Accountants for Charities in Birmingham: Guide to Specialist Companies (2026)
AC
Acumon Chartered Accountants·12 min read
Charities in Birmingham can choose between local accountancy practices, regional firms with established Birmingham teams, and national specialists that work with charities across the UK. This guide covers firms offering charity accounting, audit, independent examinations, tax, VAT, governance and related financial support. It is a practical selection rather than a ranking, so the right choice will depend on the charity’s size, reporting requirements and the level of specialist support needed.
Acumon
Acumon is a UK firm of chartered accountants and registered auditors providing accounting, accounts preparation, independent examination and external audit services to charities and not-for-profit organisations.
The firm works with registered charities, charitable companies, charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs), charitable trusts, exempt charities and community interest companies (CICs). Services are delivered in accordance with the Charities SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice), the Charities Act and related regulatory requirements, and are supported by specialist knowledge of fund accounting, Charity Commission compliance and the evolving SORP 2026 framework. These services are provided to charities across the UK, including in Birmingham.
Acumon prepares SORP-compliant accruals accounts (including trustees’ annual reports, the statement of financial activities and balance sheets) and advises on receipts-and-payments accounts where permitted for smaller non-company charities. The firm also carries out independent examinations and statutory audits where required by income or asset thresholds, and integrates this work with charity VAT, Gift Aid and tax advice.
Charity accounting and reporting requirements depend on legal structure and size. Acumon helps trustees and finance teams navigate the correct framework, manage filing deadlines with the Charity Commission (and Companies House where applicable), maintain clean restricted, unrestricted and endowment fund records, and strengthen financial reporting and governance as organisations grow.
Charity Accounting Capabilities:
Acumon provides accounting and related services across a wide range of charity and not-for-profit structures.
These include:
Registered charities, charitable companies and CIOs
Charitable trusts and exempt charities
Community interest companies (CICs) and other not-for-profit entities
Preparation of SORP-compliant accounts and trustees’ annual reports
Independent examinations and statutory charity audits
Fund accounting, Charity Commission filing support and related compliance
Integrated charity VAT and Gift Aid advice
These services allow the firm to support charities of varying sizes and structures with accurate reporting, regulatory compliance and practical financial oversight.
Regulatory Licences and Registrations:
Acumon holds several audit registrations that enable it to support organisations operating across multiple jurisdictions.
These include:
UK statutory audit registration
Public Interest Entity (PIE) audit licence
Jersey audit licence
Isle of Man audit licence
Cayman Islands audit licence
British Virgin Islands audit licence
These registrations allow the firm to provide audit services to groups that include entities in both the UK and key international financial centres.
Core Services:
In addition to statutory external audit, Acumon provides a range of services that support financial reporting and governance.
These include:
Statutory external audit
Group and subsidiary audits
Public Interest Entity (PIE) audits
Charity and not-for-profit audit
Audit of international group structures
Internal audit and governance reviews
Risk management and compliance support
Audit work is often delivered alongside discussions with management and boards regarding financial reporting processes and governance frameworks.
Many organisations initially encounter statutory audit requirements as they grow and exceed the audit exemption thresholds set out in the Companies Act.
Acumon works with businesses that are:
Approaching their first statutory audit
Preparing for external investment
Expanding into international markets
Operating within corporate group structures
Early engagement with an audit firm can help ensure that financial reporting systems and documentation are aligned with statutory audit requirements.
Address: 1-2 Craven Road, Ealing, London, W5 2UA, UK
Cooper Parry
Cooper Parry has a specialist not-for-profit audit team working with charities, museums, academies and independent schools. Its charity work includes audit and assurance, VAT, trustees’ reports, accounting systems and internal controls. Glen Bott leads the firm’s charity work and has experience with local and regional charities as well as education organisations.
For Birmingham charities, the firm combines dedicated sector expertise with a city-centre office at Chamberlain Square. This may be useful where trustees want access to a wider professional services team while keeping a local Birmingham contact.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Charities requiring specialist audit and assurance support
Forvis Mazars has a substantial national not-for-profit practice covering charity audit, internal audit, governance, risk, tax, VAT, Gift Aid, payroll, accounting and outsourcing. Its UK charity team supports more than 220 charities, while hundreds of staff work with not-for-profit clients across the wider practice.
