Accountancy Insights

On the latest ICAEW Insights podcast, we explore how accountants can go about approaching some of the year’s most challenging professional issues. World events have moved quickly this year. Successive waves of sanctions against Russia and the return of M&A activity – as well as the subsequent spike in conflict-of-interest queries – have meant that accountants are increasingly needing to make s...

In this Insights in Focus episode, we discuss the major challenges facing UK businesses, including energy costs, recruitment and retention of staff, and wage inflation.     Recent headlines haven’t made easy reading. A recession looms, inflation continues to rise, and sterling plunged following the ‘mini-Budget’ on 23 September.  Understandably, businesses are nervous. ICAEW’s Business Confidence...

On the latest ICAEW Insights podcast, we discuss the economic challenges facing new Prime Minister Liz Truss, and the policy commitments made during the summer’s campaign trail. The Prime Minister has a sizeable in-tray to tackle. Stalling growth and rising inflation have led to warnings of economic stagnation for the UK. The energy crisis and industrial action this coming winter complicate matter...

In this Insights In Focus episode, we explore the multifaceted role of the insolvency professional by hearing from both practitioner and client. Fraser Dick, managing director of Perfection Alloys, shares how the technical and emotional support of Tyrone Courtman, partner at RSM UK Restructuring Advisory, steered the business away from insolvency and towards recovery. Tyrone goes on to explain his...

On the latest ICAEW Insights podcast, we explore the problems facing the aviation sector with experts Matthew Davy, director at Strategy& UK, and Eleni Kaloyirou, CEO of Hermes Airports, Cyprus. The panel discuss the business drivers behind this summer’s flight woes, including the effects of ongoing staff shortages. Plus, we examine the long-term pressures facing the industry as passenger trav...

In this special edition of Insights In Focus, Iain Wright, ICAEW’s Managing Director, Reputation & Influence, is joined by Majeed Neky, Head of Policy, Levelling Up Taskforce at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Gill Morris, Chief Executive, Devo Connect and Sarah Longlands, Chief Executive, Centre for Local Economic Strategies. In the interregnum between Boris Johnson’...

In this special edition of Insights In Focus, Iain Wright, ICAEW’s Managing Director, Reputation and Influence is joined by Kitty Ussher, Chief Economist at the Institute of Directors, and Suren Thiru, ICAEW’s Director, Economies. Talking on the morning that UK GDP figures for May were released showing an unexpected return to economic growth, Kitty and Suren both tell Iain why managers and busines...

On the latest ICAEW Insights podcast, we speak to Martin Wheatcroft about rising inflation and what that means for businesses, plus capital allowances reforms. Inflation is rising at a record pace across the world, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and exacerbated by a perfect storm of world events, including the war in Ukraine. We explore the impacts of this, both negative and positive, and what...

In this Insights In Focus episode, we take a look at the upward trend in instances of fraud: what factors make it easier for fraudsters, and what can the profession do about it? Instances of fraud have been on the rise since 2019, particularly during the pandemic, as economic criminals exploited new weaknesses created as a result of the rapid introduction of COVID-19 measures. Last month, the UK g...

On the latest ICAEW Insights podcast, we speak to Ed Humpherson, Director General of The Office for Statistics Regulation about the importance of data for the Levelling Up agenda. The levelling up agenda aims to bring a better balance to the UK economy, but this is no easy undertaking, involving huge infrastructure projects and changes to everything from tax to devolution to regional funding. Ed d...

The horrific situation in Ukraine has had wide-ranging impacts and implications across the world, not least the fight against economic crime. In the UK, this is a huge undertaking. Will the new Economic Crime Act make a difference? Solicitor and economic crime specialist Matt Corn discusses the climate for economic crime in the UK and how the new Act will work in the context of existing UK law. La...

In this Insights in Focus episode, we look at what happens to your digital assets after you die. A large proportion of our lives are now lived online. The digital footprint of the average person on the street is getting bigger and bigger. Some of that includes assets that we really value, both from an emotional and financial perspective. Journalist and author Jamie Bartlett looks to answer the que...

On the latest ICAEW Insights podcast, we speak to Jamie Bartlett, author and presenter about the importance of digital assets.  These assets can include NFTs, cryptocurrencies and prizes email addresses and social media handles. What happens to them when we die? Jamie discusses how to look after your digital shadow.  Then, Sunday Times Economics Editor and author David Smith discusses the conditio...

