Big Four

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has today announced the four largest audit firms (Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC), have concluded the transition period of operational separation. Throughout the three-year transitional period, all four firms have made significant improvements to their governance to pr

PwC has announced it is relocating its Glasgow office to the newly refurbished Aurora building on Bothwell Street in 2025. The firm’s 488 people based in Glasgow will move from the current office also situated on Bothwell Street.

PwC UK has begun a major restructuring, creating a stand-alone technology and AI unit and reorganising several practice areas. The changes impact approximately 2,700 staff and partners, roughly a tenth of PwC's UK workforce. The changes, led by UK managing partner Laura Hinton, aim to simplify the b

Anna Anthony has been chosen as EY's new UK & Ireland regional managing partner, making her the first woman to permanently lead a Big Four firm in the UK. Currently head of EY's UK financial services division, Ms Anthony is responsible for over £1 billion of revenues, 250 Partners and 5,00

Deloitte UK partners have seen their average pay fall by £48,000 to £1.012 million in the year ending May 2024. This decrease comes despite a 2% rise in total revenue to £5.7 billion, driven by strong performance in tax, legal, and auditing. However, it remains the only Big Four fi

PwC UK partners have seen their average pay drop to £862,000 this year, a 5% decrease from £906,000 last year. This comes as the firm's revenue growth slowed to 9%, down from 16% the previous year. Profits also fell by 14% to £1.1 billion.

EY partners have been told to expect a second consecutive year of pay cuts, while many senior staff will not receive a salary increase this year.

Deloitte UK has revealed it is set to equalise parental leave, offering all new parents 26 weeks of fully-paid family leave from 1 January 2025. This policy replaces the previous four weeks of paternity leave at full pay. Additionally, the Big Four firm is introducing up to 12 weeks of extra paid le

Deloitte has decided to reintroduce in-person interviews for its UK graduate scheme, responding to concerns from the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) over online cheating. The Big Four firm will return to face-to-face interviews from September for graduate and apprenticeship programmes.

PwC UK has communicated to its staff that it will monitor office attendance starting in January. The move comes as part of a stricter hybrid working policy, requiring staff to be in the office or at client sites for at least three days a week.

EY UK is expected to offer lower pay rises and bonuses for staff within its tax advisory division, mirroring a trend among Big Four firms responding to a challenging economic climate. The firm's 4,400-strong tax division are set to receive a 2.2% base salary increase, a decrease from previous years

PwC's China business, PwC Zhong Tian, has said it anticipates to receive a six month business ban from Chinese authorities, starting as early as September, due to its audit of the collapsed property developer Evergrande. The Chinese securities regulator previously found that Evergrande had infl

A UK property developer, Revelan, is suing PwC for £6.6 million in London's High Court. The developer alleges PwC provided "negligent" tax advice which resulted in a £3m tax bill from HMRC. Revelan alleges PwC miscalculated their tax liabilities over a five-year period, errors which PwC

In what marks the first time the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined an audit firm, the regulator has issued PwC a £15 million penalty for failing to report suspicions of fraud at now-defunct London Capital & Finance (LCF).

PwC UK has informed its employees of reduced bonuses in certain divisions, smaller pay rises, and a cutback on the popular half-day Fridays perk due to "challenging market conditions". In a memo, chief people officer Ian Elliott told the Big Four firm's 26,000 staff that while the overall bonus pool