Does my UK operation need an audit?

A main question we are asked is whether the UK operation need’s an audit.

The threshold for compulsory filing of audited financial statements rose on 6 April 2015 to those businesses with a turnover of £10.2 million or more for periods commencing from 1 January 2016.

This is part of a new European Commission directive which allows member states to choose whether to significantly raise the existing threshold to reduce unnecessary and burdensome red tape. The UK chose to do so and the new threshold was written into the statute under the Companies, Partnership and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2015.

This means that most small and medium-sized private limited companies are no longer required to have their accounts audited. There are exceptions, with the following limited companies still being required to carry out an audit even if they do not exceed the threshold:
• a subsidiary company (unless it qualifies for an exception)
• an authorised insurance company or company carrying out insurance market activity
• a company involved in banking or issuing e-money
• a Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) investment firm or an Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) management company
• a corporate body whose shares have been traded on a regulated market in a European state.

In addition, an accounts audit will be required if shareholders who own at least 10% of shares (by number or value) request it. This can be an individual shareholder or a group of shareholders.
Many companies, however, are continuing to be audited by choice. This is because it is an excellent way to determine exactly where you stand at the point of audit and what changes if any need to be made to keep you on the right track.

An audit also provides a lot of the information you need to comply with your annual reporting requirements.