Accountancy Insights
Trump, tariffs and EU turmoil: 2025 predictions
- Podcast
- ICAEW Insights
In this special episode of Accountancy Insights, we look ahead to the most significant events and trends anticipated in 2025.
Listen now
Chart of the week: Defence spending battle lines
- Article
- 10 Jan 2025
Our chart this week takes a dive into the £53.9bn Ministry of Defence expenditure in 2023/24 ahead of what is likely to be a charged debate about defence spending in the coming year.
Member profile: Sarah Randall-Paley MBE
- Article
- 09 Jan 2025
The Lancaster University Director of Finance was last year awarded an MBE for her leadership in helping the higher education sector weather the COVID-19 storm. Sarah Randall-Paley discusses her 30-year career at the university.
Economic update: five key trends for 2025
- Article
- 02 Jan 2025
Following a disappointing end to 2024, UK’s economic prospects could become brighter this year, despite notable domestic and global challenges. ICAEW’s Economies Director Suren Thiru discusses the implications.
New VAT guidance on cladding remediation work
- Article
- 09 Jan 2025
HMRC has published guidance clarifying its policy on the VAT treatment of remedial works to buildings, including the replacement of cladding.
The SME view: ‘VAT is complicated, even for accountants’
- Article
- 09 Jan 2025
The co-founder of a fast-growing business – and ICAEW member – outlines why VAT could be made much easier for the nation’s entrepreneurs.
VAT quiz: standard-rated, zero-rated or exempt?
- Article
- 19 Dec 2024
Test your knowledge of obscure VAT rules with this quiz from ICAEW. We’ll present you with a few everyday items, and you tell us if they are standard-rated, zero-rated or exempt.
A listing of one-off Insights specials that focus on a particular subject, interviewing the key people, identifying developing trends and examining the underlying issues.
How to fix VAT
- Hub page
ICAEW explores the challenges and opportunities offered in reimagining VAT and it's application. Read about the history of VAT, the lessons that can be learned from outside the UK and the potential of digitalisation.
Global Ethics Day
- Hub page
ICAEW celebrates Global Ethics Day each year. The 2024 theme is "Ethics empowered: using the power of ethics to build a better world”, and ICAEW is examining the vital role ethics must play in the development of technology.
Local government finance: skills for the future
- Hub page
Improving financial skills at local authorities is critical in balancing the books and delivering value for citizens. As backstop dates for audited accounts come into force, ICAEW explores how local authorities can strengthen their approach to financial management.
Accounting Intelligence
ICAEW has created a range of resources to support members in business and practice build their understanding of AI. There are video masterclasses, as well as features discussing opportunities, challenges, limitations, risk management and ethics.
Videos
AI masterclass on better audit sampling
- Video
- 29 Oct 2024
Konrad Bukowski-Kruszyna ACA, Head of Audit Data Analytics, RSM UK outlines how generative AI can help ensure that audit sampling is being handled correctly.
What is VAT?
- Video
- 19 Nov 2024
Value added tax is a vital tool for raising revenue to fund education, healthcare and more. We explain how it works and how it could be improved.
AI masterclass on reviewing company controls
- