bennettbrooks

What bennettbrooks does

Bennett Brooks & Co Limited is a chartered accountancy and business advisory firm headquartered in Northwich, United Kingdom, founded in 1991 and operating across eight offices in North West England and North Wales. The firm is founder-owned (Yvonne Wood, Rick Payne) with George Wood as Managing Director, and employs more than 180 staff without external private equity or venture capital backing. It serves privately owned businesses, individuals, and sector-specific clients, with a particular focus on three verticals: solicitors and law firms (over 350 solicitor clients served), rural and agricultural businesses, and tech-focused high-growth startups.

The firm's core offering is organised across six professional service lines — accountancy, taxation, audit, payroll, corporate finance, and forensic accountancy — supplemented by an in-house IT services practice that delivers IT support, cloud hosting, software development, and connectivity. The technology stack is built on third-party platforms rather than proprietary IP: Xero (Platinum Champion Partner), Sage, QuickBooks, Dext, Microsoft 365, Azure, and the Iris OpenSpace client portal. Auditing is described as "data-driven" with advanced analytics, though no proprietary AI/ML tooling is disclosed. The firm holds ICAEW membership, Cyber Essentials Plus, and Microsoft Solutions Partner for Security designations.

The business model is primarily professional services fee-based, with a heavy mix of recurring compliance work (annual accounts, payroll cycles, VAT, tax filings) and project-based advisory (corporate finance, forensic, R&D claims). One subscription product is publicly priced — the Tax Investigation Protection Service — tiered by client turnover from £44.40 to £780 per year. Customer acquisition is relationship-driven, via direct field sales through the eight offices, supplemented by content marketing, referrals, events, and community engagement. Named logos include Hudgell Solicitors, Dynes Solicitors, Thomas Higgins, The Engenda Group, Infinitopes, and KDE Ltd, spanning legal, engineering, technology, and SMB segments.

Name

bennettbrooks

Legal name

Bennett Brooks & Co Limited

Website

https://bennettbrooks.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bennett Brooks is a UK chartered accountancy firm in Northwich with 180+ staff across 8 offices in North West England and North Wales, delivering accountancy, tax, audit, payroll, corporate finance, and IT services to privately owned businesses, with specialist vertical practices in legal, rural, and tech startup sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Accountancy and Business Advisory Services

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Accounting & Bookkeeping Services (BPAHABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Reporting & Technical Accounting Advisory (GAAP/IFRS) (BPAHABAF), M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC), Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)

Keywords

• Chartered accountancy services
• Business advisory and tax
• Audit and assurance
• Payroll and compliance
• Corporate finance advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Northwich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accountancy Services: Annual accounts preparation, cloud accounting, management accounts, bookkeeping and VAT returns, forecasting and business planning, company secretarial services. Core recurring professional services revenue stream.
2. Taxation Services: Personal tax planning, company tax planning, inheritance tax planning, VAT, tax investigation service, trusts and estates, tax and property, business exit strategies, share incentive schemes, residency and domicile, EIS and SEIS. High-value advisory services with recurring compliance work.
3. Audit Services: Data-driven audit approach for privately owned businesses, providing audit opinions and improvement advice around controls and practices.
4. Payroll Services: Regular payroll runs, remuneration planning, year end compliance. Recurring monthly/weekly service with predictable revenue.
5. Corporate Finance: PLUS and AIM listings, business sales and acquisitions, business valuations, debt and equity fundraising, due diligence, management buy-ins and buy-outs. Transaction-based high-value services.
6. Forensic Accountancy: Fraud investigations, criminal defence cases, litigation support, dispute resolution services. Specialist high-value engagements.
7. IT Services: IT support, software development, cloud solutions (Office365, hosted desktop, hosted servers), connectivity, hardware and software provision, financial accounting systems implementation and support.
8. Tax Investigation Protection Service: Annual subscription service providing peace of mind coverage for HMRC enquiries, backed by Professional Fee Protection insurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Bennett Brooks is a chartered accountancy and business advisory firm providing recurring compliance and advisory services spanning annual accounts, cloud accounting, management accounts, bookkeeping, VAT, payroll, audit, taxation (personal, corporate, inheritance, trusts, EIS/SEIS), corporate finance, forensic accountancy, and IT services. The firm operates across 8 offices in North West England and North Wales with over 180 staff, serving primarily owner-managed businesses with sector specialisation in legal practices (350+ solicitor clients), tech/high-growth startups, and rural/agricultural businesses.

