We are a small-medium size charity looking to review how we manage our accounts and independent examination.

At the moment we employ a firm of accountants. They take records and management accounts from our bookkeepers, produce the accounts in the format required by the charities SORP and then examine them.  I'm aware that other charities have accountants who produce the accounts in- house in the SORP format which are then audited. We have recently changed bookkeeper and feel confident the new bookkeeper could produce accounts in the SORP format but we're not sure whether firms would expect to produce the accounts themselves and then examine them.

Our firm of accountants has also recently put its prices up quite significantly and is charging close to £3,000 for the independent examination. We are wondering whether this is a reasonable fee or whether other charities have experience of different and/or lower charges?

If anyone could offer some advice/guidance based on their own charity's experience we would be really grateful.