The Big Four accountancy firms – Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC – have significantly reduced job opportunities for new graduates and school leavers, while simultaneously cutting existing roles, as the integration of integration of artificial intelligence (ai) increases. Over the past t
Accountancy
Armstrong Watson warns businesses with operating leases to prepare for significant accounting change
Businesses with operating leases for offices, warehouses, retail spaces, vehicles and other high-value equipment will soon need to prepare for significant changes that will impact how they are accounted for in their financial statements, according to Armstrong Watson. The majority of businesses will
The external audit team of Wbg is set to welcome 10 graduates to its burgeoning team this summer in response to significant growth – double the annual intake of five graduates it has recruited over the last three years. From a team of 28 in 2022, Wbg’s external audit department will numb
Azets has revealed it is actively seeking acquisitions to bolster its presence in key UK regions, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, and the east of England. Its Glasgow-based chief executive, Peter Gallanagh, told The Herald the firm also plans to strengthen its position in parts of Scotland
Scottish accountancy firm Wbg has been reappointed to the Department for Education’s (DfE) Funding Assurance framework for a further three years following a successful re-tender process. The firm remains the sole independent Scottish accountancy practice to be awarded slots on the framework &n
Major accountancy firms are vying to establish a new generation of audits designed to verify the effectiveness and safety of artificial intelligence systems. Deloitte, EY, and PwC have confirmed they are developing AI assurance services, aiming to leverage their established reputations in financial
Responding to a growth of private equity investment, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) is calling for a multi-stakeholder review of the framework governing who can own audit firms. The call follows the publication of a new paper by ICAS’ Private Equity working group, ex
Fraud is prevalent across UK regions, with the value of fraud reported outside of London and South East totalling £117 million in 2024, according to BDO’s latest FraudTrack survey. Key hotspots outside London and South East include the North West and Midlands. Total reported fraud in the
The number of overdue invoices on the books of Scottish businesses dropped to the lowest level in 2025 so far in April, according to new research from R3, the UK’s insolvency and restructuring trade body. R3’s analysis of data provided by Creditsafe shows Scottish businesses had a total
Audit, tax and consulting firm RSM UK has made several key hires in its Aberdeen office to support the firm’s regional and national growth ambitions. The latest hires include Robbie Simpson as audit director, Ciaran Fines as assistant tax manager, and Naeema Joji as assistant audit manager. Th
The chief executive of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the UK's accountancy regulator, has promised to speed up investigations into audit failures. Richard Moriarty told the Sunday Times that the FRC needed to take disciplinary action against auditors more swiftly. He emphasised the imp
With creditor petitions for sequestration on the rise, Wbg, one of Scotland’s independent specialist full-service accountancy firms, is reminding debtors and their legal representatives of the strategic importance of the Form 33 Moratorium and the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) as a preventativ
Scottish accountancy firm EQ Accountants, part of the Sumer Group, has merged with Edinburgh-based McDonald Gordon & Co, marking EQ's third acquisition in the past year and is a key step in its strategy to triple turnover from £11 million to £30m within four years. The merger signifi
The accountancy profession has an increasingly critical role to play in setting the standard for ethical behaviour in business, according to a new ethical leadership insights series from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS). ICAS conducted in-depth interviews with a selection of
Former senior executives from EY and PwC are launching a new UK advisory firm, Unity Advisory, backed by up to $300 million (c. £225m) from private equity group Warburg Pincus.