Accountancy practices to acquire in the UK
Updated 9 November 2026
Looking to acquire an accountancy practice in the UK? Firmbase ranks 6,347 accountancy practices using public company information to help buyers prioritise firms for research and potential outreach. The Approach Score ranks firms using public signals including director age and tenure, ownership, business scale, financial strength and recent changes. These firms are not listed for sale, and the ranking does not indicate that an owner is considering a sale.
The median firm has 8 staff and has been in business for 14 years; 187 firms are owned by groups that have acquired several firms in this sector.
Accountancy practices often earn recurring fees, but clients retain the right to choose their accountant after a change of ownership. When buying an accountancy practice, examine the services behind those fees and how client introductions and consent will be handled. Where audit work forms part of the practice, the proposed ownership structure also needs checking against the conditions for keeping audit registration.
Build your accountancy group one acquisition at a time
The UK accountancy market is made up of thousands of independent practices, many built over decades by owners who may eventually consider succession. Firmbase gives you a structured place to start: 6,347 UK limited-company and LLP accountancy practices with five or more staff, ranked by public signals that can help you decide which firms to research and approach first.
The ownership and leadership profile can help shape that search. The median practice in this list has been operating for 14 years, and its median director is 51. Among firms where Firmbase has age data for every director, 26% have only directors aged 55 or over. Age and tenure figures don't tell you whether a particular owner wants to sell. They can help you identify practices where a succession conversation may be worth exploring.
Each firm is ranked using signals including owner tenure and age, ownership structure, team size, financial strength and recent changes at Companies House. You can use the list to build a regional pipeline, find independent practices that fit the profile you are looking for, and prioritise initial outreach using the facts behind each score. The file includes director and significant shareholder details, financials, websites and publicly available contact details, where identified.
This is a sourcing tool, not a list of businesses for sale. You'll need to qualify each opportunity directly, including the owner's plans, client retention and service mix, financial performance, and any regulatory requirements, especially if the practice carries out audit work.
6,347
Firms
26%
Every director 55+
36%
Held 75%+ by one person
14
Median years in business
8
Median headcount
£250k to £500k
Median turnover band
includes our estimates
187 firms owned by 27 groups that have bought several firms in this sector. That is 3% of this list. Groups that own firms on this list include Xeinadin, Nuvo, Pinksalt Partners, Affinia and Affinity Associates. To have a group's name removed, email dave@firmbase.co.
Key facts
A business that audits company accounts needs statutory auditor registration. The audit register records registered auditors. GOV.UK
A change in an accountancy firm's ownership or structure can affect its eligibility to continue regulated work. ICAEW
Accountancy service providers may need money laundering supervision through HMRC or a professional body. GOV.UK
The first 25 firms, in Approach Score order
| Rank | Firm | Approach Score | The facts behind the score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martin and (bridport) Dorset | Approach Score 93/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 05555048 · Companies House |
| 2 | Yousaf Glasgow | Approach Score 93/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. SC134001 · Companies House |
| 3 | JDM Accounting Ltd Chantry, Frome | Approach Score 92/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 04996385 · Companies House |
| 4 | Hythehopes Essex A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 92/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 03242863 · Companies House |
| 5 | Walter Hunter Newport, Gwent | Approach Score 91/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 07807319 · Companies House |
| 6 | Breslins Chartered Accountants Birmingham A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 90/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 03626064 · Companies House |
| 7 | WESTCAS Chartered Accountants Bristol | Approach Score 90/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 04157987 · Companies House |
| 8 | Gillespie Inverarity Blairgowrie, Perthshire A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 90/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. SC409601 · Companies House |
| 9 | Jacksons Chartered Accountants Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire | Approach Score 90/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 04382256 · Companies House |
| 10 | Breslins Chartered Accountants Birmingham A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 90/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 03624094 · Companies House |
| 11 | Working With Schools Manchester | Approach Score 90/100 |
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Company no. 04474880 · Companies House |
| 12 | Abudey & Co Accountants London | Approach Score 90/100 |
