Overview
Not-for-profit accounting has its own problems: donations and bequests with conditions attached, grant income recognised across financial years, volunteer time that never appears in the ledger, and a board of capable people who are not accountants. An audit that ignores all that produces a clean opinion and no useful information.
We audit and review ACNC-registered charities, NSW incorporated associations, foundations, clubs and companies limited by guarantee, and we write the management letter for a board to read — in plain English, ranked by what matters.
Scope
What we do
- ACNC audits and reviews
- Financial report audits and reviews for medium and large registered charities.
- Annual Information Statement
- Preparation and lodgement of the AIS alongside the financial report.
- Incorporated associations
- Audits under the NSW Associations Incorporation Act — we’ll confirm which tier your association falls into before we quote.
- Special purpose and grant acquittals
- Acquittal certificates and agreed-upon-procedures reports for government and philanthropic funders.
- Governance observations
- A management letter aimed at a volunteer board: what the risk is, what it costs, what to do next.
Reference
ACNC size thresholds
Annual revenue for the reporting period. Your constitution or a funding agreement can require a review or audit even where the ACNC does not.
| Charity size | Annual revenue | ACNC requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Under $500,000 | No review or audit required by the ACNC |
| Medium | $500,000 – under $3 million | Financial report reviewed or audited |
| Large | $3 million and over | Financial report audited |
Process
Working with your board
Constitution first
We read your governing document and funding agreements before quoting, because that is usually what sets the real requirement.
One request list
A single, prioritised information request, sized to a team that has other jobs to do.
Fieldwork
Testing focused on income recognition, restricted funds, related parties and payroll — where NFP misstatements actually occur.
Board reporting
The opinion, the Annual Information Statement, and a letter your board can act on before the next meeting.
Questions
Common questions
Who is allowed to audit a charity?
The ACNC requires the audit of a registered charity to be conducted by a registered company auditor, an audit firm, or an authorised audit company. A review may also be conducted by a member of a professional accounting body holding the relevant designation.
When is our report due?
An ACNC-registered charity must lodge its Annual Information Statement, with the financial report where one is required, within six months of the end of its reporting period — 31 December for a 30 June year end.
We’re small but a funder wants an audit. Can you help?
Yes. Small charities aren’t required by the ACNC to be audited, but funders frequently require one anyway. We scope those engagements to the funding agreement rather than to a full statutory audit.
Also
Related services
Talk it through before you commit to anything.
Tell us the situation and the deadline. We'll tell you what's involved, what it costs and whether it's us you need.