Higginson & Company (uk) Limited

What Higginson & Company (uk) Limited does

Higginson & Company (UK) Limited is a private accounting and tax consultancy firm headquartered in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, established in 1971. The firm operates as a traditional professional services practice led by two directors, John Darling FCCA and Donald Brown FCA, supported by a small team of qualified and trainee staff. It provides audit, accountancy, tax planning and compliance, MTD-compliant bookkeeping and VAT, payroll administration, management consultancy, business development advisory, and self-assessment personal taxation services. The firm is regulated for audit work in England and Wales by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (registration C001457706) and holds ACCA Approved Employer status for Practising Certificate Development.

The firm serves primarily UK small and medium-sized businesses and individual clients on a national basis, with clients spread across the UK despite the single Dunstable office. Technology infrastructure comprises modern cloud-based accounting platforms, notably Kashflow, which is integrated into the firm's service delivery and exposed to clients via a dedicated login portal. Compliance posture includes GDPR data protection practices, MTD-compliant bookkeeping systems, and Aviva-provided professional indemnity insurance with worldwide coverage excluding USA/Canada offices.

The business model is straightforward professional services revenue: fees are tailored to individual client requirements and quoted per engagement, with no publicly disclosed pricing tiers or subscription models. Go-to-market is relationship-led, relying on professional reputation, word-of-mouth referrals, and direct client engagement rather than digital marketing, paid acquisition, or partnership channels. The website functions as a credibility surface and resource library (tax guides, budget summaries, year-end reviews) rather than a lead-generation engine. The firm has no subsidiaries, no external investors, no parent company, and no disclosed funding history, consistent with a privately held, founder/director-managed practice.

Name

Higginson & Company (uk) Limited

Legal name

Higginson & Company (UK) Limited

Website

https://higginsonandco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Higginson & Company (UK) Limited is a Dunstable-based accounting and tax consultancy, established 1971, providing audit, accountancy, tax, payroll, and advisory services to UK small and medium-sized businesses and individuals on a national basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Accounting Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Accounting & Bookkeeping Services (BPAHABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Reporting & Technical Accounting Advisory (GAAP/IFRS) (BPAHABAF)

Keywords

• Accounting services
• Tax consultancy
• Audit services
• Bookkeeping services
• Payroll administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Dunstable

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Accountancy Services: Revenue generated from providing audit, accountancy, tax planning, tax compliance, bookkeeping, payroll administration, management consultancy, and business development services to clients across the UK. Services are billed on a professional fee basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Higginson & Company (uk) Limited is a UK-based accounting and tax consultancy firm providing audit, accountancy, tax planning, tax compliance, bookkeeping, payroll administration, management consultancy, and business development services to small and medium businesses and individuals. The firm designates a director for each client's business affairs to deliver tailored professional services on a personal level, supported by modern cloud-based accounting tools such as Kashflow and MTD-compliant systems.

Product overview

Higginson & Co (UK) Ltd is an established accounting and tax consultancy firm offering a comprehensive suite of professional services. The firm operates as a single-service practice rather than a modular software platform, providing accounting, audit, tax planning, business advisory, and payroll services primarily to UK-based small and medium businesses. Services include Business Start-Up Help & Advice, Raising Finance, Tax Planning & Advice, Tax Compliance, Computerised Book-Keeping & VAT (MTD compliant), Payroll Administration, Self-Assessment Personal Taxation Service, Management Consultancy, Business Development, and Audit & Accountancy services. The firm is ACCA approved and regulated by ICAEW for audit work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Audit & Accountancy Annual audit services fulfilling statutory and regulatory requirements with added value, plus preparation of annual accounts, management accounts, bookkeeping, VAT services, payroll, and financial forecasting for UK businesses.
• Business Start-Up Help & Advice Advisory services guiding entrepreneurs from business concept to entity formation, covering structure selection (sole trader, partnership, limited company) and business planning.
• Tax Planning & Advice Corporate and personal tax planning services with proactive specialist advice to minimise tax liabilities through proper structuring of business and estate planning.
• Tax Compliance PAYE compliance including annual returns, Real Time Information (RTI) processing, P11d compliance, and other payroll-related compliance requirements.
• MTD Compliant Computerised Bookkeeping & VAT Bookkeeping services maintaining client records on modern software with monthly accounts production, debtor/creditor lists, budget comparisons, and VAT return preparation in compliance with HMRC Making Tax Digital requirements.
• Payroll Administration Full payroll bureau service handling payroll production, starters/leavers, statutory deadline compliance, PAYE/NIC payments, RTI compliance, and P60 preparation.
• Self-Assessment Personal Taxation Service Tax return preparation and submission, claims and elections, HMRC negotiations, tax liability calculations, and deadline management for individuals.
• Management Consultancy Strategic business analysis and advisory services to improve business performance, increase shareholder value, and bridge management resource gaps.
• Business Development Ongoing business development support including strategy formulation, profit/cash-flow forecasting, internal financial controls, business planning, and investment project management.
• Raising Finance Finance-raising advisory services covering venture capital to traditional funding sources, including budget preparation, business plans, facility negotiations, and strategic analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Personal director-level service for each client ensuring tailored advice and continuity

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KashflowcoreTechnology or IntegrationKashflow cloud accounting software is used by the firm for client bookkeeping and payroll administration. Clients are provided with Kashflow login access through the firm's website portal.
• AvivaminorOthersAviva provides professional indemnity insurance for Higginson & Co. The insurance coverage is worldwide excluding professional business carried out from offices in the USA or Canada.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Xero: Cloud-based accounting platform widely used by UK SMBs and accountants. Not a direct accountancy practice, but increasingly competes with traditional firms like Higginson & Co by enabling clients to self-serve bookkeeping and compliance.

Broad incumbents

• Mazars UK: International accounting and advisory firm with UK presence offering audit, tax and consulting services. Comparable core offerings but operates as a broad incumbent rather than a regional SMB specialist.
• Crowe UK: Major UK accounting and advisory network offering audit, tax, consulting and risk services. Overlaps with Higginson & Co across core accountancy services but operates at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• RSM UK: Mid-tier UK accounting and consulting firm serving middle-market businesses with audit, tax and advisory services. Comparable audit and SMB-facing service mix but at materially larger scale.
• Saffery Champness: Top-20 UK chartered accountancy firm providing audit, tax, advisory and outsourced services to private clients, SMEs and larger corporates. Comparable service breadth with a longer-established brand profile.
• BDO UK: Top-tier UK accounting firm providing audit, tax and advisory services across multiple sectors. Comparable service lines but with broader industry reach and substantially larger scale than Higginson & Co.

Direct peers

• PKF Smith Cooper: Mid-tier UK accounting and advisory firm providing audit, tax, business services and corporate finance to SMEs and owner-managed businesses. Directly comparable in services and target segment to Higginson & Co.
• MHA MacIntyre Hudson: Top-20 UK accountancy group offering audit, tax, advisory and outsourced services to SMEs and mid-market corporates. Comparable business model and service breadth to Higginson & Co, at a larger scale.
• Moore Kingston Smith: UK-based chartered accountancy firm offering audit, tax, advisory and outsourcing services to SMBs and mid-market clients. Comparable in service mix and UK SMB focus to Higginson & Co, though larger in scale.
• Bishop Fleming: UK chartered accountancy firm providing audit, tax, business advisory and payroll services to owner-managed businesses and SMEs across the West Country and beyond. Closely comparable service offering and target client base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

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 Higginson & Company (uk) Limited