The firm’s Birmingham presence includes specialists working across audit, tax and advisory services. Richard Tidball is among the Birmingham-based professionals connected with its charity offering, giving organisations in the city access to both sector specialists and a multidisciplinary team.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Medium-sized and larger charities with multi-disciplinary requirements
Core services: Audit, internal audit, governance, risk, tax, VAT, Gift Aid, payroll and outsourcing
Specialization: Charities and not-for-profit organisations
Location: Birmingham
Notable strength: Large dedicated not-for-profit practice with access to tax, risk and advisory specialists
Address: 3 Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3AX, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0) 121 232 9500
Dains
Dains has a dedicated charities team whose work spans audit, accounting, tax, VAT, forensic services, governance and risk management. Some members of the team hold the ICAEW Diploma in Charity Accounting, giving the practice a clear specialist focus beyond general business accounting.
The firm works with both local and national charities and has its head office in Birmingham. For organisations that need several financial disciplines from one adviser, Dains can combine charity-specific accounting with tax, assurance and governance support.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Charities wanting a Birmingham-based multidisciplinary adviser
Core services: Audit, accounting, tax, VAT, governance, risk management and forensic support
Specialization: Charities and not-for-profit organisations
Location: Birmingham
Notable strength: Charity specialists with sector-specific accounting qualifications
UHY Hacker Young’s Birmingham practice has worked in the city since 1989 and includes a dedicated charity and not-for-profit accounting team. Its Birmingham specialists handle charity audits and independent examinations, alongside wider accounting, tax and advisory work.
The practice also has considerable experience in the education side of the not-for-profit sector, including academy schools across the Midlands. This mix can be useful for charities and charitable education organisations that want advisers familiar with sector-specific reporting and assurance requirements.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Charities, academies and other not-for-profit organisations
Core services: Charity audit, independent examinations, accounts, tax and advisory
Specialization: Charity, not-for-profit and education clients
Location: Birmingham
Notable strength: Established Birmingham charity and not-for-profit team
BDO’s Birmingham office serves organisations across the West Midlands and includes specialists in the not-for-profit sector. Its Midlands team has dedicated external audit leadership for charities and other not-for-profit organisations, with experience covering charity assurance, social housing and related regulated sectors.
The firm’s wider offering also gives charities access to governance, risk, internal audit and advisory specialists. It is therefore more suited to organisations looking for broader assurance and professional services support than those needing only basic year-end accounts.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Larger or more complex charities requiring audit and assurance
Address: Two Snowhill, Birmingham, B4 6GA, United Kingdom
Phone: 0121 352 6200
Grant Thornton
Grant Thornton has a national not-for-profit practice with more than 250 specialists working across charities and related organisations. Its services cover external and internal audit, governance, risk management, tax, employer solutions, corporate finance and restructuring.
The Birmingham office works with public, private and not-for-profit organisations, giving local charities access to the firm’s wider assurance and advisory capabilities. The practice is particularly relevant where financial reporting sits alongside governance, funding, regulatory or organisational change requirements.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Established charities needing access to several advisory disciplines
MHA has worked with the not-for-profit sector for more than 30 years and has a UK-wide team of around 100 specialists. The practice supports charities, social enterprises, housing organisations and other not-for-profit bodies with audit, accounts, tax, VAT, internal audit, risk, independent examinations and payroll.
Its Birmingham team includes professionals with specific charity accounting experience. Helen Blundell, for example, works across Birmingham and Leicester and holds the ICAEW Diploma in Charity Accounting, as well as a postgraduate qualification related to the charity sector.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Charities seeking specialist accounting alongside broader advisory support
PKF Smith Cooper works with charities ranging from smaller organisations to more complex entities and maintains a dedicated stream of charity-focused guidance and support. Its charity work sits alongside the firm’s established audit, accounting, tax and advisory services.
A Birmingham office gives local organisations access to the firm’s regional team without relying entirely on remote delivery. The practice may suit charities that want a regional accountancy firm capable of supporting both routine compliance and more involved financial matters as their activities expand.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Small, medium-sized and more complex charities
Core services: Charity accounting, audit, tax and advisory
Specialization: Charity financial reporting and professional services
Location: Birmingham
Notable strength: Regional presence combined with experience across charities of different sizes
Address: Cornerblock, 2 Cornwall St, Birmingham B3 2DX, United Kingdom
Phone: 03333446306
Prime Accountants Group
Prime Accountants Group has a Birmingham office and a dedicated charity department. Its work with charities covers accounting and audit requirements alongside issues such as nonprofit regulation, fund management, transparency and wider financial guidance.
