Free calculator · UK 2025/26
SRA Client Account Reserve
Solicitors holding client money face reconciliation obligations under the SRA Accounts Rules. This tool sizes the prudent operational reserve you should maintain — covering shortfall remediation, residual balances and contingency — based on your open-matter profile.
SRA Client Account Reserve
Solicitors holding client money face reconciliation obligations under the SRA Accounts Rules. This tool sizes the prudent operational reserve you should maintain — covering shortfall remediation, residual balances and contingency — based on your open-matter profile.
Operational risk-management buffer only — not a regulatory requirement. The SRA Accounts Rules do not mandate a specific firm-side reserve. Discuss sizing with your COFA and specialist accountant.
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Client account rules are unforgiving. Have a specialist check your position, confirm the number is right for your specific situation, and point out anything worth acting on. No obligation, and we reply within one working day.
What this calculator estimates
The SRA Accounts Rules (2019) do not mandate firms to hold a specific reserve against client money. However, prudent practice requires a buffer to cover: shortfalls discovered at reconciliation that need to be funded from office account pending investigation, residual balances awaiting client return, and contingency for client money interest payments.
The calculator estimates peak client money exposure (matters x average balance) then applies a risk factor by matter type. Conveyancing attracts the highest factor due to fraud risk, fund misdirection, and registration errors. The range reflects variation in firm controls and the precision of your input estimates.
Rule 12.2 of the SRA Accounts Rules provides a de minimis exemption from the annual Accountant's Report obligation for firms where the average client-account balance in the period did not exceed £10,000 and the maximum balance did not exceed £250,000 (HP §5.G).
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Free SRA compliance and client account accounting tool
Check your SRA client account reserve
Our interactive tool is built for a larger screen. Tell us your firm's numbers and a specialist solicitors' accountant will send your figure and the sensible next step, with no obligation.
The SRA client account toolkit
A working reconciliation and reserve model with live formulas, plus a plain-English guide to the SRA Accounts Rules. Enter your email to unlock both.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserve sizing (edit the blue cells) | ||||||||||
| 2 | Open matters | 150 | |||||||||
| 3 | Transaction volume | Moderate | |||||||||
| 4 | Matter type | Conveyancing | |||||||||
| 5 | Operational reserve estimate | ||||||||||
| 6 | Peak client money (estimate) | £1,200,000 | |||||||||
| 7 | Suggested reserve (central) | £30,000 | |||||||||
| 8 | Low scenario | £21,000 | |||||||||
| 9 | High scenario | £45,000 | |||||||||
| 10 | Not SRA-mandated: sized by the firm's COFA and accountant | ||||||||||
| 11 | |||||||||||
| 12 | |||||||||||
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Frequently asked questions
- Is this the same as the SRA Accountant's Report?
- No. The SRA Accountant's Report (formerly Annual Accountant's Report) is a regulatory compliance report prepared by a Reporting Accountant examining whether the firm has complied with the Accounts Rules. This calculator estimates a prudent operational reserve — a different concept from the compliance report.
- What does the COFA need to do with this figure?
- The COFA (Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration) is responsible for compliance with the Accounts Rules. The reserve estimate from this tool is input to the COFA's risk assessment and operational buffer decision. It is not a substitute for the COFA's judgment based on the firm's actual reconciliation history and risk profile.
Need help interpreting your results?
These calculators give directional figures based on published rates. Your actual position depends on firm structure, basis period adjustments, existing capital contributions, and your specific revenue profile. We model the full picture as part of our advisory work.
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