Registration number: 08765186

Estate Research Limited

Contents

Balance Sheet	1
Notes to the Unaudited Financial Statements	2 to 6

Estate Research Limited

(Registration number: 08765186)
Balance Sheet as at 30 November 2025

	Note	2025 £	2024 £
Fixed assets
Tangible assets	5	1,767,065	1,784,032
Current assets
Stocks	6	977,000	893,000
Debtors	7	1,958,331	1,051,619
Cash at bank and in hand		3,410,934	2,515,535
		6,346,265	4,460,154
Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year	8	(2,366,202)	(633,277)
Net current assets		3,980,063	3,826,877
Total assets less current liabilities		5,747,128	5,610,909
Provisions for liabilities		(74,334)	(68,416)
Net assets		5,672,794	5,542,493
Capital and reserves
Called up share capital	9	2	2
Retained earnings		5,672,792	5,542,491
Shareholders' funds		5,672,794	5,542,493

For the financial year ending 30 November 2025 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Director's responsibilities:

•	The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476; and
•	The director acknowledges his responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.

These financial statements have been prepared and delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. As permitted by section 444 (5A) of the Companies Act 2006, the director has not delivered to the registrar a copy of the Profit and Loss Account.

Approved and authorised by the director on 19 August 2026
 

......................................... Mr Aidan Hutchings Director

Estate Research Limited

Notes to the Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 30 November 2025

1	General information

The company is a private company limited by share capital, incorporated in England and Wales.

The address of its registered office is:
102 Chapel Lane
Wigan
WN3 4HG
England

These financial statements were authorised for issue by the director on 19 August 2026.

2	Accounting policies

Summary of significant accounting policies and key accounting estimates

The principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all the years presented, unless otherwise stated.

Statement of compliance

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102 Section 1A smaller entities - 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006 (as applicable to companies subject to the small companies' regime).

Basis of preparation

These financial statements have been prepared using the historical cost convention except that as disclosed in the accounting policies certain items are shown at fair value.

Revenue recognition

Turnover represents fees and commissions earned from probate genealogy services, excluding value added tax. Revenue from contingent fee engagements is recognised when the company's contractual obligations have been substantially fulfilled, the beneficiary's entitlement has been established and the company's fee has become contractually due.

Work in progress comprises costs incurred on probate genealogy engagements that remain incomplete at the reporting date. Work in progress is stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Cost includes directly attributable costs incurred in carrying out the engagement. Net realisable value represents the estimated recoverable amount from the engagement after deducting costs to complete.

Tax

The tax expense for the period comprises current and deferred tax. Tax is recognised in profit or loss, except that a change attributable to an item of income or expense recognised as other comprehensive income is also recognised directly in other comprehensive income.

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 taxable income.

Estate Research Limited

Notes to the Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 30 November 2025

Deferred tax is recognised in respect of all timing differences between taxable profits and profits reported in the financial statements.

Unrelieved tax losses and other deferred tax assets are recognised when it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits.

Deferred tax is measured using the tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting date and that are expected to apply to the reversal of the timing difference.

Tangible assets

Tangible assets are stated in the balance sheet at cost, less any subsequent accumulated depreciation and subsequent accumulated impairment losses.

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

Depreciation

Depreciation is charged so as to write off the cost of assets over their estimated useful lives as follows:

Asset class	Depreciation method and rate
Land & buildings	Land not depreciated, buildings 2% straight line
Furniture, fittings and equipment	25% reducing balance and 33% straight line

Cash and cash equivalents

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.

Leases

Rentals paid under operating leses are charged to the profit and loss on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.

Defined contribution pension obligation

The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the company's pension scheme are charged to the profit or loss in the period to which they relate.

Financial instruments

The company has elected to apply the provisions of FRS 102 Section 11 'Basic Financial Instruments' to all of its financial instruments.

The following assets and liabilities are classified as financial instruments; bank accounts, trade debtors, other debtors, director's loan accounts, trade creditors and accruals.

Financial instruments that are payable or receivable within one year, typically bank accounts, trade debtors, other debtors, director's loan accounts, trade creditors and accruals are measured initially and subsequently at the undiscounted amount of the cash or other consideration that is expected to be paid or received.
 

Estate Research Limited

Notes to the Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 30 November 2025

3	Staff numbers

The average number of persons employed by the company (including the director) during the year, was 34 (2024 - 32).

4	Intangible assets

	Goodwill  £	Total £
Cost or valuation
At 1 December 2024	1,750,000	1,750,000
At 30 November 2025	1,750,000	1,750,000
Amortisation
At 1 December 2024	1,750,000	1,750,000
At 30 November 2025	1,750,000	1,750,000
Carrying amount
At 30 November 2025	-	-

5	Tangible assets

	Land and buildings £	Furniture, fittings and equipment  £	Total £
Cost or valuation
At 1 December 2024	1,828,324	349,925	2,178,249
Additions	7,193	62,048	69,241
At 30 November 2025	1,835,517	411,973	2,247,490
Depreciation
At 1 December 2024	146,534	247,683	394,217
Charge for the year	36,710	49,498	86,208
At 30 November 2025	183,244	297,181	480,425
Carrying amount
At 30 November 2025	1,652,273	114,792	1,767,065
At 30 November 2024	1,681,790	102,242	1,784,032

Included within the net book value of land and buildings above is £1,652,274 (2024 - £1,681,791) in respect of freehold land and buildings.
 

Estate Research Limited

Notes to the Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 30 November 2025

6

Stocks

	2025 £	2024 £
Work in progress	977,000	893,000

7

Debtors

Current	2025 £	2024 £
Trade debtors	260,759	280,612
Prepayments	30,824	35,851
Other debtors	1,666,748	735,156
	1,958,331	1,051,619

8

Creditors

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

	2025 £	2024 £
Due within one year
Trade creditors	238,125	268,675
Taxation and social security	1,204,587	272,795
Accruals and deferred income	908,433	26,270
Other creditors	15,057	65,537
	2,366,202	633,277

9	Share capital

Allotted, called up and fully paid shares

	2025		2024
	No.	£	No.	£
Ordinary A shares of £1 each	1	1	1	1
Ordinary B shares of £1 each	1	1	1	1
	2	2	2	2

Estate Research Limited

Notes to the Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 30 November 2025

10	Related party transactions

Transactions with the director

2025	At 1 December 2024 £	Advances to director £	Repayments by director £	At 30 November 2025 £
Mr Aidan Hutchings
	25,603	270,925	(52,388)	244,140

2024	At 1 December 2023 £	Advances to director £	Repayments by director £	At 30 November 2024 £
Mr Aidan Hutchings
	361,866	296,549	(632,812)	25,603

The balance outstanding is unsecured, interest has been charged on the balance at the official rate and been repaid to the company within nine months of the reporting date.

Summary of transactions with other related parties

Estate Research PC Limited - Company registered in England under common control During the year the company charged Estate Research PC Limited £686,366 (2024: £561,194) in respect of management charges.

The balance due from Estate Research PC Limited at the reporting date was £162,789 (2024: £166,732). This balance is unsecured and there are no fixed repayment terms.

Summary of transactions with other related parties

Close family member of the director Included in other debtors is £94,025 (2024: £nil) owing from a close family member of the director. Interest has been charged on this balance at the official rate and has been repaid to the company within nine months of the reporting date.