Charity Accounts Specialist
Charity accounts your trustees can actually rely on.
Running a charity means juggling restricted funds, Gift Aid, Charity Commission deadlines, and trustee reporting — often with a small team and limited time. Edward Harris handles the accounting side clearly and proactively. Fixed monthly fee, ACCA qualified, same-day replies.
- Restricted and unrestricted funds tracked correctly from the start
- Gift Aid claims processed on time — no income left unclaimed
- Charity Commission annual return filed before the deadline
- Trustees kept informed with clear, plain-English reporting
No long-term contract. If it is not working after three months, you leave with clean books and nothing owed.
Get a free quote
Fixed pricing. Same-day reply.
What our clients say
★★★★★
Always Responds Quickly and Accurately
“He always responds to messages and calls so quickly, has a wealth of knowledge and experience and is absolutely trustworthy.”
★★★★★
Organised Books and Proactive Advice
“Hasan at Edward Harris has been superb for us. He has organised our books, compiled documentation for HMRC and been proactive with advice.”
★★★★★
Patient With First-Time Business Owners
“Hasan has been amazing and extremely helpful he has been very patient with me being new to running a business, he had given me some great advice.”
★★★★★
Complex Concepts Made Easy to Understand
“Hasan is always prompt in responding to my inquiries and made complex financial concepts easy to understand.”
Sound familiar?
Charity finances are specific. General accountants rarely are.
Most accountants will prepare a set of accounts. Fewer understand Charities SORP, the difference between restricted and unrestricted reserves, or how Gift Aid declarations interact with your income reporting. The result is accounts that are technically filed but leave trustees none the wiser about the charity’s true position.
- ✕ Restricted and unrestricted funds muddled together in the bookkeeping
- ✕ Gift Aid going unclaimed because the admin keeps slipping
- ✕ Charity Commission annual return left to the last minute every year
What properly handled looks like
Charity accounts prepared to Charities SORP, funds tracked correctly throughout the year, and filings made before deadlines. Trustees receive clear reporting they can actually use — not a bundle of numbers to decode the night before the AGM.
- ✓ Restricted and unrestricted funds separated and reconciled throughout the year
- ✓ Gift Aid claims submitted correctly and on time — no income left on the table
- ✓ Charity Commission annual return handled well before the deadline
- ✓ Fixed monthly fee — no surprises, no bill at year-end you were not expecting
What clients say about working with us
Organisations across Greater Manchester and beyond trust Edward Harris with their accounts. Here is what a couple of them had to say.
Hasan at Edward Harris has been superb for us. He has organised our books, compiled documentation for HMRC and been proactive with advice. Best accountant I have used.
We have been working with Hasan for almost a year. He’s been very helpful providing us with knowledge as new business owners. It’s great we can WhatsApp for general queries, making communication more efficient.
Everything a charity needs, handled properly
From day-to-day bookkeeping to trustee reporting and Charity Commission filings, the work is done to the right standard — and explained in plain English.
Charities SORP Accounts
Annual accounts prepared to the correct SORP standard for your charity’s size and structure. Restricted funds, unrestricted reserves, and the statement of financial activities are all presented clearly so trustees understand exactly where the charity stands. Filed with the Charity Commission and HMRC as required.
Included as standardGift Aid and HMRC Claims
Gift Aid is one of the most underused income streams in the charitable sector — often because the admin is overlooked. Your declarations are tracked, claims submitted on schedule, and any HMRC correspondence handled promptly. No income left unclaimed through administrative drift.
Proactive year-roundTrustee Reporting and Filings
Your Charity Commission annual return, trustee annual report, and any Companies House obligations are managed before deadlines rather than the week they are due. Trustees receive clear, plain-language summaries of the charity’s financial position — not a dense set of accounts to interpret alone.
Year-round supportConsistently rated 5.0 on Google
Six verified reviews, all five stars. Clients include owner-managed businesses and organisations across Greater Manchester and the UK.
Trustworthy, Knowledgeable, and Always Reachable
“I cannot rate this company highly enough. I started off with an incredible expensive company who I could never reach or get good advice from – then THANKFULLY found Hasan who has been our accountant ever since.”
Deep Understanding, Made Decisions Feel Confident
“They provided exceptional service, demonstrating a deep understanding of accounting principles and tax regulations. Their attention to detail and commitment to accuracy gave me great confidence in my financial decisions.”
