Chartwells

What Chartwells does

Chartwells Accountants Limited is a privately-held UK accountancy and advisory practice headquartered in Halesowen, West Midlands, founded in 1999 by Donna Westwood. The firm delivers professional services through three divisions: Business Accounting (audit, bookkeeping, business start-up, company secretarial, corporate tax and planning, corporate finance, payroll, VAT, and R&D tax relief), Personal Accounting (estate planning, personal tax planning, retirement strategies, and self-assessment), and Specialist Services (tax investigation, medical specialists, and construction specialists). Its underlying technology stack is described as standard accounting software used for bookkeeping, payroll, tax preparation, and audit, with no proprietary platform or AI-enabled tooling disclosed.

The firm operates a sales-led, relationship-driven go-to-market, relying on personal referrals, direct client engagement, an active website, social channels (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn), and a regular newsletter supplemented by educational blog content. It serves a diverse client base ranging from newly formed start-ups through to medium and large enterprises, alongside individual personal-accounting clients and vertical specialists in medical and construction sectors. Named clients (Prospect Coaches (West) Limited, Newfield Electrical Limited, MSS Decorating) reflect an SMB/mid-market skew with multi-year engagements extending beyond 14 years.

Revenue is generated through quote-based, monthly-billed professional service fees, with pricing not publicly disclosed and free initial consultations offered. The firm is owned and controlled by its founding director and a second director (Chris Goldie, promoted in 2021), with no institutional investors, parent company, subsidiaries, or M&A activity disclosed. Operations are regionally concentrated in the West Midlands, with no global footprint claimed and no patents, certifications, awards, or strategic partnerships on record.

Name

Chartwells

Legal name

Chartwells Accountants Limited

Website

https://chartwells.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chartwells Accountants Limited is a privately-held West Midlands accountancy and advisory firm founded in 1999, serving UK start-ups, SMEs, larger enterprises, and individuals across business accounting, personal tax, and sector-specialist (medical, construction, tax investigation) services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Accounting Services

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), Other Accounting Services (541219), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (5412)

akta.pro primary industry

Accounting & Bookkeeping Services (BPAHABAC)

Keywords

• Accountancy services
• Business tax advisory
• Bookkeeping and payroll
• Personal tax planning
• Specialist sector accounting

Headquarters

HQ city

Dudley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Accounting Services: Fees charged for comprehensive accounting, tax, audit, and advisory services to businesses and individuals. Services include business accounting, personal accounting, payroll, VAT, corporate finance, and specialist sector services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Chartwells Accountants Limited is a West Midlands-based accountancy firm providing business accounting, personal accounting, and specialist sector services. The firm serves start-ups through to medium and large enterprises with services such as audit, bookkeeping, payroll, VAT, corporate tax, corporate finance, business start-up, and R&D tax relief, alongside personal tax planning, estate planning, retirement strategies, and self-assessment for individuals. It also delivers sector-specific accounting services for medical professionals and construction contractors, as well as tax investigation representation.

