Mapus Smith & Lemmon LLP is a limited liability partnership incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 48 King Street, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 1HE.
The limited liability partnership's principal activities are disclosed in the Members' Report.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice "Accounting by Limited Liability Partnerships" issued in December 2021, together 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 limited liability partnership. 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.
The 2024 financial statements were presented for a period shorter than one year due to basis period reform. The comparatives presented in the financial statements (including the related notes) are therefore not entirely comparable.
Turnover represents amounts chargeable to clients for the provision of professional services excluding value added tax. The LLP recognises income at the point it has a right to consideration. All un-invoiced amounts are shown within turnover and debtors.
If, at the balance sheet date, completion of contractual obligations is dependent on external factors (and thus outside the control of the Limited Liability Partnership), then revenue is recognised only when the event occurs. In such cases, costs incurred up to the balance sheet date are carried forward as work in progress.
Members' participation rights are the rights of a member against the LLP that arise under the members' agreement (for example, in respect of amounts subscribed or otherwise contributed remuneration and profits).
Members' participation rights in the earnings or assets of the LLP are analysed between those that are, from the LLP's perspective, either a financial liability or equity, in accordance with section 22 of FRS 102. A member's participation rights including amounts subscribed or otherwise contributed by members, for example members' capital, are classed as liabilities unless the LLP has an unconditional right to refuse payment to members, in which case they are classified as equity.
All amounts due to members that are classified as liabilities are presented within 'Loans and other debts due to members' and, where such an amount relates to current year profits, they are recognised within ‘Members' remuneration charged as an expense’ in arriving at the relevant year’s result. Undivided amounts that are classified as equity are shown within ‘Members' other interests’. Amounts recoverable from members are presented as debtors and shown as amounts due from members within members’ interests.
Where there exists an asset and liability component in respect of an individual member’s participation rights, they are presented on a gross basis unless the LLP has both a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts, and it intends either to settle on a net basis or to settle and realise these amounts simultaneously, in which case they are presented net.
Once an unavoidable obligation has been created in favour of members through allocation of profits or other means, any undrawn profits remaining at the reporting date are shown as ‘Loans and other debts due to members’ to the extent they exceed debts due from a specific member.
Goodwill represents purchased goodwill acquired by the partnership. Goodwill is estimated by the designated members to have a useful economic life of twenty years and is being written off on a straight line basis at 5% per accounting year.
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 recognised in the profit and loss account.
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 limited liability partnership is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
The company operates a defined contribution scheme for the benefit of its employees. Contributions payable are charged to the profit and loss account in the year they are payable. The assets of the scheme are held by an insurance company.
Members are responsible for their own pension provision and do so mainly by contributions to personal pension plans and other appropriate investments.
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 leased asset are consumed.
Rental income from operating leases is recognised on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease. Initial direct costs incurred in negotiating and arranging an operating lease are added to the carrying amount of the leased asset and recognised on a straight line basis over the lease term.
Provisions
The LLP, in common with similar practices, is from time to time involved in disputes in the ordinary course of business which may give rise to claims. Provision is made in the financial statements for all claims where costs are likely to be incurred and represents the cost of defending and concluding claims. No separate disclosure is made of the cost of claims covered by insurance as to do so could seriously prejudice the position of the LLP.
Taxation
Taxation on the profits of the LLP is solely the liability of the individual members. Therefore, neither income tax nor deferred tax arising in respect of the LLP's profit is included in these financial statements.
In the application of the limited liability partnership’s accounting policies, the members 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 average number of persons (excluding members) employed by the partnership during the year was:
In the event of a winding up the amounts included in "Loans and other debts due to members" will rank equally with unsecured creditors.
The limited liability partnership has long term leases to rent offices in King's Lynn and Downham Market. These rental agreements expire in 2028 with three yearly rent reviews. At the reporting end date the limited liability partnership had outstanding commitments for future minimum leases, as follows:
The limited liability partnership has additional leases in place for office equipment. At the reporting end date the limited liability partnership had outstanding commitments for future minimum leases, as follows: