The short answer: charity audit fees depend on the work behind the income figure: funding arrangements, restricted funds, investments, property, trading subsidiaries, records and deadlines. Compare the full scope and your team’s preparation commitments before choosing on price.
For trustees, value includes understanding what the fee covers and how much time the finance team will need to contribute. A cheaper proposal may be appropriate, but only if the assumptions match your charity.
Can you give an indicative price?
For a charity with annual income of £1m–£5m, Accendo’s current estimator gives an illustrative audit-only range of £9,000–£13,500 excluding VAT on the assumptions below. Accounts preparation adds an indicative £1,000–£2,000, giving £10,000–£15,500 excluding VAT if included.
This is an example from Accendo’s pricing model, not a market average, minimum fee or quotation. It assumes one charity, one 12-month period, an existing audit, FRS 102 with the applicable Charities SORP, assets up to £5m, up to 50 employees, straightforward income, no material inventory, reconciled records, no overseas operations and more than 12 weeks before the required completion date. It excludes a consolidated group audit and additional regulatory reports.
Restricted grants, complex income conditions, significant estimates, subsidiaries or specialist work can change the scope. A smaller charity can cost less, but income alone cannot establish either the fee or whether an audit is needed. Explore an indicative range for your charity; the estimate appears after the scope questions and contact details.
What usually increases the work?
| Factor | Why it matters | What trustees can clarify |
|---|---|---|
| Restricted funds and grants | Restrictions, conditions and unspent balances need supporting evidence. | Are agreements available and fund movements reconciled? |
| Complex income | Contracts, grants and donations may need different accounting judgements. | Which significant arrangements changed during the year? |
| Investments, property and estimates | Valuation evidence and significant judgements can require additional attention. | Who supplies valuations and supporting information, and when? |
| Trading subsidiaries or overseas activity | More entities and locations create additional reporting dependencies. | Does the proposal cover the whole group or only the charity? |
| Incomplete records or compressed timing | Unresolved reconciliations and late evidence can cause repeated work. | What must be ready before fieldwork, and is the timetable feasible? |
Does our charity need an audit or an independent examination?
Confirm this before comparing fees. An independent examination is a different form of external scrutiny and does not provide an audit opinion. Eligibility depends on your jurisdiction, legal form, income, assets and any requirements in your governing document or funding arrangements.
For England and Wales, check the Charity Commission’s current guidance for the relevant year end. Revised reporting and scrutiny thresholds apply to financial years ending on or after 30 September 2026. Do not use a threshold from an older article without checking its effective date. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate rules.
If an independent examination is sufficient and no other requirement calls for an audit, an audit engagement may not be the proportionate option. Trustees should understand that choice before committing to a fee.
Are the accounts and trustees’ annual report included?
Not automatically. An audit examines the financial statements; it is separate from preparing them. Ask the proposal to distinguish audit, accounts preparation, support with disclosures, any trading subsidiary accounts and tax, and any other agreed reports.
Trustees remain responsible for approving the accounts and their annual report. Where Accendo provides preparation support alongside audit, acceptance is subject to the relevant independence requirements. Support does not transfer management decisions to the auditor.
Will SORP 2026 affect our fee?
It may affect the work required, depending on your arrangements. SORP 2026 applies to reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2026. Changes include income and lease accounting and trustees’ reporting requirements. This start-date test is different from a year-end-based threshold change.
Ask whether transition support is included, which information management must supply and whether any additional work is a one-off. Avoid assuming that every charity needs the same amount of support or that a first-year transition cost should recur indefinitely.
How can we keep costs under control?
- Agree a preparation list with a named owner and delivery date for each area.
- Reconcile fund balances and explain significant movements before fieldwork.
- Keep grant agreements and evidence of restrictions accessible.
- Discuss unusual transactions, new leases and funding changes early.
- Allow time for finance-team responses and trustee approval.
- Ask for any proposed additional work and fee implications to be explained before that work begins.
Preparation can reduce avoidable delays; it cannot remove the auditor’s need to obtain sufficient evidence. Do not choose a fee on the assumption that significant balances or risks will receive less scrutiny.
Five questions to ask before appointing an auditor
- What exactly is included and excluded, including accounts preparation?
- What charity experience will the people assigned bring?
- Who leads the work and who explains significant matters to trustees?
- What records must we prepare, and what happens if they are late?
- What could change the price, and how will changes be agreed?
Accendo works with charities seeking partner-led audit, clear preparation and practical communication with trustees and finance teams. Discuss your charity’s audit scope or read about our charity audit service.
Further guidance
- Charity Commission: Independent examination guidance for trustees
- Charity Commission: Changes to charity accounting and reporting
- Charities SORP: Current reporting guidance
Published 26 September 2026. Indicative fees exclude VAT and are subject to scope, capacity, independence and client acceptance checks.