This new edition has been fully revised and updated to take note of the two SORP Information Sheets in issue and to reflect all regulatory changes in England and Wales, such as statutory group-accounting by non-company auditable parent charities and the Charities Act accounts-scrutiny regime for 'small' charitable companies. Also includes the phased implementation of the Charities Act 2006 and the Companies Act 2006 as it affects charities.

Charity Accounts: A Practitioner's Guide to the Charities SORP is packed with practical information and advice on how to make the best of the regulatory regime for charities. It explains what SORP 2005 says, what it means in practice, how charities are affected by the new statutory requirement to show what public benefit they aim to provide, among the greater demands and public expectations being imposed on the largest charities (especially in England and Wales through publication of the 'Summary Information Returns' of key data on their governance and performance) and how to ensure full compliance.

This book provides invaluable technical guidance on how the financial reporting regulations in Britain relate to charities of different types and what needs to be done to comply, and includes the full text of the SORP itself, the related regulations in both jurisdiction and a useful checklist of disclosure requirements - plus fully worked examples of annual reports and accounts for the main different types of charity.

This new edition comes with a number of new and revised appendices for the CD-ROM accompanying the book, including:

• Appendix 2: Part VI of the Charities Act 1993: the text of the 'informal consolidation' updating Part VI to the Charities Act 2006
• Appendix 3: the SORP's new 2008 Regulations for England and Wales, which repeal the 2005 Regulations for financial years from 1 April 2008 onwards or upon earlier adoption
• Appendix 6: replacement of the Companies Act 1985 accounting provisions by Companies Act 2006
• Appendix 7: the detailed SORP-compliance checklist, now cross-referenced to the 2006 Act(s) and the 2008 Regulations
• Appendix 8: all worked examples refreshed by updating to 2009 year-ends

Charity Accounts: A Practitioner's Guide to the Charities SORP is an invaluable resource for all charity trustees, finance personnel, auditors, independent examiners and advising accountants.

Andrew Pianca, Chief Executive and Partner, Not-for-Profit Unit, Horwath Clark Whitehill
Greyham Dawes, Director, Not-for-Profit Unit, Horwath Clark Whitehill

• The Charities SORP -Scope and Compliance
• Charity Regulation and the SORP
• Fund-Accounting
• The Trustees' Annual Report
• The SORP and Accounting Standards
• The Statement of Financial Activities
• The Summary Income and Expenditure Account
• The Treatment of Tangible and other Fixed Assets Held for a Charity's Own Use
• Investment Assets
• The Balance Sheet and Charity Reserves
• The Cash-flow Statement
• Notes to the Accounts
• Accounting for ‘Operating Activities' for the Public Benefit or for the Charity's Own Benefit
• Branch-Accounting versus Consolidated Accounts
• Summarised Accounts and the ‘SIR'
• Accounts of the Smaller Non-Company Charity
• The Key Roles of Audit and Independent Examination 

Appendices

Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (revised 2005)

• SORP Information Sheet 1-Technical Application Issues
• SORP Information Sheet 2-Charities SORP Information

"a useful addition to the technical library of anyone involved with charity accounts"
New Law Journal

"comprehensive...an ideal reference book ... certainly a book that should be on the shelf of all those who deal with charity accounts"
Third Sector

"the most in-depth analysis and review as yet published"
Chartered Secretary

"this text by Andrew Pianca ... the most thorough and comprehensive contribution to date ... a brilliant read and ... an outstanding source for any independent examiner"
Newsletter of the Association of Charity Independent Examiners

"the most in depth analysis and review yet published"
Professional Fundraising