounting Framework at a glance

This page summarises the main requirements for charities to produce a Trustees’ Annual Report, a set of accounts and Annual Return. It is not a legal document but an overall summary of the position. It also details the deadline for submitting them to us, and when independent examination or professional audit of a charity’s accounts is required. More detail about these requirements is given in the succeeding sections.

Working out what requirements apply to your charity

The framework for accounting by charities sets out different requirements for different sizes and types of charity. To understand how it applies to your charity, you need to check :

Whether or not your charity is also a company;
Its income for the current financial year;
The value of its assets; and
Whether or not it is required to be registered as a charity.

You should then establish :

What type of accounts must be prepared;
What information is needed in the Trustees’ Annual Report;
Whether the accounts need an independent examination, accountant’s report or audit; and
What information must be sent to the Charity Commission

If you do have to send your charity’s Trustees’ Annual Report and accounts to us, you must do so within 10 months of the end of your charity’s financial year although we would encourage you to do so much sooner than this in order to give an up-to-date and current picture of your charity.

The information in this summary provides more detail of the different requirements.

Reports, Accounts and Returns

All charities must prepare accounts and make them available on request. The duty to file accounts and the Trustees’ Annual Report with the Charity Commission applies to all registered charities whose annual income exceeds £10,000.

Charities whose annual income exceeds £10,000 also have to send a completed Annual Return to us.

These documents must be sent to us within 10 months of the end of the financial year.

Types of accounts

Charity accounts may be prepared either on the receipts and payments basis or the accruals basis. Which of these is needed will depend on the income of the charity and its type:-

Receipts and payments This is the simpler of the two types and may be adopted where a non-company charity has a gross income of £100,000 or less during the year. It consists of an account summarising all money received and paid out by the charity in the year in question, and a statement giving details of its assets and liabilities at the end of the year.
Accruals Non-company charities with gross income of over £100,000 during the year, and all charitable companies must prepare their accounts on the accruals basis in accordance with the SORP. They contain a balance sheet, a statement of financial activities and explanatory notes. These accounts are required, in accountancy terms, to show a “true and fair view”.

The Trustees’ Annual Report

All registered charities whose annual income exceeds £10,000 have to file their Trustees’ Annual Report with us.

The basic contents of the Trustees’ Annual Report are mandatory, though smaller charities which are not subject to statutory audit are not required to provide as much information as larger charities which are legally required to have an audit.

The Annual Return

Charities with a total income exceeding £10,000 will receive an Annual Return from the Commission, shortly after the end of their financial year. They are under a legal duty to complete and send the Annual Return form to the Commission, so that we can ensure that the details on the Register of Charities are as complete and accurate as possible. The Annual Return gives us basic financial details, and details of contacts, trustees, activities and of the charity’s classification.

Audit or independent examination?

Only charities with yearly incomes of more than £10,000 are required to have their accounts independently examined or audited – below that threshold, accounts inspection is only needed if it is required by the charity’s governing document.

Precisely what type of inspection is needed depends on the income and assets of the charity and whether or not the charity is a company. Broadly speaking, an independent examination is needed if income is between £10,000 and £500,000 and an audit is needed where the income exceeds £500,000. An audit will also be needed if total assets (before liabilities) exceed £2.8m, and the charity’s income exceeds £100,000.

The interim situation is more complex for charitable companies; such charities should refer to section E2 of this guidance.

Group Accounts

Charities often carry out trading activities, or sometimes charitable activities, through companies and other entities they own or control. Group accounts, consolidating the accounts of the charity and its subsidiaries, are a useful way of giving a full picture of all the charity’s activities and the resources it controls.

The preparation of group accounts has long been general sector practice, but only with the 2006 Act is there now a legal framework for group accounting and reporting.

Section G of this guidance gives more detail about the legal requirements for group accounting and reporting.

Public Benefit Reporting

The 2006 Act reinforced the requirement for all charities to have charitable purposes which are for the public benefit. The Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2007 include provision for charities to explain, within the Trustees’ Annual Report, how they meet the public benefit requirement, and to confirm that the charity trustees have had regard to the Commission’s guidance on public benefit where that has been relevant.

Section H of this guidance gives more detail, about the legal requirements for reporting public benefit.

C. Introduction

C1 What is this guidance about?

