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 income and expenditure account within the financial statements.true

Veritau Public Sector Limited is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is West Offices, Station Rise, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 6GA. The participating local authorities are the members of the company.

The company was incorporated on 22 May 2024. The comparative figures relate to the period from incorporation to 31 March 2025 and therefore cover a different reporting period to the current year. Accordingly, the current year and comparative figures are not entirely comparable.

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.

At the time of approving the financial statements, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The company has ongoing contracts with local councils and authorities and can tailor its expenditure accordingly in line with income levels.true

The results each year are subject to the movements of the North Yorkshire Pension Fund, which is a defined benefit scheme. The company made a profit before tax of £24,396 before the defined benefit scheme adjustments. The company continues to meet its contributions due to the scheme on a normal contribution basis. There is a subsumption agreement in place between the company and the member councils to take on the assets or liabilities of the pension scheme should this be required.

After a detailed review of the company's reserves and forecasts, the directors are confident that the company has sufficient cash flows to meet its liabilities as they fall due for at least one year from the date of approval of the financial statements.

Thus, the directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

Turnover is recognised at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable for goods and services provided in the normal course of business, and is shown net of VAT and other sales related taxes. The fair value of consideration takes into account trade discounts, settlement discounts and volume rebates.

When cash inflows are deferred and represent a financing arrangement, the fair value of the consideration is the present value of the future receipts. The difference between the fair value of the consideration and the nominal amount received is recognised as interest income.

Revenue from contracts with local authorities for the provision of professional services is recognised on the basis that these are for a 12 month period to cover agreed services to the end of March and the right to income is met at this point.

Intangible assets acquired separately from a business are recognised at cost and are subsequently measured at cost less accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses.

Intangible assets acquired on business combinations are recognised separately from goodwill at the acquisition date where it is probable that the expected future economic benefits that are attributable to the asset will flow to the entity and the fair value of the asset can be measured reliably; the intangible asset arises from contractual or other legal rights; and the intangible asset is separable from the entity.

Amortisation 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:

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 surplus or deficit.

The company applies a de-minimis level of £2k in relation to tangible fixed assets.

At each reporting period end date, the company reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible and intangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any). Where it is not possible to estimate the recoverable amount of an individual asset, the company estimates the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs.

Recoverable amount is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset for which the estimates of future cash flows have not been adjusted. If the recoverable amount of an asset (or cash-generating unit) is estimated to be less than its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset (or cash-generating unit) is reduced to its recoverable amount. An impairment loss is recognised immediately in surplus or deficit, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation decrease.

Recognised impairment losses are reversed if, and only if, the reasons for the impairment loss have ceased to apply. Where an impairment loss subsequently reverses, the carrying amount of the asset (or cash-generating unit) is increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable amount, but so that the increased carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined had no impairment loss been recognised for the asset (or cash-generating unit) in prior years. A reversal of an impairment loss is recognised immediately in surplus or deficit, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the reversal of the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation increase.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

The regular cost of providing retirement pensions and related benefits is charged to the profit and loss account over the employees' service lives on the basis of a constant percentage of earnings. Any difference between the charge to the profit and loss account and the contributions paid to the scheme is shown as an asset or liability in the balance sheet.

The net interest element is determined by multiplying the net defined benefit liability by the discount rate, taking into account any changes in the net defined benefit liability during the period as a result of contribution and benefit payments. The net interest is recognised in profit or loss as other finance revenue or cost.

Remeasurement changes comprise actuarial gains and losses, the effect of the asset ceiling and the return on the net defined benefit liability excluding amounts included in net interest. These are recognised immediately in other comprehensive income in the period in which they occur and are not reclassified to profit and loss in subsequent periods.

The net defined benefit pension asset or liability in the balance sheet comprises the total for each plan of the present value of the defined benefit obligation (using a discount rate based on high quality corporate bonds), less the fair value of plan assets out of which the obligations are to be settled directly. Fair value is based on market price information, and in the case of quoted securities is the published bid price. The value of a net pension benefit asset is limited to the amount that may be recovered either through reduced contributions or agreed refunds from the scheme.

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.

The company is a member of a multi-employer defined benefit scheme. The Directors used the scheme actuary to determine both the present value of the obligation under the scheme, and also the fair value of assets owned, to determine the overall surplus/deficit in the scheme attributable to the company. The actuary used certain critical assumptions, such as discount rate, mortality and expected rates of return when setting the deficit recovery plan for the scheme at each triennial review. Any surplus on the plan is restricted to nil on the basis that any refunds from the plan are contingent on future events. Full disclosure of the assumptions used by the independent third party is provided in note 8.

Revenue from contracts for the provision of professional services is recognised by reference to stage of completion. Work may be completed after the end of the accounting period in which the income was received or may be completed in the accounting period but invoiced later, so to ensure income is recognised correctly an adjustment is therefore made to reflect the value of work done in later periods or completed work invoiced in later periods.

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

Included above is deferred income of £814,411 (2025: £nil) with respect to fees invoiced in advance for services to be provided between April and June 2026.

The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund.

The company participates in the North Yorkshire Pension Fund. The scheme is a defined benefit scheme for the benefit of the employees. The assets of the scheme are fully administered by North Yorkshire Council in a fund independent from that of the company. The last full actuarial valuation of this scheme was carried out by a qualified independent actuary as at 31 March 2025 and updated on an approximate basis to 31 March 2026.

Participating employers' share of the plan has a gross accounting surplus at the reporting date of £5.784m. In line with FRS 102 requirements, the company has recognised as an asset on the balance sheet to the extent that it is able to recover the surplus, either through reduced contributions in the future, or through refunds from the plan. The scheme's actuary has confirmed that they can demonstrate no economic benefit arising to the company from an "asset ceiling" calculation comparing the present value of future service costs to the present value of future contributions. The actuary has also confirmed that any refunds from the plan are contingent on future events. Accordingly, the company has not recognised the pension asset position, restricting the surplus to £nil, and reducing actuarial gains by the same amount. Deferred tax is accounted for on any pension asset or liability recognised in the accounts.

Assumed life expectations on retirement at age 65:

The amounts included in the balance sheet arising from the company's obligations in respect of defined benefit plans are as follows:

The Directors have reviewed the position of the scheme, which includes the expected future service costs and the period over which the company will benefit, and are of the opinion that there is no materially reasonable measure of sufficient certainty of long term recoverability and have capped the asset at £nil.

The movement in pension scheme asset of £812,000 has not been recognised and is included in the actuarial and other losses of £304,000.

The defined benefit obligations arise from plans which are wholly or partly funded.

The actual return on plan assets was £2,560,000.

The company is limited by guarantee, not having a share capital and consequently the liability of members is limited, subject to an undertaking by each member to contribute to the net assets or liabilities of the company on winding up such amounts as may be required not exceeding £10.

As the income statement has been omitted from the filing copy of the financial statements, the following information in relation to the audit report on the statutory financial statements is provided in accordance with s444(5B) of the Companies Act 2006.

The auditor's report is unqualified and includes the following:

In our opinion the financial statements:

• give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 31 March 2026 and of its surplus 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.

Cherwell District Council, City of York Council, Leicester City Council, North Yorkshire Council and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council were each members of the company throughout the current period. Middlesborough Council became a member on 2 February 2026.

The nature of the work performed by the company is to provide internal audit and related assurance services to its members and their respective connected entities. The work is all performed on an arms length basis and under normal market conditions. Any costs incurred are also on an arms length basis and under normal market conditions.