Buying accountancy practices
Fee blocks, small practices and audit firms across the UK, with the principals approaching retirement found from their own filings.
Acquisition Engine48,254UK accountancy practices on the platform
Figures at 15 October 2026
Recurring fees, and who holds the clients
An accountancy practice is bought for its recurring compliance fees, so the price depends on how much of the fee list will stay. 18,522 practices have a principal aged 60 or over, and the Register of Statutory Auditors adds 3,599 registered audit firms with their supervisory body.
Where these deals are won or lost
44 diligence requests in 7 sections, 20 of them rated high risk. Three of the high-risk requests, with the guidance shown on each one in the app:
Client-by-client fee list for the last three years
Name, service, annual fee, year first engaged, billing basis. This is the asset being bought — everything else is secondary.
Adjusted profit workings — add back owner's remuneration, private costs and one-offs
The number the price is built on. Expect to challenge every add-back.
Signed engagement letters for the top 25 clients by fee
Missing engagement letters are both a PI exposure and a sign of how the practice is run.
The full diligence list
Open a section to see its requests. Add, edit or remove requests on any deal.
Fee income 7
| F1 | Client-by-client fee list for the last three years | high |
| F2 | Split of recurring versus one-off fees | high |
| F3 | Client concentration — top 10 clients as a share of total fees | high |
| F4 | Client losses in the last three years, with reasons | medium |
| F5 | Fee increases applied in the last three years | medium |
| F6 | Work in progress and unbilled time at the last month end | high |
| F7 | Aged debtors at the last month end, with anything over 90 days explained | high |
Financials 7
| A1 | Statutory accounts for the last three years | high |
| A2 | Management accounts for the current year to date | high |
| A3 | Adjusted profit workings — add back owner's remuneration, private costs and one-offs | high |
| A4 | Detailed overheads analysis for the last two years | medium |
| A5 | Bank statements for the last twelve months | medium |
| A6 | Details of any borrowing, finance leases, or charges over assets | medium |
| A7 | Fixed asset register | low |
Clients 5
| C1 | Signed engagement letters for the top 25 clients by fee | high |
| C2 | Anti-money-laundering files — client due diligence and risk assessments | high |
| C3 | Firm-wide AML risk assessment and policies, and date last reviewed | medium |
| C4 | Client money — is any held, and under what rules | medium |
| C5 | Any clients the principal would not want transferred, and why | medium |
People 7
| P1 | Staff list — role, start date, salary, hours, notice period, qualifications | high |
| P2 | Employment contracts and the staff handbook | high |
| P3 | Who actually holds the client relationships | high |
| P4 | Pension scheme, auto-enrolment status and current contributions | medium |
| P5 | Any live or threatened employment disputes, grievances or tribunal claims | medium |
| P6 | Holiday accrued and untaken at the last month end | medium |
| P7 | Subcontractors or outsourced work, and the terms | low |
Regulatory 7
| R1 | Professional body membership and practising certificates | high |
| R2 | Audit registration and the last RSB monitoring visit report | high |
| R3 | Professional indemnity insurance — schedule, limit, excess, and claims history | high |
| R4 | Run-off cover arrangements for the seller | high |
| R5 | Any complaints, claims or investigations in the last six years | medium |
| R6 | HMRC agent authorisations — how many clients, and how they are held | medium |
| R7 | ICO registration and data protection arrangements | medium |
Systems 5
| S1 | Practice management, tax and accounts production software in use, and renewal dates | medium |
| S2 | Bookkeeping platforms clients sit on, and how many on each | high |
| S3 | Making Tax Digital readiness — which clients are already filing digitally | medium |
| S4 | Where client data and working papers are stored, and backup arrangements | medium |
| S5 | Website, domains, email and social accounts, and who controls them | low |
Legal 6
| L1 | Statutory books, share register and shareholder agreements | high |
| L2 | Property — lease, licence or ownership, term, break clauses and dilapidations | high |
| L3 | Supplier contracts and any that survive a change of control | medium |
| L4 | Restrictive covenants binding the principals and senior staff | medium |
| L5 | Litigation, disputes or contingent liabilities | medium |
| L6 | Corporation tax, VAT and PAYE position — any open enquiries or arrears | medium |
The first hundred days
27 actions, each with a target day counted from completion. These are the first eight.
Questions
Do you cover audit firms?
Yes. 3,599 registered audit firms are on the platform with their supervisory body, and a mandate can require audit registration or exclude it.
How are fees estimated?
From the figures in each firm's filed accounts, marked as estimates wherever they appear. A researched figure replaces the estimate.
Can we buy fee blocks rather than whole firms?
Yes. Fee blocks are valued on a multiple of gross recurring fees, with earnout and clawback set on the deal.
Book a demonstration on your acquisition criteria
Tell us the region, fee range and type of practice you want to acquire. We prepare a target list against those criteria before the call, so the demonstration uses firms you could approach.