Accountancy practices to acquire in the North West
Updated 9 November 2026
Looking to acquire an accountancy practice in the North West? Firmbase ranks 675 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; 20 firms are owned by groups that have acquired several firms in this sector. Looking beyond the North West? Explore the full UK list of accountancy practices.
675
Firms
UK 6,347
23%
Every director 55+
UK 26%
34%
Held 75%+ by one person
UK 36%
14
Median years in business
UK 14
8
Median headcount
UK 8
£250k to £500k
Median turnover band
UK £250k to £500k · includes our estimates
20 firms owned by 7 groups that have bought several firms in this sector. That is 3% of this list, against 3% across the UK. Groups that own firms on this list include Xeinadin and Affinia. To have a group's name removed, email dave@firmbase.co.
Towns with the most firms
- Manchester 320 firms
- Liverpool 121 firms
The first 25 firms, in Approach Score order
| Rank | Firm | Approach Score | The facts behind the score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Working With Schools Manchester | Approach Score 90/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 04474880 · Companies House |
| 2 | Phillip Bates Neston, Cheshire | Approach Score 89/100 |
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Company no. 03153346 · Companies House |
| 3 | Black Swan (NW) Leyland A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 89/100 |
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Company no. 07393539 · Companies House |
| 4 | Downham Morris Stockport, Cheshire | Approach Score 87/100 |
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Company no. 10243254 · Companies House |
| 5 | Michael Donnan Ness, Cheshire | Approach Score 86/100 |
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Company no. 08034878 · Companies House |
| 6 | C J Roberts & Partners Manchester, Greater Manchester | Approach Score 86/100 |
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Company no. 06531380 · Companies House |
| 7 | Accountant Anywhere Sale, Cheshire | Approach Score 83/100 |
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Company no. 08754214 · Companies House |
| 8 | GLA Chartered Accountants Manchester | Approach Score 83/100 |
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Company no. 06397493 · Companies House |
| 9 | Ogden Townsend Cheshire | Approach Score 82/100 |
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Company no. 04408160 · Companies House |
| 10 | Adcroft Hilton Blackpool | Approach Score 82/100 |
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Company no. 05398253 · Companies House |
| 11 | Sterling Finance Ashton Under Lyne, Lancashire A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 82/100 |
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Company no. 04665300 · Companies House |
| 12 | S B Payroll Services Altrincham, Cheshire | Approach Score 82/100 |
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Company no. 04976313 · Companies House |
| 13 | Bridgestones Oldham | Approach Score 82/100 | We hold older figures than Companies House
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Company no. 04159159 · Companies House |
| 14 | SB Patel Southport, Merseyside | Approach Score 82/100 |
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Company no. 05053072 · Companies House |
| 15 | DMS Accountants Southport | Approach Score 81/100 |
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Company no. 09115100 · Companies House |
| 16 | ERC Liverpool, Merseyside | Approach Score 81/100 |
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Company no. 06815821 · Companies House |
| 17 | A Dickinson Accountants Wigan, Lancashire | Approach Score 81/100 |
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Company no. 07045163 · Companies House |
| 18 | Powell & Powell Cheadle, Cheshire | Approach Score 80/100 |
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Company no. 05809566 · Companies House |
| 19 | Melville & Accountants Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria | Approach Score 80/100 |
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Company no. 09645329 · Companies House |
| 20 | HML Davies Lancs | Approach Score 80/100 |
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Company no. 07992201 · Companies House |
| 21 | Batten Hughes Liverpool A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 80/100 |
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Company no. 03998124 · Companies House |
| 22 | Longworth Forensic Accounting Liverpool | Approach Score 79/100 |
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Company no. 08388072 · Companies House |
| 23 | Hailwood & Co. Wirral, Merseyside | Approach Score 79/100 |
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Company no. 05077392 · Companies House |
| 24 | AD Accountancy Salford A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 79/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 06695105 · Companies House |
| 25 | Whalley Swarbrick Preston A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 79/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 05264162 · Companies House |
650 more firms are in the list, in Approach Score order.
You're seeing the first 25. Buy all 675 for £799 + VAT, with the facts behind each score, director names, shareholders and financials.
Buy the list of all 675 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.
It holds the facts behind each score, points for each part of the score, financials with dates, publicly available contact details, where identified, director names and named shareholders.
Some people with significant control appear as Other individual, with no further detail. Director email lookups are not included.
How this list is filtered
- 5 or more staff, from filed headcount or our estimate where none is filed.
- Registered office in the North West.
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
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.
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The standard Firmbase list
Buy the list of all 675 firms, with director names, ages and shareholders
Each row comes with the facts behind its score, financials with dates and contact details.