Where Did the Overdraft Go?
The UK overdraft market has collapsed from £18 bn to £2.7 bn, leaving a £15 bn funding gap for SMEs. With high‑street banks pulling back, many small firms now finance day‑to‑day cash flow through personal credit cards and director reimbursements – a practice dubbed “shadow” funding. Accountants are increasingly the first point of contact, yet only 8 % feel equipped to discuss banking options. Modern challenger banks are leveraging Open Banking to restore quick, flexible overdraft‑style facilities.
Sumer Welcomes Moore Thompson, Deepening Its Commitment to Community-Based Businesses Across the East of England
Sumer announced the acquisition of Moore Thompson, a century‑old accountancy and advisory firm serving SMEs, family businesses, and charities across the East of England. The deal expands Sumer’s regional footprint, adding 100 staff and offices in key towns and bolstering...
Katie Collin on Why Female Leadership in the Top 100 Is Sliding
In this episode, Nikita Alexander talks with Ramsay Brown Partner Katie Collin about the recent drop in female leadership within the UK’s Top 100 firms, now down to just 12 % at senior levels. Collin attributes the decline to cyclical workload pressures that...
A Practical Guide to Completing Identity Verification for Your Clients
In this Accountancy Age episode, the hosts walk listeners through the two‑step Companies House identity verification process that directors and persons with significant control (PSCs) must complete before filing confirmation statements. They explain how ACSPs report verifications, obtain the 11‑character...
A Blueprint for the Predictive Firm: Moving Beyond Manual Data Reconciliation
The episode explores how leading accountancy firms are shifting from retrospective reporting to predictive, real‑time visibility by consolidating fragmented tech stacks into unified platforms. It highlights the £300k technology investment benchmark needed to eliminate manual data reconciliation, improve margin protection...
The April 6th Countdown: Navigating the 2026 Compliance Cliff
The episode warns mid‑tier UK firms that the 2026/27 tax year marks a "Compliance Cliff" with four major changes: MTD for ITSA becomes mandatory for sole traders and landlords earning over £50,000 gross, requiring quarterly digital filings from August 2026;...
Sustainability in 2026: What Finance and Accounting Professionals Need to Know
The episode explores the evolving landscape of sustainability reporting as it pertains to finance and accounting professionals, focusing on the upcoming International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards and their alignment with the U.S. and UK regulatory shifts. Experts discuss the...
ACCA Future-Proofs Finance Professionals with New Tech-Focused Certificates
The episode explains ACCA's launch of a four‑part Technology in Finance certificate series, aimed at equipping accountants with practical skills in data analytics, cybersecurity, AI, and organisational transformation. It highlights that 50 % of finance leaders worry about skill gaps as...
TBL Accountants Joins Xeinadin, Strengthening Southend Office and Support for Local Businesses
Xeinadin has bolstered its Southend office by integrating TBL Accountants, adding a team with over 50 years of expertise in accounting, tax, VAT, payroll and business consultancy for owner‑managed firms and charities. The merger expands client access to national tax...
The Advisory SKU: Ending the Time-Billing Trap in UK Accountancy
The episode explores how UK accountancy firms are breaking the traditional time‑billing model by turning advisory services into repeatable, product‑style SKUs. Guests Adam Branch (Intuit QuickBooks) and Emily Betteridge (BDO Digital) explain that the “advisory gap” is a lack of standardized processes,...
35 Under 35: David Adderson on Advisory, Automation, and the Youtopia Model
In this episode, David Adderson, a 35‑under‑35 honoree, explains how his firm Youtopia is reshaping accounting by delivering real‑time management accounts and positioning itself as a high‑level advisory partner rather than a traditional compliance shop. He emphasizes a "millionaire‑maker" mindset,...
The Payroll Software Dilemma Facing Accountancy Practices
In this episode, Ian Davidson of Quarry Payroll Consulting discusses the strategic crossroads accountancy practices face as legacy payroll software reaches end‑of‑life, weighing migration to modern cloud platforms against outsourcing payroll to specialist providers. He outlines the heavy resource demands,...
Affinia and UHY Hacker Young Offices to Combine in £100m Strategic Merger
Affinia is merging with three UHY Hacker Young offices in London, Nottingham, and Brighton, creating a £100 m revenue firm with 1,000 staff and a 17‑office footprint that propels the combined entity into the UK Top 25. Backed by Sovereign Capital Partners, the...
Why the Xeinadin Auction Collapse Is a Reality Check for the Mid-Tier
The episode examines the collapse of Xeinadin's £1 bn auction, highlighting it as a warning sign for mid‑tier UK accountancy firms that have pursued aggressive buy‑and‑build strategies. Host Nikita Alexander explains that despite Xeinadin’s impressive scale—130 offices and 2,500 staff—potential buyers...
Dext Targets the “Last Mile” Of Bookkeeping with Integrated Payments
In this episode, Accountancy Age discusses Dext's launch of Dext Payments, which extends the platform from AI‑driven invoice capture to integrated payment processing for UK Xero users. CEO Sabby Gill and CPO Stephen Edginton explain how the new feature closes...
From Grants to Growth: Future-Proofing Client Funding in 2026
In this episode Kelly Oakley, Associate Director of Incentives and Reliefs at ForrestBrown, explains how advisers can move from transactional grant claims to holistic, lifecycle funding strategies for 2026. She highlights the newly stable yet complex R&D tax landscape, the...
