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Accountancy 2009

Published by: Key Note Publications Ltd

Published: Oct. 1, 2009 - 67 Pages


Table of Contents


Executive Summary

1. Market Definition

REPORT COVERAGE

MARKET SECTORS

Audit and Accounting

Tax and Legal Services

Corporate Finance and Business Recovery

Management Consultancy

MARKET TRENDS

Reduced Market Growth

The Dominance of the Big Four Firms Remains

Accountancy Firms are on the Defensive

The Industry is Cutting Back on Staffing

Growth Of Forensic Accountancy

Accountants More Vulnerable To Legal Action

ECONOMIC TRENDS

Population

Table 1.1: UK Resident Population Estimates by Sex (000), Mid-Years 2004-2008

Gross Domestic Product

Table 1.2: UK Gross Domestic Product at Current and Annual Chain-Linked Prices (£m), 2004-2008

Inflation

Table 1.3: UK Rate of Inflation (%), 2004-2008

Unemployment

Table 1.4: Actual Number of Unemployed Persons in the UK (million), 2004-2008

MARKET POSITION

The UK

Overseas

2. Market Size

INTRODUCTION

THE TOTAL MARKET

Table 2.1: The UK Market for Accountancy and Related Services by Value (£m), 2004-2008

Figure 2.1: The UK Market for Accountancy and Related Services (£m), 2004-2008

Table 2.2: The Major Market Shares in the UK Accountancy and Related Services Market by Size of Firm, 2008 (%)

BY MARKET SECTOR

Audit and Accounting

Table 2.3: Audit and Accounting Fee Income (£m), 2004-2008

Tax and Legal Services

Table 2.4: Tax and Legal Services Fee Income (£m), 2004-2008

Corporate Finance and Business Recovery

Table 2.5: Corporate Finance and Business Recovery Fee Income (£m), 2004-2008

Management Consultancy

Table 2.6: Management Consultancy Fee Income† (£m), 2004-2008

3. Industry Background

INTRODUCTION

NUMBER OF COMPANIES

Table 3.1: Number of UK Accountancy Businesses by Turnover (£000 and %), 2006-2008

EMPLOYMENT

Table 3.2: Number of Local Units of UK Accountancy Businesses by Employment Sizeband (number of units and %), 2006, 2007, 2008

REGIONAL VARIATIONS IN THE MARKETPLACE

DISTRIBUTION

HOW ROBUST IS THE MARKET?

LEGISLATION

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy

Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland

Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland

4. Competitor Analysis

THE MARKETPLACE

Table 4.1: The Big Four Leading Accountancy Practices by UK Fee Income (£m), 2007/2008

The Mid-tier Firms

Table 4.2: The Leading 46 Mid-Tier UK Accountancy Practices by Fee Income (£m), 2006/2007-2008/2009

MARKET LEADERS

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Company Structure

Current and Future Developments

Financial Results

Deloitte & Touche LLP

Company Structure

Current and Future Developments

Financial Results

KPMG LLP

Company Structure

Current and Future Developments

Financial Results

Ernst & Young LLP

Company Structure

Current and Future Developments

Financial Results

Grant Thornton UK LLP

Structure

Current and Future Developments

Financial Results

BDO Stoy Hayward LLP

Company Structure

Current and Future Developments

Financial Results

Baker Tilly

Company Structure

Current and Future Developments

Financial Results

Smith & Williamson Ltd

Company Structure

Current and Future Developments

Financial Results

Tenon Group PLC

Company Structure

Current and Future Developments

Financial Results

PKF LLP

Company Structure

Current and Future Developments

Financial Results

OUTSIDE SUPPLIERS

ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION

5. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

6. Buying Behaviour

OVERVIEW

7. Current Issues

AUDITING

FAIR VALUE

AUDITOR LIMITED LIABILITY

PRE-PACKAGED ADMINISTRATIONS

PROTECTING THE NAME OF ‘ACCOUNTANT’

8. The Global Market

FEE INCOME

Table 8.1: The Top Ten Accountancy Networks Ranked by Fee Income ($m), 2008

9. Forecasts

INTRODUCTION

Table 9.1: Economic Forecasts (000, % and million), 2009-2013

FORECASTS 2009-2013

Table 9.2: The Forecast UK Market for Accountancy and Related Services by Value (£m), 2008-2013

MARKET GROWTH

Figure 9.1: Forecast Growth in the UK Market for Accountancy and Related Services by Value (£m), 2008-2013

FUTURE TRENDS

10. Further Sources

Associations

Publications

General Sources

Government Publications

Other Sources

Key Note Sources

Key Note Research

The Key Note Range of Reports

Abstract

legal services; corporate finance, including business recovery; and management consultancy.

The growth in the accountancy market has slowed down appreciably as the recession begins to take its toll on UK businesses. The accountancy firms have not been immune to the problems suffered by their clients, namely rising costs, narrowing profitability and weakening markets. The growth in the market in 2008 was half that of 2007 and substantially below that of 2005 and 2006 when growth was in double figures. Tax and legal services has been the strongest sector of the market, while consultancy has been the weakest. Total audit revenues are growing but there is pressure on fee rates. Key Note estimates that the total accountancy market increased in value by 4.1% in 2008. That estimate includes an estimate for the growth in the consultancy market, in which some of the largest accountancy firms are also operating.

The accountancy market is dominated by the `Big Four' global accountancy firms, as it has been since 2002. They audit almost all the top 100 public companies along with the majority of the top 350 companies. Beyond the Big Four, there are many so-called mid-tier firms. Some of these are very sizeable and they can, at times, provide competition to the Big Four. In 2007, the Big Four firms appeared to be succeeding much better than the rest of the accountancy industry, but this no longer looks to be the case. The major accountancy firms are also experiencing a more difficult market as clients cut back on their spending, and as demand for the more sophisticated types of accountancy services falls.

The whole basis on which this profession is founded is being questioned and this will continue to be the case for the rest of 2009 and well into 2010. The collapse of some financial institutions that were scrupulously audited according to the rules of auditing has led to questions being raised over what value should be ascribed to a set of audited accounts; i.e. what should an audit be doing? Should the rules and criteria by which audits are created be changed? Is a set of accounts any guide as to how a business might perform in the future?

Several accountancy firms have faced legal action in the past and some are currently facing it. There is a worry that there might be more legal cases in the future. So legal liability is a big concern for this profession.

Key Note is forecasting a fall in the accountancy market in 2009 of 1.8% and modest growth of 4% in 2010. Thereafter, the market will grow at a faster pace. However, it may be 5 years before the market as a whole grows in double figures, i.e. 10% or more as it has done sometimes in the past.

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