Product overview

Chartwells is a traditional accountancy firm offering a comprehensive suite of professional services rather than a software product. The firm operates as a single unified practice organized into three service divisions: Business Accounting (encompassing Audit, Bookkeeping & Accountancy, Business Start-Up, Company Secretarial, Corporate Tax & Planning, Corporate Finance, Payroll, VAT, and Research and Development), Personal Accounting (covering Estate Planning, Personal Tax Planning, Retirement Strategies, and Self Assessment), and Specialist Services (Tax Investigation, Medical Specialists, and Construction Specialists). Services are delivered through experienced personnel and are tailored to individual client needs rather than through a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Audit Statutory audit services for companies above size thresholds, shareholder-requested audits, and audit engagements requested by directors or lenders for additional assurance on year-end accounts.
• Bookkeeping & Accountancy Outsourced bookkeeping and annual accounts preparation, including tailored management accounts to relieve clients and their staff of in-house bookkeeping burdens.
• Business Start-Up Advisory for new business formation covering business structure selection (sole trader, partnership, LLP, limited company, PLC), company formation, projections, cash flow planning, finance arrangement, and tax planning.
• Company Secretarial Full company secretarial services ensuring compliance with statutory duties and company law requirements, managed by qualified professionals.
• Corporate Tax & Planning Corporate tax return preparation and filing, tax planning services including determining tax-effective business structures, capital/revenue tax treatment optimisation, R&D tax claims, and relief maximisation on acquisitions.
• Corporate Finance Strategic growth financing advisory and funding acquisition services including identifying appropriate finance sources, preparing business plans and forecasts, and facilitating disposals, M&A, and MBOs/MBIs through an extensive professional network.
• Payroll Outsourced payroll processing including PAYE scheme setup, statutory payment calculations, tax and NI deductions, RTI submissions, auto-enrolment pension compliance, and ongoing payroll administration.
• VAT VAT registration assistance, planning and administration advice, VAT control and reconciliation, return completion, HMRC compliance support, and VAT tribunal representation.
• Research and Development Tax Relief R&D tax relief and tax credit advisory for businesses developing new products, enhancing systems, or operating in technologically advanced industries, with potential claims of up to 230% tax relief on qualifying costs.
• Estate Planning Estate planning services including will preparation and review, tax exemption utilisation, lifetime transfers between spouses, agricultural/business property transfer, trust arrangements, and life assurance for inheritance tax liabilities.
• Personal Tax Planning Year-round tax advice covering income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, trusts and estates, and non-domiciliary tax issues, aimed at maximising earnings and reducing tax liabilities.
• Retirement Strategies Retirement planning advisory including exit strategy planning, business succession, sale preparation, pension provision review, savings and investment optimisation, and life assurance for long-term care.
• Self Assessment Self assessment tax return preparation and submission services, with proactive tax planning advice to identify savings opportunities and relieve the administrative burden from clients.
• Medical Specialists Accounting Sector-specific accounting services for medical professionals including partial exemption calculations, VAT returns, annual pension declarations, management accounts, accounting software support, and business valuation.
• Construction Specialists Accounting Sector-specific accounting services tailored for construction industry contractors and businesses, addressing industry-specific compliance and reporting needs.
• Tax Investigation Representation and support services for clients facing HMRC tax investigations.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• PKF Smith Cooper: UK mid-tier accountancy firm offering audit, tax, corporate finance, and specialist services to SMEs, owner-managed businesses, and individuals. Similar full-service positioning and client base.
• Bishop Fleming: UK regional accountancy and advisory firm of comparable size serving SMEs and mid-market clients across business accounting, tax, audit, and specialist services. Most directly comparable in scale and regional positioning to Chartwells.
• Azets: UK-focused accountancy and advisory group providing bookkeeping, payroll, tax, audit, and sector-specific services to SMEs and individuals. Comparable in service breadth and SME focus.
• Dains Accountants: Mid-sized UK accountancy firm offering bookkeeping, audit, tax, payroll, corporate finance, and specialist sector services to SMEs and owner-managed businesses. Directly comparable service mix and client segment.

Broad incumbents

• MHA MacIntyre Hudson: Top-20 UK accountancy and advisory network offering the same core services as Chartwells (audit, tax, payroll, corporate finance) plus specialist verticals to SMEs and mid-market clients. Larger incumbent with broader geographic coverage.
• BDO UK: Large UK mid-tier firm providing audit, tax, corporate finance, and sector-specialist services. Competes with Chartwells for SME and mid-market clients but at much greater scale and brand reach.
• Crowe UK: Mid-tier UK accounting and advisory firm offering audit, tax, advisory, and specialist services to owner-managed businesses and mid-market clients. Comparable service lines, larger scale.
• Mazars UK: International mid-tier accounting firm with strong UK presence providing audit, tax, advisory, and specialist services to SMEs and mid-market companies. Comparable service portfolio at significantly greater scale.
• RSM UK: Top-6 UK audit, tax, and consulting firm serving mid-market businesses with the same service lines Chartwells offers plus broader consulting capabilities. Larger incumbent with deeper specialisms.

Emerging players

• ForrestBrown: UK specialist R&D tax credit advisory firm. Comparable to Chartwells specifically on its R&D tax relief service line, representing both a competitor and a potential specialist partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chartwellsacc
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChartwellsAccountants
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chartwells-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Chartwells