Isn’t the new SORP getting too long and complex?
It is true that both SORP 2000 and SORP 2005 are longer than their predecessors. In each case the reason for the increase in length has been caused by three factors: the need to incorporate advice on additional accounting standards, the need for advice on accounting for new situations and the request from readers and users of the SORP for further explanations and examples. The SORP committee have done everything possible to keep increases to a minimum. Some advice that appeared in earlier SORPs has been removed and SORP 2005 now deals exclusively with accruals accounts (receipts and payments accounts being addressed though accounts pack). The SORP committee resisted where possible requests made through consultation what would have expanded the SORP still further by addressing specific issues affecting a particular charity. Interestingly, even those commenting that the SORP was becoming overlong usually identified particular issues affecting their own charity where they felt further adv