This guidance is aimed primarily at charity trustees and sets out what charities are required to do, in terms of preparing Trustees’ Annual Reports, accounts, and annual returns. It also signposts to other helpful information. This guidance incorporates the changes introduced by the Charities Act 2006 and the Companies Act 2006. A further update to this guidance will be issued when these changes take effect. The regulations establishing the form of charity known as Charitable Incorporated Organisations have not been brought into effect; however it is anticipated that the thresholds applying to non-company charities will apply to the Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

C2 “Must” and “should”: what we mean

In this guidance, where we use the word ‘must’, we mean that the Commission’s understanding is that there is a specific legal or regulatory requirement affecting trustees or a charity.

To help you to easily identify those sections which contain a legal or regulatory requirement, we have used the symbol next to the short answer in that section.

We use “should” for items we regard as minimum good practice, but for which there is no specific legal requirement. Trustees should follow the good practice guidance unless there’s a good reason not to.

C3 Previous guidance

This guidance replaces the previous guidance of the same name, last revised in February 2007.

C4 Scope of this booklet

The financial thresholds set out in this guidance apply for financial years beginning on or after 27 February 2007 for non-company charities, and for financial years ending on or after [insert date] for company charities.

For the thresholds applying to previous financial years, please refer to our guidance CC61a and CC61b available on our website. We will be publishing a further revised version of this guidance when other legal changes are made early in 2008 so this version will have a short shelf life.

C5 Using this booklet

In each section of this guidance, we ask a selection of the relevant questions that trustees or professionals may ask about the accounting and reporting requirements. Generally we give a concise summary answer (“The short answer”) and then give more background (“In more detail”).

We would suggest you read section D to find out which general requirements apply to all charities; section E will tell you which other requirements apply specifically to your charity.

C6 Some technical terms used

The following terms are used throughout this document, and should be interpreted as having the specific meanings given below.

1993 Act	The Charities Act 1993
2006 Act	The Charities Act 2006
2005 Regulations	The Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2005

Accounting Records The trustees’ records of the administration of the charity: those from which the annual statements of account are required to be prepared for each financial year. The term covers any books (including computer records) in which transactions and events from day to day are entered, together with all the relevant invoices, receipts, other vouchers and other associated documentation.
All charities must maintain accounting records as required by Part VI of the Charities Act 1993 or, for charities registered under the Companies Acts, section 386 of the Companies Act 2006.

Trustees’ Annual Report This is a concise but comprehensive review of the activities of the charity prepared by the trustees for each accounting year. The 2005 Regulations set out the basic requirements and more guidance is given in SORP. The requirements of the 2005 Regulations including simplifications for charities which are not required to have a statutory audit, are set out in appendix 1

Annual Return This must be completed and submitted to the Commission by trustees of registered charities with a gross income for the year of over £10,000. It helps us to monitor individual charities and provides information about the sector as a whole.

Audit An audit required by Part VI of the 1993 Act, as amended by Part II of the 2006 Act, is the scrutiny of accounts by a registered auditor who, as an audit professional, will apply auditing standards issued by Audit Practices Board. A registered auditor is one registered with a recognised supervisory body in accordance with the Companies Act 1989. In some charities, eg those connected with the NHS or local authorities, alternative auditing arrangements may be possible.

Statutory Audit This means an audit which is required by an Act of Parliament (“statute”) as opposed to one which is required by a charity’s governing document or funder. This guidance describes when a statutory audit is required by the 1993 Act (as amended by the 2006 Act).

Charitable Company This means a company:

formed and registered under the Companies Act 1985; and
which is established for exclusively charitable purposes.

Annual Information Update This is a form that allows us to collect factual information about the charity to enable us to keep the Register of Charities up to date. It is mailed to relevant charities soon after their financial year end, and is a convenient way for trustees to discharge their obligation to keep the Commission informed of changes to their Register details.

Exempt Charities These are charities which the 1993 and 2006 Acts exempt from a number of their provisions, including registration with the Commission. An exempt charity will often follow specific accounting and reporting requirements directed by, or under, some statutory provision which specifically relates to it.

Excepted Charities These are charities which do not have to register with us but, in most other respects, are fully within our jurisdiction. The normal registration threshold is a gross income of £1,000 per year (anticipated to rise to £5,000 per year in April 2007), unless the charity is otherwise excepted by Order or Regulation or a registered place of worship.; ;

Gross income This is the total recorded income of the charity in all unrestricted and restricted income funds, but not resources received as capital (endowment) funds, nor capital gains in an income fund. It also excludes the transfer of the trusteeship of charitable funds from one charity to another.

