What Westcotts does

Westcotts is a South West England-based chartered accountancy and business advisory firm operating as Westcotts (SW) LLP, a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales (OC432402). Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Exeter, the firm delivers audit and assurance, accounting and compliance, tax advisory, business advisory, payroll, digital, financial planning, and business recovery and insolvency services to small and medium-sized enterprises, owner-managed businesses, agricultural enterprises, charities, academies, landed estates, and private clients. It operates through 16 offices spanning Devon, Somerset, and surrounding counties with more than 300 team members including 32 partners and 13 directors, and serves clients through sector-specific teams across agriculture, charities and not-for-profit, education, tourism and leisure, landed estates, manufacturing and technology, private client, professional practices, renewables, and the SME market. Subsidiary Douglas Green Consulting Ltd provides agricultural and farm business consultancy, while Westcotts Business Recovery and Insolvency LLP and Westcotts Secretarial Limited operate as wholly-owned units supporting the core practice.

The firm's service portfolio is structured as a platform-plus-specialist model: eight core service lines delivered against ten sector specialisms, with cross-border capability accessed via PrimeGlobal membership (300+ firms in 113+ countries). Technology deployment relies on industry-standard third-party platforms — Sage, QuickBooks Online, and Crunch for accounting; Capsule CRM, Zymplify, and Gold-Vision CRM for customer relationship management; Deskpro for service desk — with no proprietary technology platform disclosed. ICAEW registrations cover statutory audit work and non-contentious probate, with statutory auditor eligibility under the Companies Act 2006 and HMRC Mandatory Tax Adviser Registration (effective June 2026) reinforcing regulated service credentials.

Revenue is generated through per-engagement and ongoing retainer fees determined on a client-by-client basis; no public pricing is published. The go-to-market model is partner-led direct sales across the 16 South West offices, supplemented by content marketing (blog, podcast, vlog), an active social media presence across LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok, sector-specific newsletters (general and agricultural), community sponsorship, and inbound enquiry capture. Client acquisition relies on professional referrals, community reputation, and long-standing relationships. In 2025, the firm divested its financial planning division to Advanta Solutions Ltd, narrowing the practice to core accountancy, tax, audit, advisory, payroll, and business recovery services.

Name

Westcotts

Legal name

Westcotts (SW) LLP

Website

https://westcotts.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Westcotts is a chartered accountancy and business advisory firm headquartered in Exeter, UK, delivering audit, tax, accounting, payroll, insolvency, and advisory services to SMEs, agriculture, charities, and private clients across the South West of England through 16 offices and 300+ staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chartered Accountancy & Business Advisory

NAICS

Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121)

akta.pro primary industry

Accounting & Bookkeeping Services (BPAHABAC)

Keywords

• Chartered accountancy services
• Audit and assurance
• Business advisory services
• Tax advisory services
• Business recovery insolvency

Headquarters

HQ city

Exeter

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - General Practice: Westcotts generates revenue by providing a comprehensive suite of professional services including accounting and compliance, tax advisory, audit and assurance, business advisory, payroll services, digital services, financial planning, and business recovery and insolvency. Fees are billed on a per-engagement or ongoing retainer basis depending on the service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Westcotts provides chartered accountancy, audit and assurance, tax, payroll, business advisory, financial planning, business recovery and insolvency, and digital (cloud accounting / Making Tax Digital) services to SMEs, owner-managed businesses, charities, landed estates, agricultural clients, and private individuals across the South West of England. The firm delivers these through 16 physical offices and 300+ staff under a partner-led model.

