For the financial year ended 31 March 2025 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.

These financial statements have been prepared and delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

The directors of the company have elected not to include a copy of the profit and loss account within the financial statements.true

Spratt Endicott Limited is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 52 - 54 The Green, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX14 9AB.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 as applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. The disclosure requirements of section 1A of FRS 102 have been applied other than where additional disclosure is required to show a true and fair view.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

Turnover represents the fair value of services provided during the year on client assignments. fair value reflects the amounts expected to be recoverable from clients based on time spent, skills provided and expenses incurred, and excludes VAT. fee income is recognised as contract activity progresses and the right to consideration is secured, except where the final outcome cannot be assessed with reasonable certainty.

Fee income in respect of contingent fee assignments is recognised in the period when the contingent event occurs and collectability of the fee is assured.

Unbilled fee income on individual assignments is included as work in progress or amounts recoverable within debtors.

Goodwill is amortised over its useful life.

Goodwill arising on the acquisition of an entity represents the excess of the cost of acquisition over the company's interest in the net fair value of the identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities of the entity recognised at the date of acquisition. Goodwill is initially recognised as an asset at cost and is subsequently measured at cost less accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses. Goodwill is held in the currency of the acquired entity and revalued to the closing rate at each reporting date.

Negative goodwill arising on an acquisition is recognised on the face of the balance sheet on the acquisition date and subsequently the excess up t the fair value of non-monetary assets acquired is recognised in profit or loss in the periods in which the non-monetary assets are recovered.

Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is credited or charged to profit or loss.

The cost of tangible assets includes directly attributable incremental costs incurred in their acquisition and installation.

Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and call deposits, and other short-term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of change in value.

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 instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the company's balance sheet 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.

Financial assets, other than those held at fair value through profit and loss, are assessed for indicators of impairment at each reporting end date.

Financial assets are impaired where there is objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the financial asset, the estimated future cash flows have been affected. If an asset is impaired, the impairment loss is the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. The impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss.

If there is a decrease in the impairment loss arising from an event occurring after the impairment was recognised, the impairment is reversed. The reversal is such that the current carrying amount does not exceed what the carrying amount would have been, had the impairment not previously been recognised. The impairment reversal is recognised in profit or loss.

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, 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.

Equity instruments issued by the company are recorded at the proceeds received, net of transaction costs. Dividends payable on equity instruments are recognised as liabilities once they are no longer at the discretion of the company.

The tax expense represents the sum of the tax currently payable and deferred tax.

The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the year. Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the profit and loss account because it excludes items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items that are never taxable or deductible. The company’s liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting end date.

Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all timing differences and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits. Such assets and liabilities are not recognised if the timing difference arises from goodwill or from the initial recognition of other assets and liabilities in a transaction that affects neither the tax profit nor the accounting profit.

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each reporting end date and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered. Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the asset is realised. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the profit and loss account, except when it relates to items charged or credited directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in equity. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when the company has a legally enforceable right to offset current tax assets and liabilities and the deferred tax assets and liabilities relate to taxes levied by the same tax authority.

Provisions are recognised when the company has a legal or constructive present obligation as a result of a past event, it is probable that the company will be required to settle that obligation and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation.

The amount recognised as a provision is the best estimate of the consideration required to settle the present obligation at the reporting end date, taking into account the risks and uncertainties surrounding the obligation. Where the effect of the time value of money is material, the amount expected to be required to settle the obligation is recognised at present value. When a provision is measured at present value, the unwinding of the discount is recognised as a finance cost in profit or loss in the period in which it arises.

The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense, unless those costs are required to be recognised as part of the cost of stock or fixed assets.

The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

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.

Dividends

Dividend distribution to the company's shareholders is recognised as a liability in the financial statements in the reporting period in which the dividends are declared.

In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

The estimates and assumptions which have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities are as follows.

Due to the nature of the business, there are high levels of trade debtors at the year end, and therefore a risk that some of these balances may be irrecoverable. A bad debt review is carried out by the credit control team where debts are assessed and provided against when the recoverability of these balances is considered to be uncertain. The carrying amount is £165,265 (2024: £99,389).

The process of assessing amounts recoverable on contracts and work in progress requires various estimates and judgements to be made. fee earners are required to record time spent on client assignments, this is used as the basis for amounts recoverable on contracts and work in progress estimates. A year end report of time on all assignments is circulated to fee earners to identify likely recoverable amounts. Matters that have been carried out on a contingent basis (where contingent event is yet to occur) are removed from the amounts recoverable on contracts valuation. The carrying amount is £1,343,099 (2024: £1,076,171).

The client claims provision is based on a review of potential claims and assessment of any potential settlements that are considered likely as a result of these. The carrying amount is £165,000 (2024: £218,080).

The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the company during the year was:

Included within the net book value of land and buildings above is £18,973 (2024 - £37,767) in respect of short leasehold land and buildings.

The total amount of financial commitments not included in the balance sheet is £472,754 (2024 - £709,228).

Capital Loans

The directors have advanced to the company loans that are shown within other creditors due within in year.

The amount advanced, and outstanding at the year end are £550,000 (2024: £700,000).

Directors' goodwill loan account

On 1 May 2014, Spratt Endicott partnership was transferred to Spratt Endicott Limited. The transaction resulted in goodwill of £3,400,000 and created a liability to the directors. On 1 October 2014, Spratt Endicott Limited merged with the Alfred Truman partnership. This transaction resulted in goodwill of £650,000 and created a liability to the directors. At the year ended 31 March 2024 a balance of £15,021 was still outstanding to the directors and was shown within other creditors due within one year. There was no outstanding balance at 31 March 2025.

Rent paid

The company pays rent for one office of £29,250 per annum, split equally between the personal pension schemes of J E Spratt 20.83%, A A Woods 20.83%, H G R Patel 12.5%, C A Shaw 12.5% and two further unrelated persons. There were no amounts outstanding at 31 March 2025 (2024: £nil).

The company pays rent for a second office of £77,500 per annum, split equally between the pension schemes of J E Spratt, A A Woods, H G R Patel, C Shaw and a further four unrelated persons. there were no amounts outstanding at 31 March 2025 (2024: £nil).

Overdrawn director's loan account

At the year end one of the directors had an overdrawn loan account of £183,908 (2024: 141,373) which is included in other debtors.