Gross assets The aggregate amount of assets of a charity, before the deduction of liabilities, as at the balance sheet date, ie at the close of the last day of the charity’s financial year.

Independent examination This is a less onerous form of scrutiny than an audit. Examiners report whether specific matters which are identified in the 2005 Regulations have come to their attention. We have issued guidance to trustees on the selection of examiners and directions for examiners on carrying out an examination (Independent Examination of Charity Accounts: Directions and Guidance Notes – CC63). Where the charity is not required to have an audit but gross income exceeds £250,000, an independent examiner must qualify by being a member of an approved professional organisation specified under the 2006 Act.

Non-company charities These are charities which are not charitable companies (see above). Examples include trusts, unincorporated associations, and also corporate bodies which have been incorporated by means other than under the Companies Act 1985 (eg by Royal Charter).

Permanent Endowment Property of the charity which the trustees may not spend as if it were income. Sometimes it is used in furthering the charity’s purposes, sometimes to produce an income for the charity. The trustees cannot normally spend permanent endowment without our authority. The terms of the endowment may permit assets to be sold and reinvested, or may provide that some or all of the assets are retained indefinitely (eg a particular building).

SORP The Statement of Recommended Practice, issued in March 2005, sets out the recommended practice for the purpose of preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and to preparing the accounts on the accruals basis. The accounting recommendations of the SORP do not apply to charities preparing receipts and payments accounts.

D. Preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the Accounts

All charities must maintain financial records and prepare accounts. This section explains the varying requirements for charities which fall within different bands of income and expenditure. Where these documents are required to be submitted to us, this must be done within 10 months of the end of the financial year to which they refer, although we would encourage charities to file well before the deadline.

D1 What do I have to do?

The short answer

While some basic requirements apply to all charities, exactly what is needed will depend on a number of factors such as the income, gross assets or constitution of the charity.

In more detail

Some basic requirements apply to all charities. These are set out in the section below. There are also additional requirements depending on the income of the charity – broadly speaking, the larger the charity, the greater the requirements. The precise details depend on the type of charity.

In addition, there are special requirements for certain types of charity, especially:

non-company charities required to register with the Commission (see E1);
registered charitable companies (see E2);
excepted charities (see E3); and
exempt charities (see E4).

If you are unsure which of the above applies to your charity, or if it is a special case not covered by this guidance, please telephone us for further advice on 0845 300 0218.

D2 What are the requirements for all charities?

The short answer

All charities must keep accounting records, and prepare annual accounts which must be available to the public on request.

In more detail

All charities must:

Keep accounting records. These records (eg cash books, invoices, receipts, gift aid records etc) must be retained for at least 6 years (or at least 3 years in the case of charitable companies).
Prepare annual accounts.
Make the accounts available to the public on request. This is important for public accountability, and must be complied with in all cases. It is open to trustees to make a reasonable charge to cover the costs of complying with the request (eg photocopying and postage).

All charities unless exempt or excepted from registration must:

Prepare a Trustees’ Annual Report and make it available to the public on request.

All registered charities will receive an Annual Information Update Form, and larger charities will also receive an Annual Return from the Commission. Although trustees of charities with an income not exceeding £10,000 do not have to complete and return an Annual Information Update Form, by doing so they will meet their legal obligation to keep the Commission informed of any changes to the Register. Charities with a total income exceeding £10,000 are under a legal duty to complete and return the Annual Return form to the Commission.

D3 How do I prepare the accounts?

The short answer

There are two bases on which charity accounts may be prepared: the receipts and payments basis and the accruals basis.

In more detail

Charity accounts must be prepared either on the receipts and payments basis or the accruals basis. Which of these is needed will depend on the income of the charity and its constitution:-

Receipts and payments This is the simpler of the two types and may be adopted where a non-company charity has a gross income of £100,000 or less during the year. It consists of an account summarising all money received and paid out by the charity in the year in question, and a statement giving details of its assets and liabilities at the end of the year.