Product overview

Westcotts is a South West firm of Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers offering a comprehensive suite of professional services. The firm operates a platform-plus-specialist model with core service lines including Audit & Assurance, Accounting & Compliance, Tax Services, Advisory Services, Digital Services, Payroll Services, Financial Planning Services, and Business Recovery & Insolvency. These services are delivered across multiple specialist sectors (agriculture, charities, education, hospitality, landed estates, manufacturing, private client, professional practices, renewables, and SME) with subsidiary brands including Douglas Green Consulting for agricultural consultancy. With over 300 team members including 32 partners and 13 directors, the firm combines large-firm expertise with local knowledge across 17 offices in the South West.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Audit & Assurance Partner-led statutory audit and assurance services tailored to the individual needs of organisations, covering a wide range of engagements including ATOL audits.
• Accounting & Compliance Bookkeeping, forecasting, management accounts, company secretarial, and end-of-year account services for businesses, plus cash flow forecasts and budgets.
• Tax Services Expert advice on personal tax, business taxation, compliance, VAT, trusts, estates, international clients, stamp duty, and tax enquiry fee protection.
• Advisory Services Business advisory including start-up advice, corporate finance, agricultural consultancy, litigation support, trust and probate, and business resilience and protection services.
• Digital Services Digital transformation support including Making Tax Digital compliance, cloud accounting, and accounting software implementation and support.
• Payroll Services Outsourced payroll processing with expert payroll knowledge, ensuring compliance with current legislation including PAYE, workplace pensions, and CIS processing.
• Financial Planning Services Wealth management, pensions and retirement planning, estate planning, and business protection and resilience services.
• Business Recovery & Insolvency Qualified advice on business recovery and insolvency, personal debt, bankruptcy, liquidations (MVL, CVL), company voluntary arrangements, individual voluntary arrangements, and administration.
• Douglas Green Consulting Agricultural and farm business consultancy services including dairy consultancy and farm management, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Westcotts.
• Probate Services Non-contentious probate services delivered under ICAEW licence for estates, trusts, and succession planning clients.

Named customers5 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PrimeGlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestcotts is an active member of PrimeGlobal, an award-winning association of independent advisory and accounting firms. PrimeGlobal comprises over 300 member firms across more than 113 countries. This membership enables Westcotts to collaborate with international professionals, share expertise and best practices, attend global conferences, and participate in special interest groups. Westcotts clients benefit from access to international expertise when expanding overseas or navigating complex cross-border regulations, while Westcotts contributes its own knowledge to the global network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mazars UK: Top 10 UK chartered accountancy firm with audit, tax, advisory and outsourcing capabilities targeting SMEs, mid-market, and not-for-profit clients. Overlaps Westcotts' service lines at the larger end of its client base.
• BDO UK: Top 6 UK chartered accountancy firm with full-service audit, tax and advisory capabilities including substantial SME and mid-market coverage. Competes with Westcotts primarily on larger and more complex mandates within the same South West client base.
• Grant Thornton UK: Top 6 UK chartered accountancy firm serving mid-market corporates, SMEs, and private clients with audit, tax and advisory services. Competes for larger South West clients and offers an alternative to Westcotts' partner-led model.
• RSM UK: Top 6 UK chartered accountancy firm with significant mid-market presence in audit, tax and consulting. Overlaps Westcotts' SME and owner-managed business segments but operates nationally as part of the RSM global network.

Direct peers

• Azets: UK Top 10 chartered accountancy and business advisory group with a similar mix of audit, tax, payroll, advisory, and insolvency services to SMEs and owner-managed businesses. Comparable mid-tier independent positioning.
• Bishop Fleming: Top-50 UK chartered accountancy firm headquartered in Exeter and the South West with a comparable mid-tier regional structure, full-service offering (audit, tax, advisory), and similar SME and owner-managed business focus. Closest direct peer to Westcotts by geography, size, and client mix.
• MHA: UK Top 10 association of independent chartered accountancy and business advisory firms. MHA's regional member-firm structure, sector specialisms, and partner-led model closely mirror Westcotts' PrimeGlobal-connected independent mid-tier positioning.
• Crowe UK: Mid-tier UK chartered accountancy firm with comparable audit, tax, advisory, and outsourcing services for SMEs, private clients, and not-for-profit organisations. Competes for similar mid-market UK clients outside the Big Six.
• PKF Francis Clark: Largest independent chartered accountancy firm in the South West, also headquartered in Exeter, with comparable sector specialisms (agriculture, landed estates, private client) and a similar partner-led model. Directly competes with Westcotts in the same regional catchments.
• Moore Kingston Smith: London-headquartered Top 30 UK chartered accountancy firm serving owner-managed businesses, private clients, and not-for-profits with audit, tax, advisory and restructuring services — overlapping Westcotts' SME and private-client segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/westcottsUK
• Facebookfacebook.com/WestcottsUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/westcottsuk
• Instagraminstagram.com/westcottsuk
• TikToktiktok.com/@westcottsuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Westcotts