Whether your company has just exceeded the audit thresholds, you are looking to change auditors, or your board has mandated a formal tender, we deliver the audit you need without the disruption you fear. Audit Group provides statutory audit services for companies, groups and subsidiaries across the UK. We’re part of Jack Ross Chartered Accountants – ICAEW-regulated, established in 1948 and based in Manchester. Our audit team works with owner-managed companies, charities, solicitors’ practices, public sector organisations and foreign subsidiaries.
What is a statutory audit?
An audit is an independent examination of your financial statements. It checks whether your accounts give a true and fair view of the company’s position, in line with UK accounting standards and the Companies Act 2006. A financial audit looks at the numbers, but the process also covers how those numbers are produced – testing internal controls, accounting judgements and risk areas.
A good audit goes further than ticking boxes. It gives stakeholders confidence in your financial reporting and flags issues before they become problems – giving directors the transparency they need for better decision-making. For companies with an audit committee, it provides a structured channel for reporting regulatory compliance findings to the board.
Does your company need a statutory audit?
Under the Companies Act 2006, your company needs a statutory audit if it exceeds two of these three thresholds:
- Annual turnover above £15 million
- Balance sheet total above £7.5 million
- More than 50 employees
Some organisations need one regardless of size. Charities with income over £1 million fall under the Charities Act 2011. Solicitors holding client money need an accountant’s report under the SRA Accounts Rules. And companies receiving public funding often need independent verification of how they’ve spent the grant.
Even below the thresholds, a voluntary engagement can build trust with stakeholders. Lenders, investors and potential buyers all look more favourably at verified accounts – and it can reduce the cost of investment when the time comes.
Our audit team, approach and audit process
We follow International Standards on Auditing (UK) issued by the FRC. Our methodology is built around three stages:
- Planning – We learn your business, map risk areas and agree the scope. Tax considerations, data flows and operational processes all feed into the plan.
- Fieldwork – The audit team tests your financial records, internal controls and accounting judgements. We use data analytics and automation where it adds efficiency – looking at full data sets rather than just samples.
- Reporting – You get a clear opinion plus a management letter covering any issues. No jargon, no surprises.
Audit methodology and analytics
Our audit approach is risk-based and tailored to each client. We don’t run the same playbook on a £20m manufacturer as we do on a charity or a regulated solicitors’ practice. The first job is to understand the business, agree what matters and design procedures that test those areas in depth.
Data analytics is built into the audit approach rather than bolted on at the end. For most clients we extract the full general ledger and run procedures over the complete population: revenue cut-off testing across every invoice, journal entry analysis to flag unusual postings, payroll reconciliation against HR records, and three-way matching on purchase ledger transactions. That gives us better coverage than traditional sampling and frees up senior time for the harder judgement areas.
The efficiency benefit shows up in two ways. First, you spend less time pulling sample requests, because we work from the data extract. Second, the team can focus testing on the genuine outliers, instead of working through randomly selected items. For finance teams that have been through a slow audit before, the difference in disruption is usually the first thing they notice.
The audit service we deliver is consistent across engagement sizes. Whether it’s a single entity or a UK group with overseas components, the same approach applies, scaled appropriately. We agree the scope, fees and timetable before we start, and we tell you upfront if a deadline isn’t realistic.
Types of audit and assurance services
- Statutory audit – Companies Act work for businesses above the threshold
- Charity audit – Under the Charities SORP framework
- SRA accountant’s report – For law firms under the SRA Accounts Rules
- Grant verification – Independent review of expenditure for funders
- Voluntary assurance – For companies choosing independent review
- Local government – For parish councils and other public bodies
- Foreign subsidiary – UK assurance work for overseas parents
What are the four types of independent audit?
- External audit – Independent review of financial statements by a registered auditor. It provides assurance that accounts are materially accurate.
- Internal – Review of processes, controls and risk management, often reporting to the audit committee.
- Forensic – Investigation-led work, usually triggered by suspected fraud.
- Compliance – Checking whether an organisation meets specific regulatory or contractual requirements.
Audit quality – what makes a good auditor?
Quality isn’t just about following the rules. It’s about the knowledge and experience behind the work. A good auditor understands your sector, questions your accounting assumptions and builds a culture of professional scepticism across the team. Innovation matters too – firms that invest in technology and tools like AI-powered analysis deliver better coverage without inflating costs.
We’re not a Big Four firm like EY. But that’s a strength. You deal with senior people who know your business, not a revolving door of juniors.
- ICAEW-registered – Regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
- 75+ years’ experience – Part of Jack Ross, established 1948 in Manchester
- Sector specialists – Charities, solicitors, construction, technology and more
- Fixed fees – We agree the price upfront. No bill shock. See our breakdown of how much a statutory audit costs.
- Partner-led – Senior people throughout the engagement
Fast turnaround statutory audits
Some audits are urgent. A bank covenant deadline, a group reporting timetable, or a last-minute auditor resignation can leave you needing a completed statutory audit in weeks rather than months. We handle tight-deadline engagements regularly.
For companies in Manchester, the North West and across the UK, we can typically start planning within a week of appointment and complete fieldwork within four to six weeks for a straightforward single-entity audit. Group audits and more complex engagements take longer, but we always agree a realistic timetable upfront and stick to it.
If you need a fast turnaround statutory audit, call us directly on 0161 832 4451 and we’ll tell you whether your deadline is achievable before you commit to anything.
Statutory auditors in Manchester and across the UK
Our audit practice is based at Barnfield House in Manchester city centre, but we audit companies right across the UK. We work with businesses in Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside, Yorkshire and nationally. For UK subsidiaries of overseas parents, we handle the local statutory audit and coordinate with group auditors internationally.
Being Manchester-based means we’re close to a large concentration of mid-market businesses, professional services firms, and regulated entities. But we don’t limit ourselves geographically – if the engagement is right, we’ll travel.
Need help or not sure whether you qualify? Get in touch for a straight answer and a quote within 48 hours.
Not sure where you stand? Check do I need an audit for a plain-English run through the UK thresholds.
Comparing options? Read our breakdown of Big 4 vs mid-tier audit firms before you appoint.
Larger groups often run a formal process – see our audit tender guide for how to structure one.
Want a quick check first? Try our free audit calculator – it tells you in under a minute whether you meet the thresholds.
Related reading
- What Is a Statutory Audit?
- Going Concern Audit Guide
- FRS 102 Changes 2026
- Sustainability Reporting Audit
- Internal vs External Audit
- The Big 4 Audit Firms
Common questions
What is an example of an audit service?
A statutory audit is the most common example. Every UK company that exceeds two of three thresholds (turnover above £15m, gross assets above £7.5m, more than 50 employees) must appoint a registered auditor to give an opinion on its annual financial statements. Other examples include a charity audit under the Charities Act 2011, a solicitors’ SRA Accounts Rules audit, a grant audit for funded research projects, and a pension scheme audit under the Pensions Act. Each follows the same ISA framework but with sector-specific rules. We deliver all of these from our Manchester office. If you’re unsure which type applies to you, see do I need an audit for a quick checker.
