REGISTERED NUMBER: |
Report of the Directors and |
Financial Statements |
for the Year Ended 31st December 2024 |
for |
Northern Balance Ltd |
REGISTERED NUMBER: |
Report of the Directors and |
Financial Statements |
for the Year Ended 31st December 2024 |
for |
Northern Balance Ltd |
Northern Balance Ltd (Registered number: 04635154) |
Contents of the Financial Statements |
for the year ended 31st December 2024 |
Page |
Company Information | 1 |
Report of the Directors | 2 |
Report of the Independent Auditors | 4 |
Income Statement | 8 |
Balance Sheet | 9 |
Statement of Changes in Equity | 10 |
Notes to the Financial Statements | 11 |
Northern Balance Ltd |
Company Information |
for the year ended 31st December 2024 |
DIRECTORS: |
REGISTERED OFFICE: |
REGISTERED NUMBER: |
AUDITORS: |
Statutory Auditors |
Princes House |
Wright Street |
Hull |
East Yorkshire |
HU2 8HX |
BANKERS: |
1 Victoria Place |
Holbeck |
Leeds |
LS11 5AN |
Northern Balance Ltd (Registered number: 04635154) |
Report of the Directors |
for the year ended 31st December 2024 |
The directors present their report with the financial statements of the company for the year ended 31st December 2024. |
PRINCIPAL ACTIVITY |
The principal activity of the company in the year under review was that of supplying and repairing balance instruments. |
DIRECTORS |
The directors set out in the table below have held office during the whole of the period from 1st January 2024 to the date of this report. |
The directors shown below were in office at 31st December 2024 but did not hold any interest in the Ordinary shares of £1 each at 1st January 2024 or 31st December 2024. |
STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITIES |
The directors are responsible for preparing the Report of the Directors 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 United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). 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 and then apply them consistently; |
- | make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; |
- | 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 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. |
The directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the company's website. |
STATEMENT AS TO DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO AUDITORS |
So far as the directors are aware, there is no relevant audit information (as defined by Section 418 of the Companies Act 2006) of which the company's auditors are unaware, and each director has taken all the steps that he ought to have taken as a director in order to make himself aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the company's auditors are aware of that information. |
AUDITORS |
The auditors, Sadofskys, will be proposed for re-appointment at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. |
Northern Balance Ltd (Registered number: 04635154) |
Report of the Directors |
for the year ended 31st December 2024 |
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. |
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD: |
Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of |
Northern Balance Ltd |
Opinion |
We have audited the financial statements of Northern Balance Ltd (the 'company') for the year ended 31st December 2024 which comprise the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Statement of Changes in Equity and Notes to the Financial Statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). |
In our opinion the financial statements: |
- | give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 31st December 2024 and of its loss for the year then ended; |
- | have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and |
- | have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. |
Basis for opinion |
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 UK, including the FRC'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. |
Conclusions relating to going concern |
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. |
Other information |
The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information in the Report of the Directors, but does not include the financial statements and our Report of the Auditors 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 this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. 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. |
Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006 |
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit: |
- | the information given in the Report of the Directors for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and |
- | the Report of the Directors has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. |
Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of |
Northern Balance Ltd |
Matters on which we are required to report by exception |
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 Report of the Directors. |
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where 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; or |
- | the directors were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies' exemption from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report or in preparing the Report of the Directors. |
Responsibilities of directors |
As explained more fully in the Statement of Directors' Responsibilities, 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 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. |
Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of |
Northern Balance Ltd |
Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements |
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 a Report of the Auditors 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. |
