AccountingWEB

As the first series of The Progressive Firm Podcast comes to an end, we profile the rise of Wilson Partners and how it navigated recruitment, M&A, branding and tech to become the multi-office operation it is today.

Richard Hattersley recalls his chats with Dan Heelan, director at Heelan Associates, and Ria-Jaine Lincoln, the founder of the Beauty Accountant, who have both found themselves having to correct AI-generated misinformation brought in by clients. The AccountingWEB team of two discuss the risks of relying on AI for advice and how accountants can get ahead of this issue when trust is on the line. Tom...

A date has finally been announced for the Autumn Budget – 26 November. Richard Hattersley looks at the political kite flying that has happened over the summer and what we can potentially expect from the Budget. With the government’s pledge not to increase national insurance, income tax and VAT, Hattersley shares his conversation with James Quarmby, a partner at Stephenson Haywood, on what he think...

On the latest episode of The Progressive Firm Podcast, Emma Reid and Ana Dima of Cottons and Dougie Todd of HaysMac discuss how a rebrand can aid a firm’s growth plans.

With Matthew Ord and Tom Herbert having some well-earned holiday, Richard Hattersley called in some back up for this week’s episode of No Accounting for Taste. He is joined by Wes Rashid, co-founder and CEO of Accountancy Cloud, Nikki Adams, joint managing director at Ad Valorem and Alex Falcon Huerta, CEO and founder of Soaring Falcon. The panel kicks off with the profession’s big debate: private...

Lisa Miles-Heal, CEO of Silverfin, joins AccountingWEB's technology editor Tom Herbert to unpack research showing senior accountants are embracing AI faster than their younger peers. They explore the surprising trend, from access and trust issues to the different roles each generation plays in accounting firms.

After seven years of waiting, audit reform faces yet another delay. Matthew Ord reports that business minister Justin Madders has confirmed the draft Audit Reform and Governance Bill won’t move forward for pre-legislative scrutiny. He shares reactions from Julia Penny, Bruce Cartwright and Iain Wright, as the team wonders when reform will finally happen. Tom Herbert then rewinds 30 years to look b...

On the latest episode of The Progressive Firm Podcast, James Gosling of AJ Chambers and Tim Halford of Xeinadin discuss adopting an M&A approach to growth, the ongoing influence of private equity and the importance of developing a gut feeling.

After enjoying a week in Tenby, Richard Hattersley returns to the podcast to discuss Companies House reforms. While Companies House confirmed small companies will be required to file their profit and loss (P&L) accounts, doubts quickly followed. Hattersley unpacks where the reforms stand, the debate around P&L filing and why the situation has become so unclear. Back from Norway, Tom Herbert takes...

Marc Jeschonneck of EY joins AccountingWEB technology editor Tom Herbert to discuss the importance of addressing AI concerns, ensuring buy-in from auditors and accountants who aren’t up to speed with the latest developments, and the ongoing role of regulators in the space.

AccountingWEB’s MTD Accountability Club is in full swing. In association with Sage, it follows accountants and bookkeepers preparing for the first mandation date. Richard Hattersley goes through the early results from our recent survey (which is still open), on how the profession is coping, exploring what the answers reveal about MTD readiness. Tom Herbert shares the news that Xero has acquired th...

On the latest episode of The Progressive Firm Podcast, Leanne Wilkins of MHA and Jorgia Hatton of JS discuss the importance of recruitment in a growing firm, why communication is key and bridging the skills gap.

Tom Herbert returns from the Sage Future user conference in Atlanta and spills all. He shares Sage’s artificial intelligence insights, classified into waves, and explores what each means. While discussing tech adoption, he argues that it’s not all about the technology, explaining other ways to get the attention of customers. Richard Hattersley reflects on the government's spending review. While no...

When Steve Hare first qualified as an accountant, he never imagined presenting to 4,000 people as chief executive of the UK's largest technology firm, steering it into the age of AI. However, he believes his accounting background will prove pivotal in managing one of the most transformational technologies seen in a generation. Hare joined AccountingWEB technology editor Tom Herbert at the Sage Fut...

With the cut to Level 7 apprenticeship funding now confirmed, Richard Hattersley explains what it means for firms and training across the profession. He shares reactions from professional bodies and considers the long-term impact of the decision. Tom Herbert looks at the shift in focus from vendors and investors, from small business cloud accounting to the mid-market. He breaks down what “mid-mark...

In the first episode of The Progressive Firm Podcast, Laura Leslie of DSG and Scott Heath of DJH pull back the curtain on their growth journeys, looking at how such an idea is born and subsequently implemented.

After attending six events this year, Tom Herbert wraps up the spring events season and shares what stood out. Suggesting there’s been a big push around software that sorts, stores and manages data, Herbert looks at why there’s an increased interest and whether firms actually want it or whether it’s a way for vendors to justify their GenAI investments. Meanwhile, Richard Hattersley digs into HMRC’...

Just ahead of the bank holiday, the government released a surprise Spring tax update. Richard Hattersley breaks down the key announcements, including the delay to the mandation of payrolling benefits and updates to the CEST tool. He also looks at proposed simplifications, such as helping businesses integrate gov.uk guidance with their AI products. As cybersecurity threats become more sophisticated...

With HMRC expanding the MTD pilot from 16 April, Richard Hattersley unpacks the updates, including long-awaited multi-agent access and questions around the value of quarterly updates. Tom Herbert adds insight into technical challenges and what this means for accountants. Herbert then shifts gears to agentic AI, a more advanced form of artificial intelligence that carries out complex, multi-step ta...

With the new tax year starting on 6 April, Richard Hattersley runs through the key changes, from the rise in employer national insurance to HMRC’s focus on debt management. He also covers the MTD countdown, HMRC’s confidence in a 2026 rollout and whether it’s time to rethink the UK tax year. Tom Herbert shares the latest MTD software market updates. Herbert also looks into the latest in artificial...

Oracle NetSuite founder Evan Goldberg and senior vice president EMEA Nicky Tozer join AccountingWEB technology editor Tom Herbert to discuss new products launched at the show, how the developer is using artificial intelligence to connect businesses, and why technology could enable the first billion dollar company run by one person. For full show notes visit: https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/content...

Rachel Reeves kept her promise with no tax changes in yesterday’s Spring Statement. With expectations low, Richard Hattersley recaps the key takeaways, including the eight consultations and policy papers released and looks ahead to what the Autumn Budget might bring. One of the policy papers released confirmed that sole traders and landlords with incomes of more than £20k would be pulled into the...

Recording on location from the Festival of Accounting & Bookkeeping, accountants Della Hudson and Aaron Patrick join host Tom Herbert to discuss the software systems that should be on practitioners' shopping lists in Spring 2025. The trio discuss Making Tax Digital, artificial intelligence and practice management systems, and make a few predictions about what will (and won't) be hot news on the sh...

In this short but sweet episode, recorded live on day two of the Festival of Accounting & Bookkeeping (FAB), the team take a look back at the key moments from day one and get ready for the discussions ahead. With AI continuing to reshape the profession, Making Tax Digital developments and tax changes keeping accountants on their toes, there was plenty for the AccountingWEB team to unpack. Tune in...

Fresh from QuickBooks Get Connected, Tom Herbert kicks off the podcast with the start of event season. He recaps key announcements, Making Tax Digital (MTD) product updates and the upcoming Festival of Accounting and Bookkeeping (FAB) on 12-13 March, highlighting the importance of these events being the last proper window for vendors to push their MTD message. Continuing with MTD, Richard Hattersl...