Brown Glassford & Co Limited

What Brown Glassford & Co Limited does

Brown Glassford & Co Limited is a privately held specialist farming accounting firm headquartered in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand, founded approximately in 1994. The firm serves approximately 2,750 farming and agribusiness clients annually — primarily sheep and beef, dairy, deer, and mixed farming operations across Canterbury and the South Island — with a team of approximately 27-30 professionals whose directors and many staff have direct farming backgrounds and agribusiness credentials (CAANZ Chartered Accountants, NZ Institute of Primary Industry Management, Institute of Rural Professionals). The four directors (Paul McCarron, David Seath, Sam Foster, Tim Wade) collectively joined between 2007 and 2023, with the firm transitioning through a deliberate succession plan while maintaining 30+ years of continuous operation.

The firm delivers professional services across three core pillars: Accounting & Tax (income tax, GST, FBT, PAYE, RWT returns, financial statements, IRD audit support); Company & Trust Administration (Companies Act 1993 compliance, formations, statutory records, share transfers); and Business/Sequision Planning (tax effective structures, asset protection, exit strategies). It also provides a recurring-fee ACC Administration Service acting as agent for ACC levy review. Underlying technology is a cloud-based ecosystem of third-party platforms — Xero (Platinum Partner), Farm Focus (Platinum Partner), and Figured — supplemented by proprietary process tools including an electronic Client Information Questionnaire system launched April 2026 and a digital signing workflow introduced May 2024.

Brown Glassford operates a sales-led, relationship-based go-to-market targeting farming and agribusiness clients through direct office visits, remote services, and community engagement (quarterly "Beyond the Farm Gate" newsletter, annual benchmarking surveys, charitable sponsorships). Pricing is engagement-based with quote-driven professional services and fixed annual fees for ACC administration. The firm is wholly owned by its four directors with no external investors, parent company, or public market presence.

Name

Brown Glassford & Co Limited

Legal name

Brown Glassford & Co Limited

Website

https://brownglass.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brown Glassford & Co Limited is a privately held Christchurch-based specialist farming accounting firm serving approximately 2,750 agribusiness clients across New Zealand with 27-30 professionals. It delivers accounting, tax, company/trust administration, succession planning, and ACC agency services using Xero, Farm Focus, and Figured.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Farm Accounting Services

NAICS

Farm Management Services (115116)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm Financial Management & Recordkeeping Services (AFACAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Whole-Farm Business Management & Budgeting Advisory (AFACAJAA), Farm Finance, Input Procurement & Risk Tools (Budgeting, Inventory, Insurance Links) (AFAAAFAO)

Keywords

• Farm accounting services
• Agricultural taxation advisory
• Company trust administration
• Farm succession planning
• Rural business advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accounting and Tax Services: Core professional services including income tax and GST advice, preparation of income tax returns, GST returns, FBT returns, PAYE returns, RWT returns, ACC obligations, management of IRD audits or disputes, preparation of financial statements, and periodic management accounts.
2. Company and Trust Administration: Company formations, annual returns filing, documentation preparation for minutes and resolutions, statutory records maintenance, director/shareholder change assistance, share transfers, registered office facility, and trust reporting requirements.
3. Business Planning and Succession Planning: Strategic planning for asset protection, succession planning, exit strategy preparation, and business transition coordination.
4. ACC Administration Service: Fixed annual fee for acting as agent for ACC related matters, charged annually per trading entity. Slightly higher charge for employers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Brown Glassford & Co Limited is a specialist farm accounting and agribusiness advisory practice providing accounting and tax compliance, company and trust administration, business/taxation/succession planning, and ACC administration services to farming clients across Canterbury and the South Island of New Zealand. The firm also delivers digital client onboarding tools such as electronic information and balance-date questionnaires and sector benchmarking, all tailored to sheep, beef, dairy, deer, and mixed farming operations.