Accruals Non-company charities with gross income of over £100,000 during the year, and all charitable companies must prepare their accounts on the accruals basis in accordance with the SORP. They contain a balance sheet showing the charity’s financial position at the end of the year in question, a statement of financial activities (SoFA) and explanatory notes. The SoFA should show all incoming resources, and resources expended during the year (and for company charities only, an income and expenditure account, except where the SoFA incorporates the income and expenditure account). These accounts are required, in accountancy terms, to show a “true and fair view”.

The Commission provides packs for non-company charities, for receipts and payments or accrual accounting which are available through our website or in hard copy. These provide a template, for small non-company charities, to produce accounts in the required form and to meet the SORP’s recommendations.

D4 What goes into the Trustees’ Annual Report?

The short answer

There are some basic contents of the Trustees’ Annual Report which are mandatory. Otherwise, what is required will depend on the size of the charity. The legal requirements are set out at appendix 1. But to aid transparency and accountability, trustees are encouraged to adopt a spirit of full disclosure.

In more detail

The basic contents of the Trustees’ Annual Report are mandatory. However, smaller charities which are not subject to statutory audit are not required to provide as much information as larger charities which are legally required to have an audit. The legal requirements are set out at appendix 1. This appendix is divided between matters which all charities must report, matters that smaller charities report, and matters that larger charities report. The SORP also provides best practice recommendations for annual reporting that are consistent with the legal framework.

The Trustees’ Annual Report is an important milestone in a charity’s life, a chance to take stock of how the year compared to the trustees’ plans and aspirations, a time to celebrate successes and achievements, and to reflect on difficulties and challenges. It is also an opportunity to highlight the benefit to the public of the charity’s activities. Its audience is not just trustees and members, funders, donors and beneficiaries, but also the wider public who have an interest in what charities do and what benefits they bring to the community.

The Trustees’ Annual Report need not be lengthy. A good annual report explains the charity’s aims and how it is going about achieving them. It meets all the legal requirements and provides a balanced view of the charity’s structure, aims, objectives, activities and performance. Importantly, it brings the charity to life and for those charities that rely on voluntary income as their primary source of funding that really matters. Donors need to see where their money went and how it made a difference.

E. Specific reporting requirements for different types of charity

Different legal requirements apply depending on whether the charity is a company or not, and into which income category it falls. This section explains the differences in what should be submitted for company and non-company charities, and what type, if any, of external scrutiny of the charity’s accounts is needed.

E1 Non-company charities

Which reporting requirements apply to non-company charities which have to register with the Commission?

a) Charities where the gross income does not exceed £10,000 in the relevant financial year

Basis of preparation: accounts must be prepared either on the receipts and payments or the accruals basis. If on an accruals basis, they must be prepared in accordance with the Regulations and the SORP. The Commission provides packs for receipts and payments or accrual accounting which are available through the website or in hard copy. These provide a template to produce accounts in the required form.

External scrutiny: there is no requirement to have the accounts independently examined or audited, unless the charity’s governing document stipulates it, but we do have the power to require an audit in exceptional circumstances.

Type of Trustees’ Annual Report: a Trustees’ Annual Report must be prepared (unless excepted from registration) but it may be simplified (see appendix 1).

Information to be sent to the Commission: charities with an income of £10,000 or less in their financial year receive an Annual Information Update form, which includes information forming part of the charity’s entry on the Register, including trustee details. Small charities are asked to complete this form as a good way of meeting their obligation to update their register details. Charities with an income not exceeding £10,000 should not send us a copy of their Trustees’ Annual Report and accounts unless we ask for them.

It is recommended that trustees plan the preparation of their reports and accounts and file as soon as they can. A suggested timetable is set out in Appendix 2.

b) Charities with a gross income of over £10,000 but not exceeding £100,000 in the relevant financial year

Basis of preparation: accounts may be prepared either on the receipts and payments or the accruals basis, if on an accruals basis, they must be prepared in accordance with the Regulations and the SORP. The Commission provides packs for receipts and payments or accrual accounting which are available through the website or in hard copy. These provide a template to produce accounts and the Trustees’ Annual Report in the required form, and a template independent examiner’s report.

Type of Trustees’ Annual Report: a Trustees’ Annual Report must be prepared but it may be simplified (see appendix 1);

Information to be sent to the Commission: charities with an income of over £10,000 but not exceeding £100,000 will receive an Annual Return which they are legally required to complete. The Trustees’ Annual Report and accounts must also be sent to us, within 10 months of the end of the charity’s financial year.

