For many small businesses, accepting online payments is now essential. But behind a seemingly simple customer transaction can sit a collection of disconnected systems, unclear fees and manual processes.
Across sectors, businesses are reshaping how they operate – driven by technology, shifting client expectations, and new models of ownership and scale. Tax is no exception. The industry has reached an inflexion point, providing significant opportunities for both firms and individuals who are ready to embrace them.
Define benefit pension schemes rarely sit at the top of your priority list - until they do. Funding volatility, governance burden and balance sheet impact can quickly move pensions from background noise to boardroom concern. At the same time, the range of “endgame” options has expanded, making it harder to know what the right long-term plan looks like.
Artificial intelligence has changed the rules of cybercrime. Attacks that once required significant skill and resource can now be executed at scale, at speed and with unsettling precision. Handling large amounts of sensitive client financial data, tax records and payroll information makes accountancy practices and finance teams attractive targets for cybercriminals.
As an employer, you know how valuable your workers are to the success and sustainability of your business. That’s why ensuring their health and wellbeing are protected is not just a moral imperative; it’s an essential component of productivity, loyalty, and overall morale.
For the first time in two decades, finance leaders can look at their defined benefit pension schemes and feel a sense of calm. Funding levels have improved, volatility has eased and for many companies, the days of emergency board discussions about liquidity or deficits feels like a distant memory.
The convergence of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax and the accelerated adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by clients is not a threat, but a pivotal moment, forcing the elevation of the accounting profession. This transformation positions accountants as strategic advisors, auditors of AI-assisted data, and guides through digital change.
The Employment Rights Act 2025, formerly known as the Employment Rights Bill, was first proposed and introduced to Parliament in October 2024. The Bill, designed to modernise UK employment laws and enhance worker protections, intended to amend zero-hours contracts and the two-year threshold to qualify for unfair dismissal rights, as well as an array of other laws affecting worker entitlements and protections.
Threats are more human-focused, more technologically advanced, and more intertwined with everyday working practices than ever before. 2025 has shown us a shift: sharper social engineering, AI-generated communication that feels real, supply-chain vulnerabilities, real-time phishing, and an urgent need for independent assurance rather than blind confidence in IT.
Risk management is becoming significantly more complex, driven by rapid regulatory change, evolving cyber threats, and rising expectations from regulators, customers, and investors. While many organisations are increasing investment in risk frameworks, AI capabilities, and cybersecurity resources, overall maturity remains low.
For many mid to large UK accountancy firms, improving operational performance is no longer about incremental change. The pressures shaping the profession include rising client expectations, competition for talent, increasing compliance demands and the pace of digital innovation. These forces have exposed a deeper issue within most firms. The technology foundations they were built on were not designed for the firms they need to become.
Ulster Bank has supported one of Northern Ireland’s largest specialist finance providers to expand and develop its core product offering throughout the UK and Ireland.
Businesses are investing heavily in cyber security, yet many leaders still carry that nagging fear their defences will fail. Lindsay Hill, CEO at Mitigo Cybersecurity, explains why that fear is justified - and how to make sure you’re investing in the right areas to protect your firm.
Gone are the days when selecting a new car was all about following a predictable formula of safety, reliability, and a German badge on the front. Today, the automotive landscape is thriving as innovative manufacturers redefine our expectations for value, comfort, and design.
The motoring world is shifting faster than it has in over a century. Electric vehicles (EVs) are no longer niche or futuristic; they are firmly in the mainstream, reshaping how individuals and businesses think about transport. For ICAEW members, who live and breathe the balance sheet, the move to electric isn’t just about shiny new technology. It’s about value, efficiency, and long-term financial sense.
No, this is not an article about technology. It’s a high-level summary of the underlying circumstances which, in our experience, allow cyber attacks to succeed.
The Employment Rights Bill is the biggest shake-up in UK employment law in a generation. Croner's article and infographic break down the key reforms and timeline so you can stay compliant and protect your business.
Cybercrime is not caused by lone hackers - it’s a global, professionalised industry. In this interview, Kerrie Machin, Business Development Director, Mitigo Cybersecurity, explains why cyber risk management can’t be left to IT teams, how the most common attacks are unfolding today, and what the regulatory landscape means for accountancy firms.
UpSlide's industry report surveyed 400 senior accounting and advisory professionals. Discover how AI, branding, and processes are impacting win rates in a rapidly evolving market.
Manual work, disjointed systems and missed deadlines are making it harder for firms to keep up. Some teams waste hours formatting and linking documents, struggle with version control, and can fall behind schedule – putting client relationships and profitability at risk.
Managing Defined Benefit (DB) pensions can be complex and costly and schemes that do not have a clear long-term plan could be missing out on opportunities to fully remove risk or release cash surplus. The insurance market is now more accessible than ever, and operational consolidation is levelling the playing field – ensuring smaller schemes gain the scale and efficiency of larger counterparts.
The 2025 global economic environment presents significant uncertainty, creating both challenges and opportunities for businesses—and for finance leaders. More than ever, CFOs must provide strategic leadership to the business, guidance through turbulent times, and positioning for continued growth—becoming, in effect, a chief value officer.
