Fresh from QuickBooks Get Connected, Tom Herbert kicks off the podcast with the start of event season. He recaps key announcements, Making Tax Digital (MTD) product updates and the upcoming Festival of Accounting and Bookkeeping (FAB) on 12-13 March, highlighting the importance of these events being the last proper window for vendors to push their MTD message. 

Continuing with MTD, Richard Hattersley covers HMRC’s plan to start writing to sole traders and landlords in April. The team debates whether this signals real progress or if it’s still too early to tell. Herbert also shares how event attendees are reacting to MTD and why HMRC’s presence at FAB makes it a must-attend.

This week’s special guest is Jess Brindle, co-founder of Jessica & Morton and an upcoming FAB speaker. Matthew Ord talks with Brindle about the changing role of finance leaders, their expanding responsibilities and the need to stay ahead of tech advancements. She also previews her FAB session, What’s The Forecast and the importance of preparing for upcoming changes. 

No Accounting for Taste ep183: Event season, MTD and finance leaders

Money laundering reporting officers (MLROs) take on specific and personal responsibilities under the anti-money laundering (AML) regulatory regime. We catch up with some experienced MLROs, who offer an insight into how their roles are evolving and discuss the skills they need to meet their obligations.

The MLRO: an ever-evolving role

ICAEW’s revised CPD framework has seen high levels of member engagement during its first year. Julia Penny, ICAEW Council member and past President, and Sophie Wales, Director of Regulatory Policy at ICAEW, review progress so far, and reflect on the value of CPD in maintaining standards and strengthening trust in the profession.

CPD changes prompt renewed focus on lifelong learning

2025 changes to Audit Regulations are now confirmed and will take effect on 1st June. The new regulations introduce a requirement for ICAEW-registered audit firms to notify ICAEW when appointed to certain complex or high-risk audits. There is also a new requirement for sole practice auditors to appoint an alternate. Sole practice auditors will have until the end of a six month transition period to appoint an alternate (ie, until 1st December 2025).

Check out the original article this audio is based on at:

2025 Audit Regulations changes: movement of audits and sole practitioner alternates

In this episode, we have a report by Mark Rowland from the ’20 Years of HMRC’ event held on 11 March at Chartered Accountants’ Hall, in which he speaks to James Murray, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, and Lord O’Donnell, former Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, among others, about the future of digitisation and HMRC.

Happy birthday, HMRC

In this episode of the ICAEW Student Insights podcast, host Jag Dhaliwal learns how students can best prepare themselves for ACA and ICAEW CFAB exams.

Top tips for exam success

In this episode of Behind the Numbers, we discuss the necessary ingredients to support economic growth.

What Britain needs to grow

Rachel Reeves kept her promise with no tax changes in yesterday’s Spring Statement. With expectations low, Richard Hattersley recaps the key takeaways, including the eight consultations and policy papers released and looks ahead to what the Autumn Budget might bring.

One of the policy papers released confirmed that sole traders and landlords with incomes of more than £20k would be pulled into the system by 2028. Tom Herbert explains what this means and why Reeves didn’t mention MTD in the Spring Statement. 

Matthew Ord shifts focus from the Spring Statement to HURST, an accounting and business advisory firm with big growth plans. He recalls his chat with managing partner Tim Potter on their strategy, recruitment challenges and tech investments.


No Accounting for Taste ep185: A 2025 Spring Statement special

With the new tax year starting on 6 April, Richard Hattersley runs through the key changes, from the rise in employer national insurance to HMRC’s focus on debt management. He also covers the MTD countdown, HMRC’s confidence in a 2026 rollout and whether it’s time to rethink the UK tax year. Tom Herbert shares the latest MTD software market updates.

Herbert also looks into the latest in artificial intelligence (AI), starting with ICAEW president Malcolm Bacchus’s call for a mindset shift in the profession. Herbert then highlights recent AI product launches from Jenesys, NetSuite and Vinyl.

Lastly, Matthew Ord looks at Wilson Partners’ acquisitive growth, with their latest deal doubling the team working in high-growth tech and life sciences. Tom Herbert explores why now is a smart time to target these sectors, while the team weighs in on the rising concerns around private equity’s growing role in accounting following their partnership with PE firm Fordhouse.


No Accounting for Taste ep186: New tax year, AI and acquisitive growth

In this episode, we discuss how the Trump administration’s tariffs will hamper the government’s growth plans, the progress made towards Making Tax Digital on its tenth birthday, and how changes to FRS 102 and 105 will affect the nation’s small businesses.

Adapting post-tariffs, MTD at 10, UK GAAP changes

ICAEW is a professional membership organisation that provides insight and leadership to the global accountancy and finance profession.

New tracks tagged #accountancy