The Regulator for Charities in England and Wales

Advice on completing the Financial Information section of the Annual Return

Important

The financial information section of the Annual Return form requires figures to be taken directly from the final version of the published accounts. This section should be completed by somebody familiar with the charity’s accounts to help ensure the completeness and accuracy of the information supplied.

The information below should be read in conjunction with the guidance notes provided with the paper form or with the guidance notes found by clicking on the 'i' buttons within the online form.

If you have access to a printer you may find it useful to print these notes before completing your return.

Contents

Q. Do I use consolidated or charity only accounts to complete this section?

A. If the charity has subsidiary undertakings then the consolidated figures from the group accounts should be entered into this section and the consolidated accounts box on the form should be selected.

Q. Should the figures for gross income and total expenditure I have entered on the charity information page be the same as the total incoming resources/total resources expended I have entered on the financial information section?

A. No, not necessarily. Sometimes the figures will not agree as charity only income and expenditure is required on the charity information page but consolidated figures are required on the financial information page if the charity has subsidiary undertakings. Additionally certain items are excluded from the definition of gross income on the charity information page of the form. See the guidance notes or click on the 'i' buttons on gross income and total expenditure for details on what should be excluded.

Q. Do I round the figures?

A. All figures should be entered to the nearest pound. Please note if the accounts have been prepared to the nearest thousand or million they must be restated to pounds.

Q. Do I need to make any adjustments to the figures (other than rounding to the nearest pound) prior to entry?

A. No, the figures should be extracted directly from the accounts without adjustment. The form has been designed to reflect the Statement of Financial Activities and Balance Sheet headings required by SORP 2005.

Q. Do I need to enter positive or negative signs?

A. The general rule is no.  However there are certain occasions when you may need to enter a minus sign. These are illustrated later on in this guidance note.  Where a negative number does need to be illustrated it should be entered with a minus sign rather than with brackets.

Q. Some of the fields are not applicable to my charity.  Should I leave them blank?

A. No, every field must have an entry. If it does not apply please enter 0.

Q. The accounts are in another currency.  Should I convert them to £ sterling?

A. Yes.  All figures must be entered in £ sterling using the relevant exchange rate as at the balance sheet date.