Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is it free?
A: Indiexam is something I do in my spare time alongside a day job in finance, not as a formal company — so there are no overheads to recover. The work pays for itself because I keep examiner time per engagement low. Charities that want to make a voluntary contribution afterwards are welcome to (typically £50–150), and those contributions support the work for other charities. There's no charge and no expectation.
Q: Are you qualified to do this?
A: Yes. I'm a chartered accountant and member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), qualified in 2016. ICAEW members are explicitly named in the Charities Act 2011 as eligible to act as independent examiners. You can verify my registration at find.icaew.com — my member number is 3308169.
Q: Where are you based?
A: North Hampshire. Most of the work is done remotely (documents shared via Xero, Dropbox, or email), but I can meet in person or on Teams when it helps. I work with charities anywhere in England and Wales.
Q: Which charities can you work with?
A: I focus on smaller charities — typically those with gross annual income between £25,000 and £1 million. That's the range where an independent examination is required by law but a full audit is not. If your charity sits at either end of that range, get in touch and we can talk it through.
Q: How long will the process take?
A: Most examinations take 1–3 weeks from the point I have all your documents, depending on how much back-and-forth is needed. If there's a filing deadline, let me know and I'll work to it.