Jeremy Kitson works from the Birmingham office and heads Prime’s charity department while also specialising in audit. This gives charities a named local specialist rather than relying solely on a broader general accountancy team.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Birmingham charities wanting a locally based specialist team
Core services: Charity accounting, audit, financial reporting and advisory
Specialization: Charities and nonprofit organisations
Location: Birmingham
Notable strength: Dedicated charity department led from the Birmingham practice
Address: Charter House, 161 Newhall Street, Birmingham, B3 1SW
Locke Williams Associates
Locke Williams Associates is a Birmingham-based firm of Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors located in St Paul’s Square. Charity and Not For Profit is one of the specialist areas identified by the practice, supported by its wider audit, accounting and tax capabilities.
Its local structure may appeal to charities that prefer working with an independent Birmingham accountancy practice rather than a national professional services network. The firm can also be considered where the organisation needs access to statutory audit expertise as part of the relationship.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Charities looking for an independent Birmingham accountancy practice
Core services: Accounting, audit and tax support
Specialization: Charity and not-for-profit organisations
Location: Birmingham
Notable strength: Registered audit practice based in central Birmingham
Address: Studio 2, 50-54 St Paul’s Square, Birmingham B3 1QS
Trevor Jones & Co
Trevor Jones & Co provides accounts preparation specifically for charities and can carry out independent examinations where appropriate. Its wider accounting support includes management accounts and bookkeeping, giving smaller organisations the option to combine year-end charity reporting with more regular financial administration.
The firm is based in Erdington and is registered with the ICAEW to carry out audit work in the UK. For Birmingham charities, particularly smaller organisations, its local presence may be useful when a straightforward accountancy relationship is preferred.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Smaller and locally based charities
Core services: Charity accounts, independent examinations, management accounts and bookkeeping
Specialization: Accounts preparation for charities
Location: Erdington, Birmingham
Notable strength: Local practice offering both charity accounts and independent examinations
Address: Old Bank Chambers, 582-586 Kingsbury Road, Erdington, Birmingham B24 9ND
RUS Chartered Accountants
RUS Chartered Accountants has a dedicated charity and not-for-profit service covering SORP accounts, fund accounting, bookkeeping, charity audits, independent examinations, Gift Aid, payroll, tax and trading subsidiaries. The firm states that its charity sector experience extends for more than 30 years.
Its office is in Hall Green, making RUS one of the more locally focused options in this guide. The range of services is broad enough to support both routine financial administration and formal year-end reporting or assurance requirements.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Birmingham charities seeking a local specialist accountant
Core services: SORP accounts, fund accounting, bookkeeping, audits, independent examinations, Gift Aid, tax and payroll
Specialization: Charities and not-for-profit organisations
Location: Hall Green, Birmingham
Notable strength: More than 30 years of stated charity sector experience
Address: 1190A-1194 Stratford Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, B28 8AB
Bishop Fleming
Bishop Fleming has an established charity and not-for-profit practice providing specialist accounting and audit support. Members of its charity team hold sector-specific qualifications, including the ICAEW Diploma in Charity Accounting, and the firm works with organisations facing charity reporting and assurance requirements.
Its Birmingham presence has expanded recently. In May 2026, James Taylor joined the Birmingham team as an Audit Partner with a particular focus on not-for-profit organisations, including charities, education and social housing. This gives Birmingham charities direct access to the firm’s wider sector practice from its Colmore Row office.
Key Facts:
Ideal for: Charities requiring specialist accounting and audit support
Core services: Charity accounting, audit, assurance and related advisory
Specialization: Charities and not-for-profit organisations
Location: Birmingham
Notable strength: Specialist charity practice supported by expanding not-for-profit audit capability in Birmingham
Accountants for charities in Birmingham vary considerably in scale and service model. Some have dedicated local charity departments, while others combine a Birmingham office with a larger national not-for-profit practice. Smaller firms may be suitable for accounts preparation and independent examinations, while charities with statutory audit, VAT, governance, risk or more complex reporting requirements may need a broader specialist team.
There is no single firm that will suit every organisation. Trustees should compare the accountant’s charity sector experience, audit capabilities where relevant, familiarity with SORP and fund accounting, location, fee structure and the amount of ongoing support the organisation actually requires.
AC
Written by the Acumon team
Acumon is an ICAEW-registered firm of chartered accountants and registered auditors
based in London, with offices in Pitstone, Aylesbury and Bournemouth. Need advice on
anything covered here? Talk to us.
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