Mincoffs Solicitors LLP is a limited liability partnership incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 5 Osborne Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, NE2 1SQ.
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.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the members have a reasonable expectation that the limited liability partnership has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the members continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Revenue is recognised to the extent that the LLP obtains the right to consideration in exchange for its performance. Revenue is measiured at the fair value of the consideration received, excluding discounts, rebates, VAT and other sales tax or duty.
The SORP recognises that the basis of calculating profits for allocation may differ from the profits reflected through the financial statements prepared in compliance with recommended practice, given the established need to seek to focus profit allocation on ensuring equity between different generations and populations of members.
Members' fixed shares of profits (excluding discretionary fixed share bonuses) and interest earned on members' balances are automatically allocated and, are treated as members' remuneration charged as an expense to the profit and loss account in arriving at profit available for discretionary division among members. The remainder of profit shares, which have not been allocated until after the balance sheet date, are treated in these financial statements as unallocated at the balance sheet date and included within other reserves.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost, 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 income statement.
Impairment of assets
A review for indicators of impairment is carried out at each reporting date, with the recoverable amount being estimated where such indicators exist. Where the carrying value exceeds the recoverable amount, the asset is impaired accordingly. Prior impairments are also reviewed for possible reversal at each reporting date.
For the purposes of impairment testing, when it is not possible to estimate the recoverable amount of an individual asset, an estimate is made of the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs. The cash-generating unit is the smallest identifiable group of assets that includes the asset and generates cash inflows that are independent of the cash inflows from other assets or groups of assets.
Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
The limited liability partnership 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 limited liability partnership's statement of financial position when the limited liability partnership becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset and 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 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.
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.
Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the limited liability partnership transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.
The limited liability partnership 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 limited liability partnership's statement of financial position when the limited liability partnership becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset and 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 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 limited liability partnership after deducting all of its liabilities.
Derivatives, including interest rate swaps and forward foreign exchange contracts, are not basic financial instruments. Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value on the date a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently re-measured at their fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are recognised in profit or loss in finance costs or finance income as appropriate, unless hedge accounting is applied and the hedge is a cash flow hedge.
Debt instruments that do not meet the conditions in FRS 102 paragraph 11.9 are subsequently measured at fair value through profit or loss. Debt instruments may be designated as fair value through profit or loss to eliminate or reduce an accounting mismatch or if the instruments are measured and their performance evaluated on a fair value basis in accordance with a documented risk management or investment strategy.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the limited liability partnership’s obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The taxation payable on the partnership's profits is the personal liability of the members, although payment of such liabilities is administered by the partnership on behalf of its members. Consequently, neither partnership taxation nor related deferred taxation is accounted for in these financial statements. Sums set aside in respect of members' tax obligations are included in the balance sheet within loans and other debts due to members, or are set against amounts due from members as appropriate.
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.
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.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
Post-retirement payments to former members
The post-retirement payments due to members are determined annually based upon a formula directly linked to the profits of the partnership. Provision is made for such payments when a member obtains an actual or constructive right to the payments, which the LLP has no discretion to withhold. The provision is based upon the estimated present value of the expected future payments to members.
Amounts recognised in respect of current members are charged to the profit and loss account within members' remuneration charged as an expense. The liability for post-retirement payments due to current members is recorded in the balance sheet within loans and other debts due to members. In the year in which a member retires, the liability is transferred from loans and other debts due to members and is recorded as a liability due to former members within either creditors or provisions for liabilities.
Where provision for post-retirement payments due to former members is a contractual liability or a constructive obligation of certain timing amount, the provision will be recorded within creditors falling due within or after more than one year. In all other cases, the provision will be recorded within provisions for liabilities.
Leases are classified as finance leases whenever the terms of the lease transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to the lessees. All other leases are classified as operating leases.
Assets held under finance leases are recognised as assets at the lower of the assets fair value at the date of inception and the present value of the minimum lease payments. The related liability is included in the statement of financial position as a finance lease obligation. Lease payments are treated as consisting of capital and interest elements. The interest is charged to profit or loss so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability.
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.
Members' interests
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, 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland', and the requirements of the Statement of Recommended Practice 'Accounting by Limited Liability Partnerships'. A member's participation right results in a liability unless the right to any payment is discretionary on the part of the LLP.
Amounts subscribed or otherwise contributed by members, for example members' capital, are classed as equity if the LLP has an unconditional right to refuse payment to members. If the LLP does not have such an unconditional right, such amounts are classified as liabilities.
Where profits are automatically divided as they arise, so the LLP does not have an unconditional right to refuse payment, the amounts arising that are due to members are in the nature of liabilities. They are therefore treated as an expense in the Income statement in the relevant year. To the extent that they remain unpaid at the year end, they are shown as liabilities in the Statement of financial position.
Conversely, where profits are divided only after a decision by the LLP or its representative, so that the LLP has an unconditional right to refuse payment, such profits are classed as an appropriation of equity rather than as an expense. They are therefore shown as a residual amount available for discretionary division among members in the income statement and are equity appropriations in the Statement of financial position.
Other amounts applied to members, for example remuneration paid under an employment contract and interest on capital balances, are treated in the same way as all other divisions of profits, as described above, according to whether the LLP has, in each case, an unconditional right to refuse payment.
All amounts due to members that are classified as liabilities are presented in the statement of financial position within 'Loans and other debts due to members' and are charged to the income statement within 'Members' remuneration charged as an expense'. Amounts due to members that are classified as equity are shown in the statement of financial position within 'Members' other interests'.
The average number of persons (excluding members) employed by the partnership during the year was:
The finance leases and long-term loans are secured against the assets of the company.
The finance leases and long-term loans are secured against the assets of the company.
In the event of a winding up the amounts included in "Loans and other debts due to members" will rank equally with unsecured creditors.
At the reporting end date the limited liability partnership had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, as follows: