134 Vodafone Group Plc Annual Report 2026
Strategic report
Governance
Financials
Other information
Independent auditor’s report to the members of Vodafone Group Plc continued
Our application of materiality We apply the concept of materiality in planning and performing the audit, in evaluating the effect of identified misstatements on the audit and in forming our audit opinion. Materiality The magnitude of an omission or misstatement that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of the users of the financial statements. Materiality provides a basis for determining the nature and extent of our audit procedures. We determined our materiality for the Group to be €270 million (2025: €215 million), which is approximately 2.5% (2025: 2.0%) of Adjusted EBITDAaL. We believe that Adjusted EBITDAaL provides us with the most relevant performance measure for the continuing business on which to determine materiality, given the prominence of this metric throughout the Annual Report and consolidated financial statements, investor presentations, profit metrics focused on by analysts and its alignment to the management remuneration metric of adjusted EBIT. When calculating our final materiality, we consider the need to make adjustments to the basis for materiality to reflect a consistent view of the underlying business. We determined materiality for the Parent company to be €588 million (2025: €421 million), which is approximately 1.5% (2025: 1.0%) of the Parent company’s equity. However, since the Parent company was a full scope component, for accounts that were relevant for the consolidated financial statements, a performance materiality of €43 million was applied. The increase in the materiality for the Group and Parent company reflects the completion of significant portfolio changes as well as the overall stability of the industry and business as well as the viability of the Group. Performance materiality The application of materiality at the individual account or balance level. It is set at an amount to reduce to an appropriately low level the probability that the aggregate of uncorrected and undetected misstatements exceeds materiality. On the basis of our risk assessments, together with our assessment of the effectiveness of the Group’s overall control environment to prevent or timely detect and correct material errors, our judgement was that performance materiality was 75% (2025: 75%) of our planning materiality, namely €200m (2025: €160m). Audit work was undertaken at component locations for the purpose of responding to the assessed risk of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements. The performance materiality set for each component is based on the relative scale and risk of the component to the Group as a whole and our assessment of the risk of misstatement at that component. In the current year, the range of performance materiality allocated to components was €39m to €200m (2025: €32m to €160m). Reporting threshold An amount below which identified misstatements are considered as being clearly trivial. We agreed with the Audit and Risk Committee that we would report to them all uncorrected audit differences in excess of €13m (2025: €11m), which is set at 5% of materiality, as well as differences below that threshold that, in our view, warranted reporting on qualitative grounds.
We evaluate any uncorrected misstatements against both the quantitative measures of materiality discussed above and in light of other relevant qualitative considerations in forming our opinion. Other information The other information comprises the information included in the annual report set out on pages 1 to 126, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in this report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of the other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006 In our opinion, the part of the directors’ remuneration report to be audited has been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006. In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit: – the information given in the strategic report and the directors’ report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and – the strategic report and the directors’ report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Matters on which we are required to report by exception In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Group and the Parent company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report or the directors’ report. We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: – adequate accounting records have not been kept by the Parent company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or – the Parent company financial statements and the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or – certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or – we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit
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