CPD portal
You can now manage all your bookings and certificates for our public CPD courses using our CPD portal. Details are linked in course communications and can also be accessed here.
2026 CPD brochure
Our 2026 CPD brochure is now available on our website. Our public programme continues to provide independent firms with a flexible approach to CPD.
Upcoming courses
You can download our booking form and brochure here.
Date – Time – Course – Presenter
3rd Mar – 9.30-12.30 – Charity Accounts and Audit The Fundamentals – Maya Norbury
10th Mar – 9.30-12.30 – Planning an ISA Compliant Audit – James Charlton
12th Mar – 9.30-12.30 – Payroll Update – Jo Marshall
17th Mar – 9.30-12.30 – Charities Update – James Charlton
20th Mar – 9.30-12.30 – Spring Tax Update – Malcolm Greenbaum
23rd Mar – 9.30-11.30 – Independent Examination of Charities – Richard Hemmings
23rd Mar – 12.30-1.30 – Journals Testing – Richard Hemmings
24th Mar – 9.30-11.30 – Pension Scheme Accounts and Audit Fundamentals – Maya Norbury
24th Mar – 1.30-3.30 – Housing Association Accounts and Audit Fundamentals – Maya Norbury
Our 2026 AML, Ethics and GDPR E-Learning Programmes will be available in the coming weeks.
“Excellent delivery, easily understood with some good points raised.” Delegate, Autumn series
Charities
We understand that the ‘get-out’ for recognising stock of donated goods for distribution to beneficiaries has been abolished in the new SORP. This could be a major issue, especially if it requires a transitional adjustment which charities can’t quantify. Help!
At first glance this would appear to be a problem. Paragraph 6.23 of the revised SORP states that ‘donated goods held by the charity for distribution to its beneficiaries must be recognised as stock, with the corresponding income recognised within donations and measured at their fair value.’ Paragraph 6.26 of the old SORP stated that ‘where it is impractical to assess the value of donated stock held for distribution at the time of receipt … the value to the charity of the gift must be recognised as a component of donations when it is distributed.’ This is the get-out to which the question refers. Unfortunately, the old paragraph 6.26 does not appear in the revised SORP.
However we don’t feel that there is a substantive change here. Paragraph 6.12 of the revised SORP states that ‘if it is impracticable to measure the fair value of goods donated for resale or distribution at the point the goods are received, the donated goods must be recognised as income when they are sold or distributed.’
In short, we feel that SORP wording has changed, paragraphs have been moved around but that the basic requirement and ‘workarounds’ in both SORPs remain substantively unchanged.
Financial Reporting
What are the disclosure requirements in respect of leases for a small entity applying FRS 102 Section 1A subsequent to the introduction of FRS 102 Section 1A?
The revised accounting treatment for lessors as a result of the FRS 102 periodic review has, and continues to be, a big areas of focus. The headline change is, of course, that many leases come ‘on balance sheet’ for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2026. But what about disclosure?
There are a raft of disclosures that apply to medium-sized and large entities applying the revised standard, but only a small number are relevant to small entities applying FRS 102 Section 1A:
· An appropriate accounting policy note;
· A general description of leasing arrangements;
· The P&L expense in respect of low value and short-term leases and for variable lease payments and interest expense; and
· Commitments in respect of low value and short-term leases – though these could be aggregated with other ‘off balance sheet commitments’.
Audit
The revised ISA (UK) 505 on External Confirmations has shone a light on the audit of entities that use cash deposit platforms that give them access to a range of savings accounts from multiple banks through a single software application. Do auditors need to seek balance confirmations from each individual bank?
Our discussions with ICAEW on this matter have led us to conclude that the answer is no. Relevant platforms include the Flagstone platform, which is offered by the Charities Aid Foundation, Insignis Cash Solutions and Akoni Hub. Where such cash deposit platforms do provide auditor confirmations, these should provide sufficient, appropriate audit evidence. However, as ever, auditors should consider whether further procedures are needed to corroborate the information, for example by logging into the system and checking the information included is consistent with the confirmation obtained.