r/ukaccounting

I’m fairly sure I’m underpaid but here goes…

Started out at local council with apprenticeship. Moved onto AAT and role that had a salary of like 11k haha. This is around 2008

Left for private sector (capita) and they paid for my quals. Got amazing experience etc there. Started at 19l when I left was 32k

Lots of restructuring so left and moved to owner managed firm. Loved it totally diff but shit systems; salary 35k and 20% bonus:

Had to leave here almost a year in as partner at the time bad accident left paralysed so took year out;

Came back to a shite job similar salary but not much to do, then got a job at a start up 45k. Then Covid hit and we were asked to drop a day and 20% salary to avoid redundancies, all agreed. Then my probation ended, expected meeting to be formality as no issues. Fired on the spot as I’m shit apparently.

Got FTC at new balance, went ok but didn’t enjoy. Then moved to TalkTalk. Again was ok, stayed for two years then went on mat leave.

As I was due to go on mat leave PWC approached me, had to decline as Mat leave: they did again later on, this time I went on with the process got the job and been there since 2023. Started at 45k now 49k.

I’m ACCA qualified have been since 2017 and almost 20 years experience in the industry. Am I way underpaid? How can I change it if so?

Have an interview for this role tomorrow, just wanted to know what type of technical questions to expect, what they might be looking for in answers etc

I need help to feel better after my interview. I think my biggest flop was the safeguarding question I stumbled so hard lowkey don’t know what it is but it’s a college so I forgot to practice that. I did a lot of “and yeah”. The questions were tailored to someone with more experience so they had to rephrase so I could answer using my degree as a basis. The 30 min task based on credit control and excel I just about finished with no time to double check my answers. It was meant to be 1hr over within 30ish. I’m so scared for the phone call and thank god I hear back within a day or I’d drive myself crazy. Can’t believe I fumbled it so bad but I’m gonna try keep hoping there was 5 candidates so I got a 20% chance 🤧.

Hi everyone just few months into my own practice and having issues with pricing. Any tips how to tackle this as most of the clients don’t want to pay more than £500-£700 for a small Ltd company with payroll and no vat.

Hello, so this summer I will be going to warwick to study accounting and finance, which is an increible uni for finance and has the 2nd best buisness school in the uk. Now i know that the world of accounting might be replaced by AI. First of all for those who studied a degree in accounting and finance what can i expect from this degree? What will I study? I am someone who enjoys doing maths and loves maths is there maths in this degree? Also in this current job market will finding a job with this degree be very diffuclt for me or will I be saved because im going to a v good university (say i graduate with a 2:1)?

I'm in my early 20s work in a junior finance role. I've been in the role for around five months.

When I started, I expected there to be a learning curve and accepted that it would take time to become fully comfortable with the role. However, I'm increasingly wondering whether the workload is simply too high for one person.

I rarely seem to have enough time to complete everything by the relevant deadlines. There are also situations where deadlines are missed because something needs management approval and my manager doesn't have time to get to it before the deadline. I understand that she's busy too, but this can have a knock-on effect for me: for example, when payment runs are delayed, suppliers start chasing for payment, which creates additional emails and work for me that I then have to deal with on top of everything else.

I'm also responsible for a large number of separate legal entities, so I have to switch between different sets of accounts and tasks frequently. On top of the day-to-day work, I'm regularly given additional projects which I don't feel I have enough time to complete to the standard I'd like. I'm also often interrupted with ad-hoc tasks, some of which can take an hour or two.

I've spoken to my manager about the workload and asked how I could manage my time better. She told me that they're impressed with my work and that it's simply a role that I'll "never get on top of." I've also been given audit preparation work which has taken several days.

It's not unusual for me to work roughly 8am–6pm, particularly when things are busy. I've reached the point where I'm constantly thinking about work outside of working hours, and it's started affecting my sleep and relationships.

I became overwhelmed recently and had what I'd describe as a breakdown, and I've currently been off work because of it. Despite communicating that I've been struggling, there hasn't been any cover for my workload, so I'm concerned that everything will simply be waiting for me when I return.

