Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
Association of Church
Accountants and Treasurers
(ACAT)
What does membership give me?
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
ACAT membership
• block membership paid by BYM
• available to all local and area Quaker
meeting treasurers
• www.acat.uk.com
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
ACAT membership
• login details were sent to AM treasurers
in 2014 and to LM treasurers in May
2016.
• Contact Helen Griffiths,
heleng@quaker.org.uk
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
ACAT services
• ACAT handbook
• quarterly newsletter
• members’ advice line
• technical papers
• training and development
• annual reference guide
• links to other websites
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
ACAT handbook
• read online or download pdf
• main sections
– treasury
– fundraising
– administration
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
ACAT handbook
treasury
• becoming a treasurer
• bookkeeping
• internal controls
• budgets and stewardship
• receipts and payments
accounting
• accrual accounting
• VAT
• employment issues
• reserves
• the annual report
• independent review –
examination and audit
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
ACAT handbook
• fundraising
• fundraising
• tax-efficient giving
• stewardship
• investing surplus funds
• associated charities
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
ACAT handbook
administration
• charity registration in
England and Wales
• church insurance
• health & safety
• risk assessment
• data protection
• property development
• IT for churches
• useful addresses
• charities in Scotland
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
quarterly newsletter
• alerts treasurers to current issues
• an indexed archive of previous
newsletters
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
quarterly newsletter
• April 2016 issue
– HMRC and Budget issues
• VAT registration threshold
• NI employment allowance
• minimum wage rates
• apprenticeship levy
• stamp duty
• ChV1 (change of details) form online
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
quarterly newsletter
• April 2016 issue
– changes to benefits in kind
– Charity Commission issues
• SORP
• Commission alerts and guidance
– miscellaneous news and advice
• cathedral and church repairs
• right to rent
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
members’ advice line
• advice from ACAT specialist officers
• online via enquiry form
• by telephone for complex issues
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
technical papers
• technical issues not yet in the handbook
– mortgages for churches and charities
– the minister and taxation
– churches and non-charitable expenditure
– online corporation tax returns
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
ACAT Tra ining
• a foundation course
• 3 one-day workshops
• online training videos
• annual conference
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
ACAT Tra ining
• one-day courses on Saturdays
• locations nationwide
• foundation course and workshops
currently cost £45 each
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
ACAT Tra ining
• foundation course
– overview of church finance
– aimed at new or recently appointed
treasurers
– income under £250,000 per year
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
ACAT Tra ining
• workshop day 1
– follows on from foundation course
– modules on:
• managing risk
• fundraising and tax pitfalls
• strategic planning & budgeting
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
ACAT Tra ining
• workshop day 2
– issues for more experienced treasurers
– modules on:
• changing treasurers
• coping with independent examination
• how to be an independent examiner
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
ACAT Tra ining
• workshop day 3
– for treasurers of larger churches
– concentrates on HMRC and Charity
Commission rules
– SORP accounting after 1 January 2015
– clergy tax issues
– establishing & running a tax effective trading
company
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
ACAT Tra ining
• online training videos
– complement the handbook
• budgeting
• financial reporting
• independent examination
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
ACAT Tra ining
• annual conference
– each October
• Saturday 15 October 2016
• Institute of Education, Bedford Way, London
Britain Yearly Meeting
of the Religious
Society of Friends
annual guide
• reference leaflet published every April
with
– tax rates
– tax bands
– minimum and living wage
– etc.