We take a look at the issue of domestic modern slavery, and how authorities and prosecutors look to build a case under the Modern Slavery Act. Before the Modern Slavery Act came into force in 2015, criminals would get a longer sentence for moving 3kg of cocaine than for trafficking 300 people. It is a critical piece of legislation in tackling modern slavery in the UK, where it is still a significa...

In this episode of ICAEW Insights, we look at the issues facing charities in the UK, the increasing focus of regulators, investors and stakeholders on non-financial misconduct and what’s new with tax. Host and ICAEW financial services director Philippa Kelly is joined by the Institute’s head of charities and voluntary sector, Kristina Kopic, to discuss the challenges the sector has faced over the...

In the first ICAEW In Focus podcast of 2022, Chief Executive Michael Izza looks at the biggest issues facing business and the wider economy, with help from experts from around the Institute. The global economy is going through significant change at the moment, some of it long term, some of it short. For instance, we’re seeing the start of a gradual transition away from fossil fuels, starting with...

In the second of a two-part special Insights In Focus podcast, ICAEW Chief Executive Michael Izza discusses non-financial reporting, public sector finances, and the big tech trends of 2022. At the end of 2021, we saw some significant developments towards a coherent framework for non-financial reporting standards. The formation of the International Sustainability Standards Board by IFRS in November...

Welcome to this ICAEW Insights podcast, where we analyse the latest news from the world of accountancy, business and finance. On the show, ICAEW’s financial services director Philippa Kelly joins host Tom Herbert to assess the potential for regulating ‘greenwashing’ and ask whether 2022 will be another year of calculating EBITDAC for the nation’s businesses. ICAEW Tax Faculty’s Lindsey Wicks puts...

On the latest Insights In Focus podcast, we reflect as the dust settles on the COP26 discussions in Glasgow, it’s time to assess and reflect on what was – and wasn’t – achieved. For almost 30 years, governments and policy makers have been meeting at the Conference Of Parties (COP) to try to solve the problem of climate change. In that time, it has gone from a seemingly distant issue to an imminent...

Welcome to this ICAEW Insights podcast, where we analyse the latest news from the world of accountancy, business and finance. On the show, we speak to Small Business Minister Paul Scully about how the government intends to help small businesses hit hard by the pandemic, what chartered accountants working in or advising small businesses can do, and how to tackle the UK’s productivity puzzle. With t...

On the latest ICAEW Insights in Focus podcast, we take a look at The Fabian Society’s new pamphlet on delivering value for money on public spending. Transparency in public spending has never been more important. With public services under increasing pressure, government debt rising and targets in areas such as carbon emissions to be met, any spending must be backed with evidence that it will deliv...

Welcome to this ICAEW Insights podcast, where we analyse the latest news from the world of accountancy, business and finance. In this special edition, we’re joined by experts from across ICAEW’s tax and public sector team to preview the government’s Autumn Budget 2021 and Spending Review, which takes place on Wednesday 27 October. Normally one of the biggest financial events of the year in its own...

On this week’s ICAEW Insights in Focus podcast, we take an in-depth look at a real-life cyber attack. It was a seemingly ordinary day in Gareth’s* life. Then the phone started ringing, and it never stopped. His company was the target of a ransomware attack. Years later, he shares his story with journalist and author of 'The Dark Net', Jamie Bartlett, as part of ICAEW’s Cyber Crime Week....

Welcome to this ICAEW Insights ‘In Focus’ podcast. This is where we interrogate a specific but timely topic from the world of accountancy, business and finance. This time we examine Less Complex Entity (LCE) audits. There’s been a lot of talk about LCE audits recently and that’s because the international auditing standard-setter, the IAASB, recently issued an exposure draft for a standard for LCE...

Welcome to this ICAEW Insights podcast, where we analyse the latest news from the world of accountancy, business and finance. On the show we speak to Eleanor Fairford, the National Cyber Security Centre’s Deputy Director for Incident Management, about the rising tide of ransomware, and how chartered accountants can protect themselves and their businesses. ICAEW Tax Faculty’s Lindsey Wicks outlines...