My main question is: is this just what working in a busy finance role is like, or does this sound like an unusually high/unrealistic workload for someone five months into the job?

I'm particularly worried about what happens when I eventually take annual leave. Does this mean I'll always have to work ridiculous hours before/after holidays just to catch up?

So I’m going to university in September to study a healthcare degree but I’ve been having some doubts as many who work the career say it pays poor, it’s becoming very oversaturated and it’s not worth it anymore so I’ve been considering accounting as a backup. My main reasons for considering accounting is that I do like working with numbers, it’s a very stable career, it’s not very oversaturated, has good career progression, and it pays well. From my perspective it seems like a pretty good career. So my question is, is it worth it? Is it an enjoyable career or is it incredibly boring? Would you go back and pick it again if you had the choice? Is it very stressful?

Hi guys,

As the title suggests, I need some advice. I'm currently PQ in a small regional practice with 9/12 exams passed (taking into account 1 less profession exam from Sep 2027).

My employer has offered £34k, which i'm happy with, on the condition that i stay through a colleague's sabbatical leave for 1 year. We are a very small team.

The catch is that they wants me to commit to staying until said colleague returns. I haven’t agreed to anything just yet.

My long-term plan is to move from practice into industry, for career growth and better financial prospects. I’m also aiming to qualify with ACCA in the september 2027 transition.

I’m considering offering to commit to staying for at least around 6 months or so, and then saying after that it's fair game, because I don’t ideally want to delay moving into industry for another year, especially as the market isn't in the best position right now.

My main concern is whether moving into industry becomes significantly harder once I’m fully ACCA-qualified if I will have no industry experience.

Surely for newbie industry roles it's cheaper and therefore preferable for employers to hire a PQ or a finalist, as opposed to a newly qualified with no experience.

Would you prioritise getting into industry before qualifying, even if it means turning down/limiting the pay rise arrangement, or would you stay, qualify, and then make the transition? Am I overthinking ?

Any advice appreciated !

As the tile suggests, I'm looking into entry positions in accounting ideally via AAT apprenticeship.

I'm working in a completely unrelated sector (health care/dental) and am looking into accounting as a change in career via AAT apprenticeship route

I'm 25yo based around cambridge, no experience whatsoever in the finance world. Could anyone provide me with any tips, insights into what the job actually looks like and what sort of companies to look into in cambridge?

Hi everyone, I’m looking for an affordable online MBA from a UK university, with minimal investment. Ideally, I’d also like the program to provide coaching or support for ACCA. Any recommendations would be appreciated. So there should be combination of both .

I am an acca student who had completed 7/13 papers and currently enrolled for Bsc in professional accounting in UOL and so will be getting 2 exemptions and move to professional level, I have prior experience of 1.5 years in risk advisory(internal audit) from a Indian firm, I am looking for a remote jobs from UK, as many firms are outsourcing. I am open to any of the entry level jobs related UK accounting, tax or audit. If there are small to midsize accounting firm wanting to hire entry level roles, it would be very helpful for me to start my Uk accounting career. Please help me

I’m looking to find an accountant who can advise on the best structure for using a dormant subsidiary to invest surplus funds from the trading company into US shares, including the tax implications, pros and cons, and any potential risks or restrictions.

What would be the best way to identify the right type of accountant or firm with the relevant expertise?

Looking for someone reliable to help with straightforward financial admin, including entering transaction lists into accounting software, preparing Excel spreadsheets, invoice breakdowns and organising bank-statement data.

Extensive experience isn’t essential — familiarity with accounting software, Excel and accurate data entry is more important. Training/process guidance can be provided.

Payment: Can be commission-based. Individual company payouts can be in the £2k–£4k range, depending on the work involved. There is potential for significantly more for someone who works well with us.

Discretion and confidentiality are important.

DM me with your experience, software you’re familiar with, availability and whether commission-based work interests you.

There’s a lot of talk about AI replacing accountants. But I think the more interesting change is happening somewhere else.

As more routine work becomes automated, things like bookkeeping, reporting and basic analysis may no longer be what separates one accounting firm from another.

