An Independent Examination offers a more cost effective way for eligible charities to meet statutory reporting requirements, ensuring transparency and accountability without the complexity of a full audit. To guide you through understanding whether your charity is eligible for an Independent Examination, we’ve developed an interactive quiz. By answering a series of Yes or No questions, you’ll gain insights into the specific criteria that determine eligibility, based on your charity’s financials and operational structure. Begin the quiz now to find out if an Independent Examination is suitable for your organisation!
Step-by-Step Guide to Our Remote Independent Examination Process for Scottish Charities.
Our approach to Independent Examinations is entirely offsite, meaning that we conduct examinations remotely from our office in the central belt of Scotland. We can conduct independent examinations for charities throughout Scotland, including the islands, utilising Royal Mail for transporting the bookkeeping records.
Step 1, Our Fees: You will find a form below that calculates the cost of an Independent Examination based on your charity’s income size. We estimate costs assuming that a higher income implies more transactions, which increases the examination time and cost. For example, while fees in the commercial sector for charities with incomes between £25,000 and £50,000 can range from £400 to £1,200, our fee is considerably lower at £275, and can be further reduced to £220 if you use our free bookkeeping spreadsheet.
Step 2, Initiating Contact: If you decide to proceed, fill out the form located at the bottom of the page. Once we receive your form, we will contact you within two business days to advance the process.
Step 3, Record Collection: Following our initial communications, Royal Mail will collect your bookkeeping records from an agreed-upon location, whether it’s your charity’s office or your bookkeeper’s home. The postage costs are included in the fee below, covering both the collection and return of your bookkeeping records.
Step 4, Examination Process: After receiving your records, our goal is to complete the Independent Examination within three working days.
Step 5, Completion and Feedback: Upon completing the examination, we will contact you to discuss the Independent Examiner’s Report, address any further questions, and arrange for the return of your records by Royal Mail.
Generally, the entire process, from record collection to returning the completed examination, can be completed in about two weeks.
Our fee for our service is all-inclusive, covering the tracked pick-up and return of your records as well as the Independent Examination itself. There are no hidden costs; what you see is what you pay.