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 repairs to electronic and optical equipment 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, UK taxation legislation, and data protection, anti-bribery, employment, environmental, and health and safety legislation, along with industry specific regulations and requirements; |
- 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; and |
- considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations. |
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; |
- reading the minutes of meetings of those charged with governance; |
- enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims; and |
- reviewing correspondence with HMRC, relevant regulators, and the company's legal advisors. |
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 Report of the Auditors. |
Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of |
Northern Balance Ltd |
Use of our 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 a Report of the Auditors 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 |
Statutory Auditors |
Princes House |
Wright Street |
Hull |
East Yorkshire |
HU2 8HX |
Northern Balance Ltd (Registered number: 04635154) |
Income Statement |
for the year ended 31st December 2024 |
2024 | 2023 |
Notes | £ | £ |
TURNOVER |
Cost of sales |
GROSS PROFIT |
Administrative expenses |
26,841 | 89,430 |
Other operating income | ( |
) |
OPERATING PROFIT | 4 |
Interest receivable and similar income |
29,264 | 24,475 |
Interest payable and similar expenses |
PROFIT BEFORE TAXATION |
Tax on profit | 5 |
(LOSS)/PROFIT FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR |
( |
) |
Northern Balance Ltd (Registered number: 04635154) |
Balance Sheet |
31st December 2024 |
2024 | 2023 |
Notes | £ | £ | £ |
FIXED ASSETS |
Intangible assets | 6 |
Tangible assets | 7 |
CURRENT ASSETS |
Stocks |
Debtors | 8 |
Cash at bank |
CREDITORS |
Amounts falling due within one year | 9 |
NET CURRENT ASSETS |
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES |
CREDITORS |
Amounts falling due after more than one year |
10 |
( |
) |
PROVISIONS FOR LIABILITIES | ( |
) | ( |
) |
NET ASSETS |
CAPITAL AND RESERVES |
Called up share capital | 12 |
Retained earnings |
SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS |
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on |
Northern Balance Ltd (Registered number: 04635154) |
Statement of Changes in Equity |
for the year ended 31st December 2024 |
Called up |
share | Retained | Total |
capital | earnings | equity |
£ | £ | £ |
Balance at 1st January 2023 |
Changes in equity |
Total comprehensive income | - |
Balance at 31st December 2023 |
Changes in equity |
Total comprehensive income | - | ( |
) | ( |
) |
Balance at 31st December 2024 |
Northern Balance Ltd (Registered number: 04635154) |
Notes to the Financial Statements |
for the year ended 31st December 2024 |
1. | STATUTORY INFORMATION |
Northern Balance Ltd is a |
The presentation currency of the financial statements is the Pound Sterling (£). |
2. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES |
Basis of preparing the financial statements |
Related party exemption |
The company has taken advantage of exemption, under the terms of Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland', not to disclose related party transactions with wholly owned subsidiaries within the group. |
Turnover |
Turnover represents the total invoice value, excluding value added tax, of sales made during the year. |
Goodwill |
Intangible assets |
Intangible assets are initially measured at cost. After initial recognition, intangible assets are measured at cost less any accumulated amortisation and any accumulated impairment losses. |
Tangible fixed assets |
Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life; |
Plant and machinery etc - 20% on cost |
Stocks |
Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell. |
At each reporting date, and assessment is made for impairment. Any excess of the carrying amount of stocks over its estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell is recognised as an impairment loss in profit or loss. Reversals of impairment losses are also recognised in profit or loss. |
Northern Balance Ltd (Registered number: 04635154) |
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
for the year ended 31st December 2024 |
2. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued |
Financial instruments |
The company has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 'Basic Financial Instruments' and Section 12 'Other Financial Instruments Issues' of FRS 102 to all of its financial statements. |
Financial instruments are recognised in the company's statement of financial position when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. |
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously. |
Basic financial assets, which include debtors, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised. |
Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the company after deducting all of its liabilities. |
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors, bank loans, loans from fellow group companies and preference shares that are classified as debt, are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised. |
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method. |
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method. |
Changes in the fair value of derivatives that are designated and qualify as fair value hedges are recognised in profit or loss immediately, together with any changes in the fair value of the hedged asset or liability that are attributable to the hedged risk. |
Taxation |
Taxation for the year comprises current and deferred tax. Tax is recognised in the Income Statement, except to the extent that it relates to items recognised in other comprehensive income or directly in equity. |
Current or deferred taxation assets and liabilities are not discounted. |