Product overview

Brown Glassford & Co Limited is a specialist farming accounting firm offering a comprehensive suite of services centered around three core pillars: Accounting & Tax Services (including income tax, GST, FBT, PAYE returns and financial statements), Company & Trust Administration, and Business & Succession Planning. The firm supplements these with digital services including online client questionnaires and digital signing, ACC administration, benchmarking surveys, and community sponsorships. As Xero Platinum Partners, the firm leverages accounting platforms including Xero, Farm Focus, and Figured for client work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accounting and Taxation Services Core accounting and taxation compliance and advisory service for farming operations across Canterbury and the South Island, covering financial statements, tax returns, and specialist rural tax planning for sheep and beef, dairy, deer, and mixed farms.
• Company and Trust Administration Statutory administration, annual returns, and compliance support for farming companies and family trusts, including intergenerational ownership structures common in New Zealand agribusiness.
• Business, Taxation and Succession Planning Strategic advisory service covering farm business planning, taxation structuring, and intergenerational succession planning for farming families and rural businesses.
• ACC Administration Service Standalone annual ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) administration service for farming entities, charged at a fixed annual fee per trading entity, handling levy management and ACC compliance on behalf of farming clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Streamlined year-end information collection reducing follow-up emails and improving accuracy during busy periods
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationXero Platinum Partner status. Cloud accounting platform used for client work including financial statements, cashflows, and budgets. Staff certified in Xero implementation and support.
• Farm FocuscoreTechnology or IntegrationFarm Focus Platinum Partner. Specialist farm accounting software used for annual accounts, cashflows, and budgets. Staff certified in Farm Focus.
• Farm Source AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Farm Source Alliance Authority Form for sharing farming data and information with alliance partners.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Crowe New Zealand (formerly WHK): National accounting and business advisory firm with an agribusiness and rural practice across New Zealand. Provides tax, audit, and advisory services competing for larger farming and agribusiness clients in the South Island.
• KPMG New Zealand: Big Four firm with an agribusiness sector focus serving large NZ rural corporates, cooperatives, and primary sector clients; relevant comparison for the upper end of the farming client spectrum.
• Baker Tilly Staples Rodway: Mid-tier national accounting firm with strong regional presence including South Island, providing tax and advisory services to farming, agribusiness, and rural clients in markets overlapping with Brown Glassford.
• PwC New Zealand: Big Four firm providing tax, advisory, and assurance services to NZ agribusiness corporates and rural sector clients; competes for larger farming operations and corporate agribusiness structures.
• BDO New Zealand: National mid-tier accounting and advisory firm with a recognized agribusiness practice serving NZ farming and rural clients. Broader portfolio than Brown Glassford but competes directly for mid-to-large farming clients seeking tax, succession, and advisory services.
• Deloitte New Zealand: Big Four firm with a national agribusiness practice serving large-scale NZ farming corporates, agribusinesses, and rural investment vehicles; competes for top-end farming clients that may outgrow a specialist firm like Brown Glassford.

Others

• Xero: Cloud accounting platform of which Brown Glassford is a Platinum Partner; provides the underlying technology stack used across the firm's client base and represents both an enabling ecosystem and a structural source of DIY accounting risk.
• Figured: Cloud-based farm financial management software used by Brown Glassford for livestock accounting, cashflows, and budgets; an ecosystem partner and potential disintermediation vector for compliance services.
• Farm Focus: Cloud farm accounting software platform of which Brown Glassford is a Platinum Partner; an enabling technology partner whose tools underpin Brown Glassford's delivery and that also competes for the underlying client relationship in some cases.

Direct peers

• MacKay Bailey Chartered Accountants: Christchurch-based chartered accounting firm that is a direct specialist farm accounting peer; Director Tim Wade joined Brown Glassford from MacKay Bailey, and both firms serve overlapping Canterbury and South Island farming clients with similar agribusiness-focused services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/brownglassfordandco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brown-glassford-co-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Brown Glassford & Co Limited