If everyone has access to similar AI tools the technology itself probably won't be much of a competitive advantage.

The real difference could come down to things AI can't easily replicate like understanding a client's business, building trust, giving good advice and knowing when to challenge a decision.

That could force accounting firms to rethink what they actually offer rather than simply adding another AI tool to the existing way of working.

AI may not replace the accounting firm. It may just change what clients value about it.
Curious to hear how others in accounting are thinking about this. 

I am going to be in year 13 in September and right now the plan is to get into medicine.
However, I have realised I don’t really want to do medicine due to the UCAT stressing me out and im studying for my A levels and all i do is cry so even though I would like to be a doctor I really do not think i will survive medical school.
The alevels I am doing right now is maths,bio and chem.

so my questions are,

How is the job market for accounting?

Do you think i should stick to medicine or will accounting be better?

The exams you need to take in accounting do you think they are harder than alevels? Or how are they?

Is accounting a stable career like being a doctor is?

Do i need a degree in accounting?

Is doing a apprenticeship better and if so where and
what ones would i apply to and what do my alevel predicted grades need to look like?

Where do i get work experience for accounting?

How do i convince my mum to let me do accounting because she is dead-set on me being a doctor and seems like she will disown me because of it?

Thank you to anyone that can answer my questions and really help me out!!

Background:

30 y/o

Degree in finance

Spent ten years doing something completely unrelated to accounting

Spent over a year applying to grad schemes, big firms, small firms, industry, across all kinds of positions like AP etc

I've now sent my CV to, genuinely, every practice in a 30 mile radius. Not a single interview.

This is all I want to do. If I can't find a job soon I will have to give up on this dream but I don't know what else I could do.

Maybe 30 is too old for apprentices or trainees and it puts firms off, I don't know. Should I try reapplying to firms in a few months or abandon the dream?

Hey everyone,

I just got selected for a Financial Consultant role, mostly dealing with UK-based clients. My job is to understand their business needs and guide them toward the right accounting/financial services. Excited about it, but I want to prepare properly instead of learning through mistakes.

A few things I'd love advice on:

Communication style

• How direct should I be with British business owners?
• What tone builds trust with someone looking for an accountant?
• Any phrases or approaches that come off as pushy or salesy?

What clients actually want

• What matters most to UK businesses when picking an accountant — price, experience, responsiveness?
• Does being non-UK-based create a trust issue? How do people handle that?

HMRC must-knows

• What HMRC rules/deadlines should I know cold (VAT, Self Assessment, Corporation Tax, Making Tax Digital)?
• Common mistakes that make someone sound inexperienced when discussing compliance?

Quick etiquette tips

• Anything about UK business emails/calls I should know?
• Good resources to learn fast?

Would really appreciate any tips, even small ones. Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I’m building Company Radar, currently in private beta.

It helps accountants find newly incorporated UK companies, filter them by location/industry, and send personalised physical letters directly to them.

The idea is pretty simple: reach a new business at the right time, before their inbox gets flooded with cold emails.

I’m looking for a few accountants/accounting firms to test it with and give me honest feedback.

I’m happy to set everything up with you and cover the first campaign while we test it.

If you work at or run an accounting firm and this sounds useful, feel free to DM me.

Also happy to answer any questions here.

I’m not sure if this is the right thread but my end goal is to be a chartered accountant. I have an interview coming up for a finance income assistant role but worried about what type of questions to expect this is my first professional job interview. I’ve only worked in retail before. I’ve just graduated with BA hons Accounting and finance degree and the interview process says there will be a 30 min task on credit control and excel.

Curious how accounting firms are actually handling this in practice.

If you're responsible for multiple limited companies, what do you currently use to keep track of Companies House activity and deadlines?

For example:

• Companies House email alerts / Follow
• Spreadsheets
• Practice management software
• Inform Direct or similar software
• Calendar/task reminders
• Manual Companies House checks
• Something else

Also interested in roughly how many companies you're monitoring and whether your current setup works well at that scale.

What works well for you, and what gets frustrating as the portfolio grows?