Charity and social enterprise accountants

Accountants for UK charities and social enterprises, SORP accounts, independent examination, restricted funds, gift aid and trading subsidiary structures.

• Charity accounts under the Charities SORP with the trustees' annual report

• Independent examination where income is below the audit threshold

• Restricted, unrestricted and endowment fund accounting that funders accept

• Gift aid claims, including the small donations scheme

• Trading subsidiary accounts and profit donated up under gift aid

• Payroll, VAT partial exemption and bookkeeping for the charity's operations

Charity accounting depends on income. Broadly, receipts and payments accounts are possible for smaller unincorporated charities, accruals accounts under the SORP are required for charitable companies and above the threshold, independent examination applies over £25,000 of income, and audit becomes compulsory above £1m of income or where assets and income exceed the secondary tests.

Charities are exempt from tax on most income applied for charitable purposes, but non-primary purpose trading above the small trading exemption is taxable. That is why substantial trading is usually run through a subsidiary company that donates profit up to the charity.

VAT is where charities lose money quietly. There is no general charity exemption, many activities are exempt rather than zero-rated, and exempt activity blocks input VAT recovery. Certain supplies to charities are zero-rated or reduced-rated, but only with the right evidence and declarations.

Thresholds, rates and deadlines quoted here reflect the 2026/27 UK position. Check current GOV.UK guidance, or ask us, before you rely on them for your own company.

We start by looking at the last filed accounts, your current records and your filing dates, then confirm a fixed scope and fee in writing.

Once the work is live you get reminders ahead of each deadline, a named person to ask questions, and a plain-English summary when the figures are ready, not a PDF with no explanation.