Swift, Hassle-Free, Highly Recommended
“Excellent service! Hasan took over and sorted out my accounts with a swift and hassle free service. I would highly recommend for your accounting needs.”
What makes this different from a general practice
Any accountant can file a set of accounts. Fewer understand the specific rules that apply to charities — and fewer still explain them clearly.
Charities SORP without the confusion
The Charities Statement of Recommended Practice is specific to the sector and not something every accountant prepares regularly. Your accounts are prepared to the correct SORP standard — FRS 102 or the smaller charities framework as appropriate — with funds classified correctly from the outset. Trustees receive a clear picture of income, expenditure, and reserves rather than a document they need to decode.
Proactive, not just reactive
Charity Commission deadlines, Gift Aid claim windows, and payroll obligations do not move — but they can creep up quickly on a small team. Year-round support means these are tracked and actioned before they become urgent. You will not be chasing us for a filing status the week before a deadline.
Plain English for trustees and staff
Trustee boards often include volunteers with limited accounting backgrounds. Reports and accounts are explained in plain language so every trustee understands the financial position — not just the treasurer. Questions are answered the day they are asked, by someone who already understands how your charity is structured.
Up and running in four straightforward steps
The handover process is managed by us. You will not need to understand accounting software or prepare anything complicated to get started.
Get in touch
Call 0161 706 1523, email info@edwardharris.co.uk, or use the contact form. We reply the same day. Initial conversations are free and without pressure — there is no commitment in having a conversation.
Free initial conversation
We discuss your charity’s structure, income streams, fund types, and what filings are outstanding. You leave the call knowing what is needed and what it will cost — a fixed monthly figure, nothing open-ended.
We handle the transition
If you have a previous accountant, we manage the professional handover. If your books need catching up, we take care of that. You pass over what you have and we sort the rest.
Trustees kept informed, year-round
From that point, accounts are prepared on time, Gift Aid is claimed, and deadlines are managed before they arrive. Trustees receive clear reporting throughout the year. Which is, frankly, the way it should always have been.
“Hasan has been amazing and extremely helpful he has been very patient with me being new to running a business, he had given me some great advice and I will continue to use Edward Harris & Hasan”
Things charities usually ask us first
Do you understand Charities SORP and the difference between restricted and unrestricted funds?
Yes. Charity accounts are prepared under the Charities SORP framework — either FRS 102 or the smaller charities direction depending on your income level. Restricted funds, unrestricted reserves, and endowment funds are tracked and reported separately. If your bookkeeping does not currently distinguish between them, we will set that up correctly before the year-end accounts are prepared.
What does charity accounting cost and what is included?
Pricing is a fixed monthly amount agreed at the outset — no hourly rates and no surprise bills at year-end. What is included depends on your charity’s size and requirements, but typically covers bookkeeping, year-end accounts to Charities SORP, Charity Commission annual return, and any Gift Aid administration. We discuss this in the free initial conversation and confirm the figure in writing before anything starts.
Our books are behind and our last accountant left things in a state — can you take this on?
Catch-up work is something we handle regularly. We will assess what is outstanding, quote a one-off fee to bring everything up to date, and agree a timeline before any work begins. Once the backlog is cleared, ongoing support moves to the fixed monthly arrangement. There is no judgement about the state things are in — it is a practical problem with a practical solution.
Is there a long-term contract or minimum commitment?
No long-term contract. If it is not working, you give notice and leave with clean, up-to-date records and nothing outstanding. We do not believe in locking clients in — charities in particular sometimes change their requirements significantly from year to year, and the arrangement should reflect that.
Can you help with the independent examination requirement?
Charities with income above £25,000 and below £1 million typically require an independent examination rather than a full audit. We can carry out or arrange the independent examination as part of your year-end process, depending on your charity’s income threshold and governing document requirements. If a full statutory audit is required above the £1 million threshold, we will let you know and refer you to the appropriate firm.
Can we claim Gift Aid and how does that work in practice?
If your charity is registered with HMRC for Gift Aid, you can reclaim the tax paid on eligible donations by UK taxpayers — currently 25p for every £1 donated. We maintain your Gift Aid records, ensure declarations are in order, and submit claims to HMRC on schedule. Smaller charities sometimes allow Gift Aid claims to lapse for years through administrative neglect, which represents a meaningful loss of income that is entirely avoidable.
Charity accounts handled properly, year-round.
Fixed monthly pricing, ACCA qualified, same-day replies. Initial conversations are free and without pressure. We will discuss your charity’s needs and confirm what is included before anything starts.