TRUSTEES' REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2022
44 Independent auditor's report to the trustees of the RSPCA
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of The Royal Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (the 'parent charity') and its subsidiaries
(the 'group') for the year ended 31 December 2022 which comprise the
consolidated and charity Statement of Financial Activities, the consolidated
and charity balance sheets, the consolidated cash flow statement, and
notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies.
The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation
is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including
FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic
of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion the financial statements:
l give a true and fair view of the state of the group's and charity's affairs
as at 31 December 2022 and of their incoming resources and application
of resources for the year then ended;
l have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom
Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
l have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the
Charities Act 2011.
Basis for opinion
We have been appointed as auditors under section 151 of the Charities
Act 2011 and report in accordance with regulations made under section 154
of that Act.
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on
Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those
standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit
of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the
group and parent charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that
are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the
FRC's Ethical Standard and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in
accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we
have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Conclusions relating to going concern
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees'
use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the
financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material
uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively,
may cast significant doubt on the group's or parent charity's ability to
continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from
when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect
to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the Trustees'
report and accounts other than the financial statements and our auditor's
report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information
contained within the Trustees' report and accounts. Our opinion on the
financial statements does not cover the other information and, we do
not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so,
consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with
the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the
audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such
material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are
required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement
in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have
performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this
other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
Matters on which we are required to report by exception
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where
the Charities Act 2011 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
l the information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in
any material respect with the Trustees' report; or
l sufficient accounting records have not been kept by the parent
charity; or
l the parent charity financial statements are not in agreement with the
accounting records and returns; or
l we have not received all the information and explanations we require
for our audit.
Responsibilities of trustees
As explained more fully in the Statement of trustees' responsibilities on
page 35, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial
statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view,
and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to
enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material
misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for
assessing the group's and parent charity's ability to continue as a going
concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and
using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either
intend to liquidate the group or parent charity or to cease operations,
or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the
financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement,
whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes
our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a
guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always
detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise
from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the
aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic
decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
The extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting
irregularities, including fraud
Irregularities are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations.
The objectives of our audit are to obtain sufficient appropriate audit
evidence regarding compliance with laws and regulations that have a
direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures
in the financial statements, to perform audit procedures to help identify
instances of non-compliance with other laws and regulations that may
have a material effect on the financial statements, and to respond
appropriately to identified or suspected non-compliance with laws
and regulations identified during the audit.