It is recommended that trustees plan the preparation of their reports and accounts and file as soon as they can. A suggested timetable is set out in Appendix 2.

c) Charities with a gross income of over £100,000 but not exceeding £500,000 in the relevant financial year, and total assets not exceeding £2.8m

Basis of preparation: accounts must be prepared on the accruals basis in accordance with the Regulations and the SORP (the Commission provides a pack for accrual accounting which is available through the website or in hard copy). These provide a template to produce accounts and the Trustees’ Annual Report in the required form, and a template independent examiner’s report.

External scrutiny: accounts must be subject to outside scrutiny but trustees may choose either independent examination or audit by a registered auditor, unless the charity’s governing document stipulates one or the other. If an independent examination is chosen and gross income exceeds £250,000 then the independent examiner appointed must be a member of a body specified under the 2006 Act. In exceptional circumstances, we have the power to require an audit.

Type of Trustees’ Annual Report: a Trustees’ Annual Report must be prepared but it may be simplified (see appendix 1).

Information to be sent to the Commission: charities with an income of over £100,000 but not exceeding £500,000 will receive an Annual Return which they are legally required to complete. The Trustees’ Annual Report and accounts must also be sent to us, within 10 months of the end of the charity’s financial year.

It is recommended that trustees plan the preparation of their reports and accounts and file as soon as they can. A suggested timetable is set out in Appendix 2.

d) Charities with a gross income exceeding £500,000 in the relevant financial year, or whose gross assets exceed £2.8m and gross income exceeds £100,000

Basis of preparation: accounts must be prepared on the accruals basis in accordance with the Regulations and the SORP.

External scrutiny: a statutory audit is required and the accounts must be audited by a registered auditor.

Type of Trustees’ Annual Report: a full Trustees’ Annual Report must be prepared (see appendix 1).

Information to be sent to the Commission: Charities with an income over £500,000 but not exceeding £1m must complete an Annual Return. Charities with a gross income of over £1m must also complete the Summary Information Return. The Trustees’ Annual Report and accounts must also be sent to us, within 10 months of the end of the charity’s financial year.

It is recommended that trustees plan the preparation of their reports and accounts and file as soon as they can. A suggested timetable is set out in Appendix 2.

E2 What specific requirements apply to charitable companies?

The short answer

The recommendations of the SORP apply to charitable companies, incorporated under charity law.

In more detail

The recommendations of the SORP apply to company charities as well as non-company charities.

A charitable company must prepare a directors’ report and accounts under the Companies Acts, and must file these with Companies House. The accounts must be prepared on an accruals basis.
The requirements for the Trustees’ Annual Report are the same as those for other charities and therefore the company must comply with the Regulations. In practice, companies normally produce a directors’ report and that report is expanded to contain all the information required to be included in the Trustees’ Annual Report.
If the charitable company’s income is over £10,000, the trustees must also send us a Trustees’ Annual Report (or a suitably modified directors’ report), the accounts and its annual return. Our requirements for an Annual Return are the same as for non-company charities. Company charities with a gross income of over £1m must also complete the Summary Information Return.

It is recommended that trustees plan the preparation of their reports and accounts and file as soon as they can. A suggested timetable is set out in Appendix 2.

Charitable companies are required to have their accounts audited by a registered auditor if either of the following conditions apply:

gross income exceeds £500,000; or
gross assets exceed £2.8m, and gross income exceeds £100,000.

An independent examination can be undertaken instead of an audit if the following conditions apply:

does not exceed £500,000; and
gross assets are £2.8m or less; and
where gross assets exceed £2.8m, gross income is £100,000 or less.

If an independent examination is chosen, and if gross income exceeds £250,000, an independent examiner who is a member of an eligible body specified under the 2006 Act must be appointed.

If the gross assets are less than £2.8m, and gross income is less than £10,000, no external scrutiny is required.

Company charities which do not qualify as small companies as defined by company law, must have an audit in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

E3 Excepted charities

What specific requirements apply to charities excepted from registration?

The short answer

Excepted charities must keep accounting records, prepare annual accounts and make copies of those accounts available to the public on request.

In more detail

If the trustees have registered the charity voluntarily, they will have to fulfil the same accounting and reporting requirements as any other registered charity.

If they do not register, they must still produce annual accounts in the same way as a registered charity of the same income or type (company or non-company). Excepted charities must also provide copies of their accounts to members of the public on request, but should not send them to us unless we ask for them.