Current tax is recognised at the amount of tax payable using the tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date. |
Deferred tax |
Deferred tax is recognised in respect of all timing differences that have originated but not reversed at the balance sheet date. |
Timing differences arise from the inclusion of income and expenses in tax assessments in periods different from those in which they are recognised in financial statements. Deferred tax is measured using tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the year end and that are expected to apply to the reversal of the timing difference. |
Unrelieved tax losses and other deferred tax assets are recognised only to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits. |
Northern Balance Ltd (Registered number: 04635154) |
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
for the year ended 31st December 2024 |
2. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued |
Foreign currencies |
Assets and liabilities in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rates of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rate of exchange ruling at the date of transaction. Exchange differences are taken into account in arriving at the operating result. |
Hire purchase and leasing commitments |
Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged to profit or loss on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease except where another more systematic basis is more representative of the time pattern in which economic benefits from the leases asset are consumed. |
Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits |
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the company's pension scheme are charged to profit or loss in the period to which they relate. |
Government grants |
Government grants are recognised using the accruals model. Grants of a revenue nature are credited to income so as to match them with the expenditure to which they relate. Grants in respect of capital expenditure are credited to a deferred income account and are released to profit over the expected useful lives of the assets to which they relate. |
A grant that becomes receivable as compensation for expenses or losses already incurred, or for the purpose of giving immediate financial support to the company with no future related costs, is credited to income in the period in which it becomes receivable. |
3. | EMPLOYEES AND DIRECTORS |
The average number of employees during the year was |
4. | OPERATING PROFIT |
The operating profit is stated after charging/(crediting): |
2024 | 2023 |
£ | £ |
Depreciation - owned assets |
Depreciation - assets on hire purchase contracts |
Loss/(profit) on disposal of fixed assets | ( |
) |
Goodwill amortisation |
Auditors' remuneration |
5. | TAXATION |
Analysis of the tax charge |
The tax charge on the profit for the year was as follows: |
2024 | 2023 |
£ | £ |
Current tax: |
UK corporation tax |
Deferred taxation |
Tax on profit |
Northern Balance Ltd (Registered number: 04635154) |
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
for the year ended 31st December 2024 |
6. | INTANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS |
Goodwill |
£ |
COST |
At 1st January 2024 |
and 31st December 2024 |
AMORTISATION |
At 1st January 2024 |
Charge for year |
At 31st December 2024 |
NET BOOK VALUE |
At 31st December 2024 |
At 31st December 2023 |
7. | TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS |
Plant and |
machinery |
etc |
£ |
COST |
At 1st January 2024 |
Additions |
Disposals | ( |
) |
At 31st December 2024 |
DEPRECIATION |
At 1st January 2024 |
Charge for year |
Eliminated on disposal | ( |
) |
At 31st December 2024 |
NET BOOK VALUE |
At 31st December 2024 |
At 31st December 2023 |
The net book value of tangible fixed assets includes £ 284,119 in respect of assets held under hire purchase contracts. |
8. | DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR |
2024 | 2023 |
£ | £ |
Trade debtors |
Amounts owed by group undertakings |
Other debtors |
Taxation | 14,000 | 6,415 |
Prepayments |
Northern Balance Ltd (Registered number: 04635154) |
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
for the year ended 31st December 2024 |
9. | CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR |
2024 | 2023 |
£ | £ |
Hire purchase contracts (see note 11) |
Trade creditors |
Amounts owed to group undertakings |
Social security and other taxes |
Other creditors |
Accrued expenses |
10. | CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE AFTER MORE THAN ONE YEAR |
2024 | 2023 |
£ | £ |
Hire purchase contracts (see note 11) |
11. | LEASING AGREEMENTS |
Minimum lease payments under hire purchase fall due as follows: |
2024 | 2023 |
£ | £ |
Net obligations repayable: |
Within one year |
Between one and five years |
12. | CALLED UP SHARE CAPITAL |
Allotted, issued and fully paid: |
Number: | Class: | Nominal | 2024 | 2023 |
value: | £ | £ |
Ordinary | £1 | 100 | 100 |
13. | ULTIMATE PARENT AND CONTROLLING PARTY |
The ultimate controlling party is LBO France, a company registered in France (RCS Strasbourg Reg. No. 418354502). The immediate parent company is Gem Scientific 2014 Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (Reg. No. 09304255). |
The parent of the largest group for which consolidated financial statements are drawn up is Dutscher Holding. Copies of the consolidated accounts can be obtained from 2C, Rue De Bruxelles, 67170, Bernolsheim, France.. |
The parent of the smallest group for which consolidated financial statements are drawn up is Scientific Laboratory Supplies Group Limited, whose registered office address is Orchard House, The Square, Hessle, United Kingdom, HU13 0AE. |
Dutscher Holding SAS (incorporated in France) is regarded by the directors as being the company's ultimate parent company (RCS Strasbourg Reg. No. 882634660). |