How long to keep charity accounts

In the case of many types of document, it will be sufficient to keep them only for the period required by statute; others will be essential reference material in future years and the organisation might, therefore, decide to keep them longer than the period required by law. In the tables, we set out the suggested retention period for the documents most commonly held by charities and give a brief explanation of the retention period given.

Download the document by completing the short form below. Work 1-to-1 with our charity sector experts and talk to someone who understands how to approach an audit, right down to the smallest details. With us, you get crystal clear communication and realistic timetables, so you know when milestones are due and how to meet them. We audit charities like yours across the UK and globally, so we bring plenty of relevant experience to help everything run smoothly.

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Contact us. Services Family office services Help me with tax Help with benefits and pensions How can I raise funds? How do I start a business from scratch? How should I invest? What do I need to do when someone dies? News — On this page. Go to. Stay in touch. Sign up to our mailing list. Print this page. Retention of accounting records and other corporate records. Unnecessary storage beyond the required time period also implies storage costs for your organization. The overview attached below, provided courtesy of Buzzacott Chartered Accountants , lists suggested retention periods for the documents most commonly held by charities, and gives a brief explanation of the period given.

It includes documents under the following categories:. The information provided is current as of April It isn't a comprehensive statement of law or current practice. Professional advice should be taken to consider your organization's specific circumstances. MissionBox editorial content is offered as guidance only, and is not meant, nor should it be construed as, a replacement for certified, professional expertise.

Various factors, including legal requirements, determine how long you should keep your records. Here's an overview designed for charities. Support with raising money. Managing Money. Looking after your group's money. Charity reporting and accounts. Financial rules. How much money do we have? Managing money at an event. Quick tasks for treasurers during the Covid pandemic. Treasurer's role. Budgeting and financial planning. Free accounts systems. Getting outside help with managing money. Making your group work well.

Monitoring and evaluation. Organising meetings. AGM Checklist. Chairing a meeting. Health and safety for community groups. How to improve your chairing skills. Hybrid meetings in person and online. Involving people in your group. Taking Minutes. The Agenda. The Secretary's role. Video and telephone meeting tools. Role of the management committee. Responsibilities of registered charities. Responsibilities of the Management Committee.

Roles of Officers. Managing staff and volunteers. Equality and diversity policies for small groups. Risk assessment. Data protection for community groups. IT support and training. Facebook for community groups. Video-making tips for community groups. Policies and Procedures. Covid Risk Assessments. Resource Centre policies and procedures.

Taking photos at community events. Charity registration and requirements. Health and Safety and Insurance. Sample risk assessments.

Getting outside help with running your group. Support with producing newsletters. Organising events and activities. Planning and organising events. Days out in Sussex for community groups. Local media contacts. Practicalities of running an event.

Working with Children. Running a Sports Group. Activities and workshops. Running a Community Building. Improving your neighbourhood. Organising a letter-writing campaign. Organising a petition. Planning and running a campaign. State your case: how to write a campaign briefing. Food and Drink. Getting outside help with organising events and activities.

Getting your message across. Communicating with your community. Beginner's Guide to Printing. Publicising your group. A community group's guide to radio and TV interviews. Producing a neighbourhood newsletter. Planning a neighbourhood newsletter. What will you put in your neighbourhood newsletter? How to make your neighbourhood newsletter look good.

How to write clearly in your neighbourhood newsletter. Our website uses cookies We use some essential cookies to make our website work properly. Site by BrightMinded. These requirements apply to unincorporated charities, including unincorporated associations and charitable trusts.

Either independent examination of accounts or audit, unless specified in constitution. See note 1A below. Either Independent examination of accounts or audit, unless specified in constitution. See note 1B below. Either independent examination of accounts or full audit, unless specified in constitution.

See note 2A below. Full audit. See note 2B below. No independent examination of accounts or full audit required unless specified in the Articles of Association. See note 3B below.