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Company no. 05923309 · Companies House |
| 13 | Wellway Accountants Morpeth, Northumberland | Approach Score 90/100 |
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Company no. 04612777 · Companies House |
| 14 | Kala Atkinson London | Approach Score 90/100 |
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Company no. 11565120 · Companies House |
| 15 | Shah P.J. Middlesex | Approach Score 90/100 |
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Company no. 03439207 · Companies House |
| 16 | Brindley Goldstein Hertfordshire | Approach Score 90/100 |
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Company no. 03929796 · Companies House |
| 17 | Alexander James Thames Ditton, Surrey | Approach Score 90/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 05037126 · Companies House |
| 18 | Philips Accountants (southgate) London | Approach Score 89/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 06647773 · Companies House |
| 19 | Edward Friel Dorset | Approach Score 89/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 03614519 · Companies House |
| 20 | Phillip Bates Neston, Cheshire | Approach Score 89/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 03153346 · Companies House |
| 21 | Yates & (accountants) Farnham, Surrey | Approach Score 89/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 08193074 · Companies House |
| 22 | David V Elston & Co. Wadebridge, Cornwall | Approach Score 89/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 06552093 · Companies House |
| 23 | Taxfile London A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 89/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 06565038 · Companies House |
| 24 | Black Swan (NW) Leyland A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 89/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 07393539 · Companies House |
| 25 | Buckingham Northwood | Approach Score 89/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 07801716 · Companies House |
6,322 more firms are in the list, in Approach Score order.
You're seeing the first 25. Buy all 6,347 for £6,146 + VAT, with the facts behind each score, director names, shareholders and financials.
Buy the list of all 6,347 firms, with director names, ages and shareholders
Each row comes with the facts behind its score, financials with dates and contact details.
What's in the file
One row per firm, in Approach Score order, as Excel + CSV.
The score and the firm
Directors and shareholders
Some people with significant control appear as Other individual, with no further detail. Director email lookups are not included.
Frequently asked questions
How can I approach an accountancy practice owner respectfully?
What should I check before buying an accountancy practice?
How does the Approach Score help with accountancy practices?
What usually needs attention when an accountancy practice changes hands?
How this list is filtered
- Active on Companies House. Companies in liquidation, administration, receivership or a voluntary arrangement, or with a proposal to strike off, are left out.
- Dormant companies are left out.
- Firms whose owners asked to be removed are left out.
- Private limited companies, public limited companies, LLPs and private unlimited companies only. Sole traders and partnerships are not covered.
- Firmbase industry tag: Accounting & Audit.
- 5 or more staff, from filed headcount or our estimate where none is filed.
- Registered office in the UK.
How this list is built
The Approach Score ranks firms mainly on public Companies House information about owner tenure and age, ownership, size, financial strength and recent register changes.
Firms with higher scores appear first in each list.
Use the ranking to order research, then check each business directly.
What it does not mean
No firm here is for sale, and the score says nothing about any owner's plans.
At least 95% of the firms where we hold directors had them checked in or after November 2026.
What we do not cover
We cover limited companies, LLPs and private unlimited companies. Sole traders and ordinary partnerships are not on Companies House, so they are not here. Regulatory information is not included in this list. Buyers should check the relevant register as part of their due diligence. Check audit registration on the Register of Statutory Auditors and identify the supervising body, such as ICAEW. Ownership changes can affect eligibility, so discuss the proposed structure with that body.
Why age bands but no people's names
Age bands come from the month and year of birth on Companies House. This page shows no exact ages and no people's names. Both come with the purchased list. The band edges from 45 to 65 are the ages where the score changes. A row shows no age bands when a director's surname is in the firm's name, its group's name or its website. Those directors' ages still count towards the score.
Is this your firm?
You can ask us to take it off every acquisition page, and out of every list we sell after that. Give us your name and work email, and we send you a link to confirm. If your email address is on the firm's own website domain, the firm comes off once you confirm. If it is not, a person reviews your request first. A list already sold stays with its buyer.
To have personal data erased, see our privacy policy.
Other areas
Related sectors
The standard Firmbase list
Buy the list of all 6,347 firms, with director names, ages and shareholders
Each row comes with the facts behind its score, financials with dates and contact details.