Tel: 01865 261100

marketing@critchleys.co.uk

Charity & not for profit - what we do

Accounts

We will ensure that your accounts meet the requirements of the SORP and accounting standards. We can advise on how you can present your accounts so that all your stakeholders (including beneficiaries, donors and regulators) understand the operations of the charity and its financial position. The firm can also give guidance on and / or comment on the Annual Report of the Trustees to ensure that it meets the requirements of the Charity Commission.

External audit

We have a proven track record of delivering cost-effective, risk focused and efficient external audits to charities and not-for-profit (NFP) organisations, working to tight deadlines. We understand that charities seek more than the statutory audit opinion and so we aim to provide constructive feedback on matters arising from the external audit process.

VAT & charities

For charities and not for profit organisations of all sizes, VAT can be a major stumbling block. The relationships between VAT and charitable status can be more complex than normal commercial entities. The services provided are wide-ranging. Our VAT consultants have considerable expertise in advising organisations in the not for profit sector on how to deal with complex VAT legislation, if and when they are able to claim refunds and when they should be taking advantage of changing legislation and / or  new case law to rearrange their VAT affairs.

Taxation

For charities, there are specific issues which need to be managed. When can a charity take advantage of extra statutory concessions or primary purpose trading?  When is it beneficial to set up a trading subsidiary? Are Gift Aid processes robust enough to withstand scrutiny by HMRC? Our tax team can advise on these issues and deal with compliance and tax returns for trading subsidiaries.

Advisory services

Our team can assist in the facilitation of discussions on:

  Strategic planning

• what are the charity's objectives?
• what activities will the charity do to achieve its objectives?
• what activities will the charity not do?
• does the strategy meet the public benefit test criteria?
• how will does the charity measure its achievements?
• how does the charity articulate its purpose with its stakeholders?
• how does the charity evaluate its stakeholders?

  Governance 

• is the board composition appropriate for the charity?
• how are board members inducted and how is ongoing training assessed and provided?
• how does the board assess its effectiveness?
• what is the delegation model between the board and the management team?
• how effective is the relationship between the Chair of Trustees and the Chief Executive?
• how does the board articulate its culture, policies and ethics?

  Risk

• what are the negative risks to the charity of not achieving its objectives?
• what are the opportunities which should be used to benefit the charity and its objectives?
• how are these risks managed?
• how are these risks reported on?

  Controls

• how does the management team put in place appropriate controls to manage risk

  Assurance

• how does the board and management team gain assurance that controls are operating?

  Trustee training

Often trustees have joined a charity board because of their commitment to the cause or because they bring a particular skill set with them.

The Statement of Recommended Practice for Accounting by Charities requires disclosure in the Annual Report of the Trustees about trustee induction and training.

We can host or deliver a fully tailored training session for your board of trustees to ensure they understand their many responsibilities.

 

For more information, call a member of our charities team on 01865 261100 or email marketing@critchleys.co.uk to arrange a free consultation