Bates Weston

Name

Bates Weston

Legal name

Bates Weston LLP

Website

https://batesweston.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Derby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Accounting and Compliance Services: Annual accounts preparation, tax compliance, VAT services, bookkeeping, payroll bureau, company secretarial, and management accounts. Delivered as ongoing professional services to businesses of all sizes.
2. Audit Services: Statutory audits, charity audits, school audits, client money audits, grant audits, and service charge audits. Bates Weston conducts over 130 audits each year.
3. Corporate Finance: Business sales, mergers, acquisitions, management buyouts, due diligence, and buying a business. Specializes in £5m-£100m transactions for owner-managed businesses.
4. Tax Planning and Advisory: Specialist tax planning services including business investment reliefs, demergers, employee ownership trusts, share schemes, inheritance tax, R&D tax credits, reorganisations, and succession planning.
5. Tax Practice Support: Bates Weston Tax Advisory provides support to over 50 other accountancy firms across the UK with high-quality tax advice, serving as a sub-advisor to other practices.
6. Family Office Services: Family office structuring, tax planning, wealth management, and accounting & tax compliance for wealthy families and those who have sold businesses.
7. Pension and Investment Planning: Financial planning services delivered through BW Financial Services joint venture with Boolers, including pensions, retirement planning, protection, and investments.
8. Insolvency Services: Corporate insolvency, personal insolvency, and solvent liquidations handled by licensed insolvency practitioners.
9. Business Advisory: Three-tier advisory service (FOCUS, ENHANCE, VISION) providing management information, analysis, and forecasting for business performance improvement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bates Weston is a Derby-based chartered accountancy and business advisory LLP that provides compliance services (accounts, audit, payroll, tax compliance, VAT, company secretarial, bookkeeping), specialist tax planning (IHT, R&D credits, employee ownership trusts, share schemes, demergers), corporate finance advisory for owner-managed businesses (£5m–£100m deals), insolvency, family office services, and pensions/investment planning via a joint venture. The firm also delivers white-label tax advisory to 50+ other UK accountancy firms and serves schools, charities, and family offices.

Product overview

Bates Weston is a Derby-based firm of Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors offering a comprehensive suite of accounting, audit, tax, and advisory services. The firm operates as a unified full-service practice with specialist divisions including Accounts Services, Audit Services, BW Insight Business Advisory (offering FOCUS, ENHANCE, and VISION tiers), Corporate Finance (through Bates Weston Corporate Finance LLP), Insolvency Services, Family Office Services, Pension & Investment Planning (via BW Financial Services joint venture), and Tax Planning Services (through Bates Weston Tax Advisory subsidiary). The firm also provides white-label Tax Practice Support services to over 50 other accounting firms. Key service areas span financial accounts, tax compliance, VAT, payroll, company secretarial, bookkeeping, management accounts, statutory and specialist audits, business advisory, corporate finance transactions, insolvency, family wealth management, and pension planning. With approximately 80 staff members, the firm has been operating for over 100 years and completes over 130 audits annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accounts Services Comprehensive accounting services for UK businesses including financial accounts preparation, tax compliance, VAT, payroll, company secretarial, bookkeeping, and management accounts.
• Audit Services Statutory audits, charity audits, client money audits, grant audits, school audits, and service charge audits, conducted by ICAEW-registered auditors. The firm completes over 130 audits each year.
• BW Insight Business Advisory Three-tier business advisory service (FOCUS, ENHANCE, VISION) providing management information, performance analysis, and forecasting to drive business improvement for owner-managed businesses.
• Corporate Finance Transactional advisory for business sales, acquisitions, mergers, management buyouts, management buyins, and due diligence, specialising in owner-managed businesses in the £5m–£100m range. Delivered via the FCA-regulated Bates Weston Corporate Finance LLP subsidiary (firm number 768950).
• Insolvency Services Corporate and personal insolvency services including administration, company voluntary arrangements, turnaround and restructuring, creditors' voluntary liquidation, compulsory liquidation, and solvent liquidations, delivered by licensed insolvency practitioners.
• Family Office Services Integrated wealth management for wealthy families including family office structuring, tax planning, wealth management, accounting and tax compliance, and professional trustee services.
• Pension and Investment Planning Financial planning services for retirement including pensions, drawdown, investments, life insurance, and protection plans, delivered through the BW Financial Services joint venture with Boolers under FCA regulation.
• Tax Planning Services Specialist tax advisory covering business investment reliefs, demergers, employee ownership trusts, employee share schemes, family investment companies, inheritance tax, R&D tax credits, reorganisations, and stamp duty land tax. Delivered via the Bates Weston Tax Advisory subsidiary.
• Tax Practice Support White-label specialist tax advisory services for other UK accountancy firms, supporting over 50 firms with high-level guidance on complex tax planning areas.

Quantifiable outcome

• 130+ audits conducted per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationXero Platinum Partner status indicates certified expertise in Xero cloud accounting software. The firm helps clients with digital record-keeping that meets HMRC's Making Tax Digital requirements.
• ICAEWcoreOthersBates Weston is registered and regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Staff are qualified or training under ICAEW accredited schemes.
• Boolers (BW Financial Services Ltd)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBW Financial Services Ltd is a joint venture between Bates Weston and Boolers, one of the UK's largest independent firms of Chartered Financial Planners. Delivers pension and investment planning services under FCA regulation.
• Tolley (LexisNexis)minorOthersBates Weston Tax co-authored Tolley's Tax Planning for Owner Managed Businesses in 2020, establishing the firm as a thought leader in the field.
• Marketing DerbyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBates Weston is a bondholder in Marketing Derby, supporting the local business community and promoting the Derby region as a business destination.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dains Accountants: East Midlands-based chartered accountancy firm offering accounts, audit, tax, corporate finance and business advisory to owner-managed businesses. Most direct geographic and service-line comparable to Bates Weston, with overlapping specialisms in OMB advisory and regional M&A.
• Bishop Fleming: UK regional chartered accountancy firm of comparable size offering accounting, audit, tax, corporate finance and advisory services. Very similar mid-tier positioning, OMB focus and partner-led model to Bates Weston.
• MHA (MacIntyre Hudson): Top-20 UK chartered accountancy and advisory network offering accounting, audit, tax and corporate finance to mid-market and OMBs. Comparable mid-tier service mix and deal size focus; broader geographic footprint than Bates Weston.
• PKF Francis Clark: South West-focused UK chartered accountancy firm with comparable size, OMB focus and full-service practice (accounts, audit, tax, corporate finance, wealth). Very similar positioning in the UK mid-tier regional market.

Broad incumbents

• Crowe UK: Top-10 UK accounting and advisory firm (part of Crowe Global) providing accounting, audit, tax, corporate finance and consulting to mid-market and OMBs. Larger and broader than Bates Weston, but overlapping service lines and deal-size range.
• Mazars UK: Top-10 international accounting firm with strong UK regional presence, offering accounting, audit, tax and advisory. Overlaps with Bates Weston in OMB and mid-market advisory but at much larger scale.
• RSM UK: Mid-tier UK accounting and advisory firm with national footprint, comparable service mix including corporate finance and owner-managed business tax planning, but significantly larger scale than Bates Weston.
• Saffery Champness: UK top-20 chartered accountancy firm with strong private client / OMB and family office focus. Comparable in high-end OMB and family wealth specialism though larger and London-headquartered.
• Moore UK: UK mid-tier accounting and advisory network providing accounts, audit, tax and corporate finance to OMBs and mid-market. Comparable service offering and target clients, member-firm model gives broader reach than Bates Weston.

Others

• Boolers: One of the UK's largest independent firms of Chartered Financial Planners, joint venture partner with Bates Weston in BW Financial Services for pension and investment planning. Partner/allied firm rather than competitor, but materially adjacent in wealth and pension advisory to family office clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Batesweston1
• Facebookfacebook.com/batesweston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bates-weston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bates Weston