Our business lines

Everyone has an idea of what an accountant and business adviser does – but we’re willing to bet there’s a whole lot more to it than you might think! To help you decide which pathway you want to follow, get to know some of our business lines below and find out what you can expect to be working on in your first year.

Audit

An audit is an independent, objective examination of the accounts of a business – also called financial statements – which is carried out annually. As auditors, we scrutinise our clients’ accounting records and carry out various tests to provide both our clients and their stakeholders with the assurance that their financial statements are a true and fair reflection of the company’s financial performance over the year. We also support our clients to ensure that they are compliant with the many financial regulations they are subject to, and which are continually changing!

Our Audit team of over 225 sharp minds works with over 1600 businesses all over the UK, in a variety of different sectors and industries such as Food & Drink, Technology & Life SciencesFinancial Services, Pensions and Financial Reporting Advisory. Our clients range from small owner-run businesses to FTSE250 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. Whatever their size, we help them build stronger businesses by providing constructive challenge to ensure that their reporting procedures are robust and their processes are fit for the future.

What you’ll do

As part of the audit team, you’ll visit our clients on-site at their premises, giving you a real insight into what goes into running a business. You’ll develop your technical skills by attending stock-takes and learning how to analyse financial records, undertake audit tests, complete audit files and interpret audit regulations. As well as improving your accounting knowledge, you’ll also have the opportunity to develop deep sector-specific insight. Most importantly though, you’ll begin to build those key relationships with our clients.

Your qualifications

In Audit, you’ll usually work towards your AATACCA or ICAS qualifications.

 

Business Advisory and Tax

Our Business Advisory and Tax teams works with clients across all industry sectors and at every stage of the business lifecycle - whether that’s starting-up, expanding, or looking to sell the business and exit. Compliance is a core part of what we do – helping clients prepare their accounts and tax returns correctly, and ensuring these are submitted on time to avoid penalties. But in addition to that, our goal is to build strong relationships and really understand how our clients’ businesses work, so that we can provide tailored advice to help drive them forward and achieve their ambitions. That’s what being a trusted adviser is all about.

What you’ll do

Your role in Business Advisory and Tax will involve preparing management accounts, year-end accounts, VAT returns, and both corporate and private client tax returns. You’ll become well-acquainted with debits and credits through completing bookkeeping records, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to interact directly with our clients to learn about their businesses and establish relationships. You’ll also work with our specialist Digital Advisory team, supporting clients with their cloud accounting software and apps. With the world becoming increasingly digitalised, and the move towards a fully digital tax system, we help clients make the most of what digital accounting platforms can offer so they can make informed decisions. And we do it well, having won the Xero award for Large Firm of the Year in 2020!

Your qualifications

In Business Advisory and Tax, you’ll usually work towards your AATACCAICASATT or CTA qualifications.

 

Specialist Tax

Making sure that our clients are managing their tax in the most efficient way is absolutely vital to the success of their businesses.

We have one of the largest tax teams in Scotland (and it’s award-winning too, scooping the prestigious Tolley’s Taxation Award for Best Tax Practice in a Regional Firm in 2019). Our 130 experts cover the whole spectrum of tax, with our Specialist Tax team encompassing Innovation Taxes, Construction & Property Incentives, International Tax and Employer Services.

Whichever area of tax you work in, what’s guaranteed is constant learning and development! Tax legislation is always evolving and it’s our responsibility to keep our clients informed and up to date. Businesses rely on us to ensure that they are paying the right amount of tax while also taking advantage of any tax reliefs they’re entitled to.

What you’ll do

As part of the team, you’ll be preparing tax returns, liaising with HM Revenue & Customs on our clients’ behalf, and learning how to navigate tax legislation. No two days will ever be the same!

Your qualifications

In Specialist Tax, you’ll usually work towards your ATT and CTA qualifications.

 

Restructuring

Our Restructuring team assist business owners, company directors and individuals through business challenges and tough periods.

We provide sound early advice on solutions that are available to help restructure or to guide though insolvency procedures if that is the most appropriate option. We can assist with corporate solutions such as Advisory work, Company Voluntary Arrangements, Administrations and Liquidation (which can be used for both solvent or insolvent companies). We also advise on personal insolvency options such as Trust Deeds and Bankruptcies (called Sequestrations in Scotland).

We have experience working with companies and businesses across many sectors including construction, hospitality, retail, manufacture and technology. Given the wide range of options and sectors that we get involved in each client is different which provides varied experience and challenges to overcome. In personal cases this can often involve dealing with a family home, for example.

Working in restructuring is a dynamic environment working alongside business owners, employees and creditors in often very challenging situations. People skills are vital to manage stakeholders with conflicting demands. Common sense and commercial nous are also essential as we look to sell assets, actively control and trade businesses, negotiate legal settlements and seek to maximise the outcome for creditors and shareholders. 

What you will do

As part of the Restructuring team, you will get involved in meeting with directors and individuals, onsite visits to identify and deal with assets, statutory compliance to ensure that all legislation is adhered to and interaction with creditors and shareholders. You will prepare Receipts and Payments accounts and Outcome Statements. You would also carry out investigations into historical conduct through analysing financial and trading records and reviewing the actions of directors and individuals to trace and realise assets. There is also the opportunity to take part in Business Development to start to build up relationships with referrers such as solicitors and other accountants.

Your qualifications

In Restructuring you will usually work towards your ACCA qualification. Once this is achieved there are specific insolvency related qualifications of the Certificate of Proficiency in Insolvency and the Joint Insolvency Exam which you can progress towards after you gain experience.

 

Consulting  

Our Consulting team, headed up by Ewen Fleming, bring ‘real-world’ experience in business management across a range of sectors. Each of the team bring something different, so their combined experience and approach offers the perfect combination. 

Using years of experience, we listen to, and quickly understand our clients’ requirements. Our focus is on high quality, practical solutions, delivered at pace. We take ownership, we question the status quo, and we provide actionable insights which will improve performance.  

The areas of consulting we focus on are: 

Strategy: Strategy starts with a vision and is underpinned by goals, objectives, and a delivery roadmap. Done well strategy provides clarity and direction to an organisation. 

Performance Optimisation: There are multiple aspects of a business which may welcome our support and analysis, to identify how to optimise performance and make the relevant changes. A well-defined Target Operating Model is the ideal way to deliver performance improvement. 

Complex Change Support: Change can be a constant, but it can also be complex to achieve. We assist our clients in translating strategy into a practical checklist for execution and operational readiness whilst navigating the numerous pitfalls and risks along the way. 

Consumer Duty: As one of the largest regulatory changes for a decade this represents a significant shift in terms of capability and culture for financial services firms. It is clear that 31 July 2023 represents the beginning, not the end, of firms’ work.  The real work lies ahead, and many firms have noted that a compelling plan of action is required to deliver the culture change envisaged.   

Deal Support: Whatever the specifics of the ‘deal’ might be, the need to manage the process is critical for success. Our experience means we know the steps to take before, during, and after implementation.  

What you’ll do 

As part of the Consulting team, each day will bring new and exciting experiences. Your role will involve a diverse range of activities from research, data analysis, attending client meetings and supporting on client engagements, developing thought leadership articles and our internal processes. You will be immersed in a culture of continuous learning and growth, where you'll have the chance to learn from experienced colleagues. We will support you with tailored training opportunities that align and foster your professional development in this role. 

Your qualifications 

In Consulting we typically offer Project and Change management training such as Prince 2 Practitioner and Agile Change Management. However, if you are interested in pursuing accountancy qualifications such as ACCA, we can also consider this.