Product overview

Bennett Brooks is a chartered accountancy and business advisory firm offering a comprehensive suite of professional services organized around six core areas: Accountancy Services (annual accounts, cloud accounting, management accounts, bookkeeping, forecasting), Taxation Services (personal and company tax planning, VAT, inheritance tax, trusts and estates), Audit Services (data-driven audit approach), Payroll Services (regular runs, remuneration planning, compliance), Corporate Finance Services (M&A, valuations, listings), and IT Services (support, software development, cloud solutions). The firm also provides specialized sector services for legal practices (SRA compliance), tech start-ups (R&D claims, EIS/SEIS), and rural/agricultural businesses. A notable add-on product is their Tax Investigation Protection Service, an insurance-backed offering covering professional fees during HMRC enquiries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accountancy Services Comprehensive accounting services for privately owned businesses, including annual accounts preparation, cloud accounting, management accounts, bookkeeping and VAT returns, forecasting and business planning, and company secretarial services.
• Taxation Services Full range of tax services including personal tax planning, company tax planning, inheritance tax planning, VAT, trusts and estates, tax and property, business exit strategies, share incentive schemes, residency and domicile, and EIS and SEIS compliance.
• Audit Services Data-driven audit approach using advanced analytics to focus on unusual or risky transactions for privately owned businesses, providing audit opinions and improvement advice on controls and practices.
• Payroll Services Recurring payroll service covering regular payroll runs to suit business pay cycles, remuneration planning, and year-end compliance including P35, P14s, P60s and P11Ds submissions.
• Corporate Finance Services Advisory services covering PLUS and AIM market listings, business sales and acquisitions, business valuations, debt and equity fundraising, due diligence, and management buy-ins and buy-outs.
• Forensic Accountancy Services Financial investigation services including fraud investigations, criminal defence cases, litigation support, dispute resolution, business interruption claims, and matrimonial disputes.
• IT Services Technology services including IT support using ITIL framework, software development, cloud solutions (Office 365, hosted desktop, hosted servers via Azure), connectivity, hardware and software procurement, and financial accounting systems implementation and support.
• Legal Sector Accountancy Services Specialist accountancy and advisory services for SRA-regulated solicitors and law firms, including SRA Accounts Rules compliance and audits, annual and management accounts, tax planning, payroll, benchmarking, and corporate restructuring and financial planning.
• Tech and High Growth Startup Services Specialist advisory and compliance for technology and high growth businesses, including R&D tax credit claims, employee option schemes, EIS and SEIS compliance, shareholder agreements, grant audits (Innovate UK, Horizon), forecasting, financial modelling, and funding round assistance.
• Rural Services Specialist services for farmers and rural businesses including agricultural accounts preparation, farmer's averaging, income tax loss relief, Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief planning, VAT option to tax, succession planning, and livestock herd basis tax elections.
• Tax Investigation Protection Service Annual subscription service providing insurance-backed coverage of professional fees if HMRC opens a tax enquiry, including expert representation, 24/7 legal support helpline, and coverage for most types of HMRC enquiries.
• Office 365 Cloud Services Subscription-based Microsoft Office 365 service with online versions of Word, Excel, Outlook and rights to install Microsoft Office on up to five devices, available from £7 per month.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 350 solicitor clients served
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Integration9 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SagecoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Sage allowing extension of significant cost savings. Firm designs, trains on and implements Sage systems (from Sage Instant through Sage 50 Professional) and optionally operates compliant systems for clients. Integrated payroll and HR solutions available.
• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationXero Platinum Champion Partner with Silver Partner status and accredited workforce. Provides automatic bank feeds, real-time advice, and collaborative bookkeeping support for cloud accounting needs.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationSolutions Partner for Security with access to Microsoft 365, Azure hosted solutions, and enterprise agreements. Office365 provision from £7/month.
• Development Bank of WalesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports Welsh Green Business Loan Scheme, providing comprehensive loan application support including business forecasts, projections demonstrating ROI, and expert financial advice for green projects.
• Professional Fee Protection Limited (PFP)coreOthersInsurance partnership with PFP, specialist provider of Tax Enquiry Insurance pioneering fee protection in the UK over 30 years. PFP protects over 600,000 businesses and individuals. Covers professional fees for HMRC enquiries.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BDO UK: Top 5 UK accounting, tax and advisory firm with national office network. Competes for corporate finance, audit and tax work from mid-market clients, particularly in the AIM listings space where Bennett Brooks also operates.
• Crowe UK: Top 10 UK accounting and advisory firm with multiple regional offices providing audit, tax, advisory and risk services. Broader national footprint and larger headcount than Bennett Brooks, but overlapping service lines and mid-market client focus.
• RSM UK: Top 6 UK audit, tax and consulting firm and member of the global RSM network. Significantly larger scale than Bennett Brooks but competes for the same mid-market corporate finance, audit and tax advisory engagements.

Direct peers

• PKF Smith Cooper: UK Top 30 accountancy and business advisory firm with regional offices across the Midlands and East Anglia, offering accounting, audit, tax, corporate finance and sector specialist services. Similar size and full-service regional model to Bennett Brooks.
• Azets: UK Top 10 accountancy group formed through consolidation of regional practices, providing accountancy, tax, audit, payroll, corporate finance and IT support across regional offices. Similar regional full-service model with comparable SMB and mid-market client base.
• Haines Watts: UK Top 20 accountancy network focused on owner-managed businesses and SMEs, with regional offices across the country. Overlapping mid-market service model and similar approach to cross-selling tax, audit and advisory services.
• Moore Kingston Smith: London and South East-based Top 30 UK accountancy firm offering accountancy, audit, tax, corporate finance and specialist sector services to SMBs, professional practices and not-for-profits. Comparable service breadth and mid-market positioning.
• MHA: UK Top 15 accountancy and advisory firm with a comparable multi-office regional structure and full-service offering including accountancy, audit, tax, corporate finance and specialist sector practices. Operates with similar headcount scale and mid-market focus as Bennett Brooks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bennettbrooks
• Facebookfacebook.com/people/bennettbrooks/100039449634619
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bennett-brooks-and-company-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/bennettbrooks_accountants

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 bennettbrooks