USBORNE PUBLISHING LIMITED

• ◆

  1 PSC ceased in last 24 months

  Significant control changed hands — see the Ownership section.

Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers

Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.

Accounting basis

FRS 102

Reporting scope

Standalone (parent only)

Auditor

S&W Partners Audit Limited

Audit opinion

Unqualified (clean)

Going concern

Affirmed

“The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. The Directors have reviewed the company's forecasted trading and cash position since the year end and for a period of at least 12 months from the date of approval of these financial statements. The Directors have a reasonable expectation that the company is on track to achieve the forecasted position for the financial year ended 31 January 2026 and beyond. The Directors have also considered suitable sensitivities and conclude the entity has adequate resources to ensure it is able to meet its liabilities as and when they fall due for a period of not less than twelve months from the approval of these financial statements.”

Group structure

1. USBORNE PUBLISHING LIMITED · parent
   1. Usborne Verlag GmbH 100% · Germany · Administration
   2. Usborne Publishing Inc 100% · U.S.A · Dormant
   3. Usborne Books at Home Limited 100% · England · Dormant
   4. Usborne Music Publishing Limited 100% · England · Dormant
   5. Usborne Reference Publishing Limited 100% · England · Dormant

Significant events

• “During the year ended 31 January 2025, Usborne were made aware of a VAT audit being undertaken in France regarding the rates used on the sale of children's books, and whether categories of books should be charged at the reduced rate of VAT of 5.5% or the full rate at 20%. The audit is ongoing, and therefore it is currently unclear if any of Usborne's books will be deemed by the French authorities to have been sold at the incorrect rate. As such, it is not possible to estimate the financial effect nor timing of any liability.”
• “The intention of the directors is to continue the development of the company using existing strategies, including further expansion into the USA.”

Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers

Filings

7

last 12 months

Capital events

0

last 24 months

Officers appointed

0

last 12 months

Officers resigned

0

last 12 months

Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.

• Turnover

  -0.9%

  £78,117,569 → £77,445,392

• Cash

  -0.8%

  £28,596,853 → £28,362,895

• Net assets

  +0.3%

  £78,939,913 → £79,200,910

• Employees

  +0.3%

  287 → 288

• Operating profit

  +93.5%

  -£11,639,401 → -£761,489

• Profit before tax

  +105.1%

  -£10,966,327 → £558,188

• Wages

  +5%

  £14,289,451 → £15,008,584

Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. The comparison is only shown when the latest and prior accounts cover broadly equal-length periods — short or long stubs (typical around incorporation or a year-end change) are suppressed rather than misrepresented. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers