Dafferns

What Dafferns does

Dafferns is a Coventry and Warwickshire-based accounting and advisory firm founded in November 1896 by Thomas Mason Daffern, operating today as a Limited Liability Partnership (Dafferns LLP) with a wholly-owned audit subsidiary (Dafferns Audit Limited). The firm employs approximately 45 staff across all departments from a single office in Binley Business Park, Coventry, and is led by Joint Managing Partners Geoffrey Cox (also Head of Audit) and Brian Jukes (also Head of Corporate Tax), appointed in January 2025. Service delivery spans audit and assurance, corporate tax, business services, corporate finance, business valuations, private client and personal tax, payroll, cloud accounting/bookkeeping, R&D tax credits, share incentive schemes, exit route planning, and a separate wealth management arm (Dafferns Wealth). The firm is a member of AGN International, providing cross-border referral capability, and holds ACCA Platinum Approved Employer and ICAEW Authorised Training Employer status.

Name

Dafferns

Legal name

Dafferns LLP

Website

https://dafferns.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Coventry

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. Professional Services Fees: Dafferns generates revenue through fees for professional services including audit and assurance, business services, corporate tax, private client and personal tax, corporate finance, business valuations, payroll, cloud accounting/bookkeeping, and advisory services. Revenue is fee-based, typically billed on engagement or recurring retainer arrangements consistent with professional services practice.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dafferns is a Coventry-based accounting and advisory firm providing audit and assurance, corporate tax, business services, corporate finance, private client and personal tax, cloud accounting/bookkeeping, payroll, R&D tax credits, share incentive schemes, business valuations, VAT advisory, and charity reporting services. The firm serves UK SMEs, charities, owner-managed businesses, and private individuals, with international reach through AGN International membership. Dafferns also delivers the Impact programme for charities, Initial Business Review workshops, and the Daffernomics podcast.

Product overview

Dafferns is a Coventry and Warwickshire-based accounting and advisory firm providing a comprehensive suite of professional services to UK and international businesses, charities, and private individuals. The firm operates as a unified service offering centred on its core accounting, audit, tax, and advisory capabilities. The core services include Audit and Assurance, Corporate Tax, Business Services, Corporate Finance, Private Client and Personal Tax, and Dafferns Wealth (pensions and investments). Specialist services complement the core offering with Cloud Accounting/Bookkeeping, Payroll, R&D Tax Credits, Share Incentive Schemes, Exit Route Planning, Business Valuations, VAT Advisory, Reconstructions, and Charity Services. The firm also delivers advisory programmes including the Impact strategy programme for charities and Initial Business Review workshops. A proprietary content channel, the Daffernomics Podcast, provides economic and tax commentary. Dafferns is a member of AGN International for international client support and an authorised training employer for ICAEW and ACCA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Audit and Assurance Comprehensive audit services for SMEs, charities, and not-for-profit organisations, including grant claim audits and corporate reporting under FRS 102.
• Corporate Tax Advisory and compliance services for businesses on UK and international corporate taxation, including R&D tax credits, cross-border taxes, and video games tax relief.
• Business Services Outsourcing and accounts preparation services including year-end statutory accounts, management accounts, VAT returns, and data processing for SMEs.
• Corporate Finance Transaction advisory including business sales and purchases, group reconstructions, management buy-outs, and business valuations.
• Private Client and Personal Tax Tax planning and compliance services for individuals, including trusts, IHT planning, and estate management.
• Dafferns Wealth Pensions, investments, and protection advisory services managed through a separate wealth management entity.
• Cloud Accounting, Bookkeeping and VAT Virtual accounts department providing cloud-based bookkeeping, VAT compliance, and Xero accounting software support.
• Payroll Services Comprehensive payroll processing and compliance services for businesses.
• Research and Development Tax Credits Advisory on R&D tax relief claims, including interaction with grants and specialist sectors like video games development.
• Share Incentive Schemes EMI, EIS, SEIS, and other tax-advantaged employee share scheme design and compliance.
• Exit Route Planning Strategic planning for business owners preparing to sell or transfer their business, including succession planning.
• Business Valuations Independent business and share valuations for sales, purchases, tax purposes, divorce proceedings, and HMRC negotiations.
• VAT Advisory VAT planning and compliance including cross-border EU VAT post-Brexit, property options to tax, partial exemption, and charity-specific treatments.
• Reconstructions Business restructuring services including mergers, demergers, management buy-outs, acquisitions, and group simplification.
• Charity Reporting and Advisory Audit, accounting, and tax services specifically for charities and not-for-profit organisations, including grant compliance.
• Impact: Turning Strategy into Action for Charities A 5-week practical programme delivered by the Third Sector Strategy Group to help charity trustees develop strategic focus and implementation capability.
• Initial Business Review A 2-hour intensive diagnostic session using business tools to identify growth and profit improvement opportunities.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AGN InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDafferns is a member of AGN International, a global network of independent accounting and consulting firms. This membership provides national and international connections enabling Dafferns to serve subsidiaries of international groups and UK companies with international subsidiaries. Lucy Hatton serves on the AGN International EMEA Board. The partnership enables cross-border tax work and international client referrals.
• MindshopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDafferns has a partnership with Mindshop, a business development and mentoring platform. Through this, Dafferns guides, develops and mentors team members and offers Mindshop advisory frameworks to clients. David Halkett is a Mindshop advisor. The firm uses the Mindshop advisory fundamentals training across the team and offers Mindshop-style workshops including the Initial Business Review and Business Value Maximisation Workshop.
• ICAEW East Midlands NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmily Ball-Goldfinch serves on the ICAEW East Midlands Network Board and was Chair from 2023-25. This professional institute engagement supports the firm's training reputation and professional development culture.
• Coventry & Warwickshire FirstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDafferns is an active participant in Coventry & Warwickshire First (CWF) networking events, including the monthly First Friday networking lunches. Simon Cossey and Brian Jukes have been involved in organising and attending CWF events, which serve as a community and business development channel for the firm.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Crowe UK: UK mid-tier accounting and advisory firm with comparable audit, tax, corporate finance, and outsourced business services for SMEs, charities, and international subsidiaries — directly competes with Dafferns in the regional and OMB segments.
• Bishop Fleming: Regional UK accountancy firm of similar size with strong charity and not-for-profit sector specialism, comparable audit and tax service mix, and partner-led model serving SMEs and OMBs — a close operational analogue to Dafferns.
• Kreston Reeves: UK regional accounting firm with a Kreston international network affiliation, full-service audit/tax/advisory, and a strong private client and charity practice — directly comparable in structure, scale, and international network strategy.
• UHY Hacker Young: UK accounting network of similarly sized regional member firms connected through UHY International — directly comparable model combining regional autonomy with international referral capability for cross-border tax and advisory work.
• Moore Kingston Smith: London-based mid-tier firm within the Moore Global network, comparable in offering audit, tax, corporate finance and outsourced services to SMEs, OMBs, and charities — directly competes for similar mandates.
• PKF Francis Clark: South-west UK regional accountancy firm of comparable scale providing audit, tax, corporate finance, and wealth services to SMEs, OMBs, and private clients — directly comparable regional full-service model.

Broad incumbents

• MHA MacIntyre Hudson: Larger UK mid-tier firm with Baker Tilly international affiliation providing audit, tax, corporate finance, and wealth services to SMEs and OMBs — broader geographic reach but overlapping service portfolio and target segments.
• Azets: Large UK regional accounting group formed through roll-ups, offering audit, tax, payroll and advisory across multiple offices — a larger-scale competitor for the same SME, OMB, and charity segments.
• BDO UK: Major UK mid-tier accounting firm competing for the upper end of Dafferns' market (groups up to £100m+ turnover) on audit, tax, corporate finance and R&D — broader national footprint and deeper specialist benches.
• RSM UK: Large UK mid-tier firm with strong OMB and audit presence, directly overlapping with Dafferns' audit, corporate tax, and corporate finance offerings for growing UK businesses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIvToOA_Rr8j-ZiMBRDi6iQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/dafferns
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dafferns-llp
• Instagraminstagram.com/dafferns
• Xx.com/Dafferns

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Dafferns