Registered number:
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
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COMPANY INFORMATION
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CONTENTS
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DIRECTORS' REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
The directors present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023.
The directors who served during the year were:
The directors are responsible for preparing the Directors' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including Financial Reporting Standard 102 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland'. Under company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company and of the profit or loss of the Company for that period.
In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:
∙select suitable accounting policies for the Company's financial statements and then apply them consistently;
∙make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
∙state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
∙prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Company will continue in business.
The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Under section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006, Sopher + Co LLP will be deemed to have been reappointed as auditors 28 days after these financial statements were sent to members or 28 days after the latest date prescribed for filing the accounts with the registrar, whichever is earlier.
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DIRECTORS' REPORT (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
In preparing this report, the directors have taken advantage of the small companies exemptions provided by section 415A of the Companies Act 2006.
This report was approved by the board on
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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF SKULD INVESTMENT LIMITED
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the Company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the United Kingdom, including the Financial Reporting Council's Ethical Standard and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF SKULD INVESTMENT LIMITED (CONTINUED)
The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report, other than the financial statements and our Auditors' Report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
∙the information given in the Directors' Report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
∙the Directors' Report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Directors' Report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
∙adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
∙the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
∙certain disclosures of directors' remuneration specified by law are not made; or
∙we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
As explained more fully in the Directors' Responsibilities Statement set out on page 1, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the Company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF SKULD INVESTMENT LIMITED (CONTINUED)
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an Auditors' Report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:
∙the engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
∙we identified the laws and regulations applicable to the Company through discussions with directors and other management, and from our commercial knowledge and experience of the sector;
∙we focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the Company, including the Companies Act 2006, taxation legislation and data protection and anti-bribery;
∙we assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making enquiries of management and inspecting legal correspondence; and
∙identified laws and regulations were communicated within the audit team regularly and the team remained alert to instances of non-compliance throughout the audit.
We assessed the susceptibility of the Company’s financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:
∙making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was susceptibility to fraud, their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud;
∙considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations; and
∙understanding the design of the Company’s remuneration policies.
To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:
∙performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships;
∙tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions;
∙assessed whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimates were indicative of potential bias; and
∙investigated the rationale behind significant or unusual transactions.
In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:
∙agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation;
∙enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims; and
∙reviewing correspondence with HMRC, relevant regulators and the Company’s legal advisors.
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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF SKULD INVESTMENT LIMITED (CONTINUED)
There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.
Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our Auditors' Report.
This report is made solely to the Company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an Auditors' Report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Company and the Company's members, as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
for and on behalf of
Sopher + Co LLP
Chartered Accountants
Statutory Auditors
5 Elstree Gate
Elstree Way
Borehamwood
Hertfordshire
WD6 1JD
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STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2023
The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the board and were signed on its behalf on
The notes on pages 12 to 18 form part of these financial statements.
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STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
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STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
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ANALYSIS OF NET DEBT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
Skuld Investment Limited is a private limited company registered in England and Wales. Its registered office address is at 40 Lime Street, London, EC3M 7AW.
The principle activity of the company is that of an investment company. The Company's functional and presentational currency is £ sterling.
2.Accounting policies
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention unless otherwise specified within these accounting policies and in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland and the Companies Act 2006.
The preparation of financial statements in compliance with FRS 102 requires the use of certain critical accounting estimates. It also requires management to exercise judgment in applying the Company's accounting policies (see note 3).
The following principal accounting policies have been applied:
The directors have obtained assurance from its parent undertaking that funds will be made available to the company so it will be able to carry on trading and meet its financial obligations as and when they fall due for at least twelve months from the date the accounts are approved. Accordingly the accounts have been prepared under the going concern basis.
At each period end foreign currency monetary items are translated using the closing rate. Non-monetary items measured at historical cost are translated using the exchange rate at the date of the transaction and non-monetary items measured at fair value are measured using the exchange rate when fair value was determined. Foreign exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of transactions and from the translation at period-end exchange rates of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are recognised in profit or loss. Gains on sale of investments are recognised on the date of completion. Earn-out income relates to a deferred sale consideration, linked to the performance of a business during the period following the sale. Earn-out fees are recognised in the period the business' performance is assessed.
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
2.Accounting policies (continued)
Tax is recognised in profit or loss except that a charge attributable to an item of income and expense recognised as other comprehensive income or to an item recognised directly in equity is also recognised in other comprehensive income or directly in equity respectively.
The current income tax charge is calculated on the basis of tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting date in the countries where the Company operates and generates income. Deferred tax balances are recognised in respect of all timing differences that have originated but not reversed by the reporting date, except that:
∙The recognition of deferred tax assets is limited to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits; and
∙Any deferred tax balances are reversed if and when all conditions for retaining associated tax allowances have been met.
Deferred tax balances are not recognised in respect of permanent differences. Deferred tax is determined using tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting date.
The company only enters into transactions that result in basic financial instruments such as other debtors, trade and other creditors, cash at bank and in hand, and loans from related parties.
Other debtors are recognised initially at the transaction price less attributable transaction costs. Trade creditors, other creditors and loans from related parties are recognised initially at transaction price plus attributable transaction costs. Subsequently they are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method, less any impairment losses in the case of other debtors. Cash at bank and in hand comprise cash balances and call deposits.
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
These estimates are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to these estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision only affects that period, or in the period of revision and future periods if the revision affects both future and current periods. No key judgments or estimates have been made in the period.
Analysis of turnover by country of destination:
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
11.Taxation (continued)
At the reporting date the company had estimated tax losses of £4,179,707 (2022 - £4,172,971) available to carry forward and use against future taxable profits. A deferred tax asset of £1,044,927 (2022 - £1,043,243) has not been recognised as there is insufficient evidence to ascertain its recovery.
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
Share premium account
Treasury shares
Profit and loss account
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
The immediate parent undertaking is Skuld Holding Limited, a company registered in Bermuda with registered office address Crown House, 1st Floor, 4 Par-La-Ville Road, Hamilton, HM 08, Bermuda.
The ultimate parent undertaking is Skuld Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association (Bermuda) Limited, a company registered in Bermuda with registered office address Crown House, First Floor, 4 Par-La-Ville Rd, Hamilton, HM 08, Bermuda. The company is included in the consolidated financial statements of Assurance Foreningen Skuld (Gjensidig) ("the association"). The association includes the results of its own subsidiaries in addition to the assocation's affiliated club in Bermuda, Skuld Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association (Bermuda) Limited and its subsidiaries. In accordance with these two associations' byelaws, their members enjoy joint membership in both associations. There is no one member with significant control of the ultimate parent undertaking.
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