Excepted charities are not required by law to prepare a Trustees’ Annual Report but it is good practice to do so and the Commission has the right to direct the trustees to prepare and submit a report in exceptional circumstances.

E4 Exempt charities

What specific requirements apply to charities exempt from registration?

Exempt charities have to keep proper accounting records and prepare accounts. Where they are required to prepare accounts giving a true and fair view, they should follow the SORP in the preparation of their accounts, unless a more specialised SORP applies.

Exempt charities are not required by law to prepare a Trustees’ Annual Report but it is good practice to do so. They must also provide copies of their accounts to members of the public on request.

F. What determines the need for an audit or other external scrutiny?

There are statutory thresholds which determine the type of external scrutiny which is needed for a charity’s accounts. However, any specific provision in the charity’s governing document overrides the statutory provisions, if it demands a higher standard of scrutiny. This section explains the various requirements.

The short answer

In addition to statutory thresholds, the governing document of any charity may contain specific provisions about the external scrutiny of the charity’s accounts. In such cases the charity must follow the higher standard of scrutiny required by either the statutory framework or the governing document.

In more detail

In governing documents, the word “audit” might be intended to cover a range of different types of external scrutiny from full audit by a registered auditor to an independent check by a non-accountant.

Trustees will need to interpret the precise wording of their governing document. For instance, “audit by a bank manager” would not normally mean a full statutory audit. On the other hand “audit by a qualified accountant” suggests that a statutory audit by a registered auditor is required, even if the charity is small and not required to have an audit by legislation.

We recommend that trustees keep a record of how they interpret the charity’s governing document, and, if in doubt, consult the Commission regarding their interpretation.

G. What is group accounting and when is it necessary?

The short answer

Group accounts will have to be prepared where charities with an annual income of above [to be decided] undertake activities through subsidiaries.

In more detail

Until now, although parent charities were required to prepare their own accounts, there was no legal basis for preparing group accounts. The 2006 Act now requires that charities which undertake activities through subsidiaries, and whose income exceeds [to be decided] will need to be prepared and scrutinised.
[NOTE: A consultation is currently going on to decide at what threshold level group accounts should be required by law as opposed to good practice.]

H. What determines the need for public benefit reporting?

The short answer

All charities have to provide benefit to the public in order to justify their charitable status. The 2006 Act reinforces the requirement that their purposes benefit the public, and that this applies to every charity in England and Wales.

One way that accountability in this respect can be improved is for charities to report on how they meet the public benefit requirement. Many charities already demonstrate, through their Trustees’ Annual Report, how their purposes, activities and achievements provide public benefit.

The long answer

[Note: the following is subject to a public consultation on public benefit which is currently going on]

Regulations made under the 2006 Act now require trustees of charities below the new statutory audit threshold to consider the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance, and to set the explanation of their main activities in the context of the public benefit requirement.

Larger charities, above the audit threshold, would be required to provide a review of significant activities undertaken during the year in order to further its purposes for the benefit of the public. As now, the review would provide details of the aims and objectives set by the charity trustees and of the strategies and activities designed to achieve them. Similarly, details should continue to be provided of achievements by reference to the aims and objectives set.

I. Publications providing further help with preparing accounts

The following publications relating to the revised accounting regime have been produced by the Charity Commission. All are available on our website or by phoning Charity Commission Direct on 0845 300 0218.

All are freely available on the Commission website or can be ordered free of charge, except for copies of the SORP which may be purchased direct from the publisher by contacting CCH customer services on 0870 777 2906.

Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP 2005). Single copies available from the publisher CCH at a cost of £15 per copy;
CC63 – Independent Examination of Charity Accounts: Directions and Guidance Notes;
CC16 – Receipts and Payments Accounts Pack
CC17 – Accruals Account Pack

Another useful source of information for those involved in the preparation of financial information is the ICAEW/ Charities Aid Foundation’s online accounts awards at www.cafonline.org. These awards are given to charities who publish Trustees’ Annual Reports and accounts online. They aim to award best practice in financial accounting, raise the standard of web-based annual reports and encourage more charities to display their financial information online.

J. Further Advice

If you need further advice, you can call Charity Commission Direct, between 08:00 and 20:00 weekdays and 09:00 and 13:00 Saturdays (0845 300 0218; minicom 0845 300 0219).