Key Threshold Changes
From 30 September 2026, significant changes to charity accounting and audit requirements come into force. These reforms mark a shift to a more proportionate regulatory framework for UK charities.
What's Changing
The gross annual income threshold for full audit rises from £1 million to £1.5 million. This change is expected to remove approximately 2,000 charities from mandatory audit requirements, potentially saving the sector millions in professional fees and administrative time.
The asset-based audit threshold increases from £3.26 million to £5 million, with the accompanying income threshold doubling from £250,000 to £500,000.
For independent examination, the basic threshold moves from £25,000 to £40,000. This change alone is expected to generate roughly £7.8 million in annual savings for approximately 11,000 smaller charities no longer required to obtain external scrutiny.
Why This Matters
If you work with charities, these changes fundamentally affect your clients' compliance obligations and audit scope. Review your charity client portfolio now to identify which entities will move to independent examination or accounts without scrutiny. For charities, these changes reduce regulatory burden while maintaining appropriate financial controls.
What You Should Do
Update your internal classification systems to reflect the new thresholds. Review current clients' financial statements and upcoming year-end projections to confirm audit requirements. Consider discussing management accounts and consulting support with charities moving out of the audit regime. For detailed guidance, refer to ICAEW's comprehensive guidance on charity threshold changes and gov.uk's official guidance.