Charity Commission review: reporting of matters of material significance

14 May 2020: The Charity Commission has confirmed that it will be conducting an ongoing review of the reporting of matters of material significance by auditors and independent examiners.

Following the recent release of updated guidance for auditors and independent examiners, the Charity Commission has announced that it will be conducting a review of all independent examination reports or audit opinions, signed on or after 1 May 2020, which contain a qualification, modified opinion or other reporting paragraph, to confirm that a matter of material significance was also filed with the Commission.

In April 2020, the UK charity regulators released updated guidance for auditors and independent examiners on the requirement to report matters of material significance to the Charity Commission. Changes made to the guidance included the need to consider the impact of a national emergency on the conduct of an audit or independent examination on the duty to report.

Following the release of this updated guidance, the Charity Commission has confirmed that it will be conducting an ongoing review of the reporting of matters of material significance by auditors and independent examiners. As part of this review, all independent examination reports or audit opinions signed on or after 1 May 2020 which contain a qualification, modified opinion or other reporting paragraph will be reviewed, to confirm that a report of a matter of material significance had also been promptly filed with the Commission in accordance with the updated guidance.

Auditors and independent examiners are therefore reminded of their reporting duty and are encouraged to ensure that any outstanding reports are submitted to the Charity Commission without further delay.

• Further advice and guidance can be found on the Charity Commission’s website and through ICAEW’s Charity Community.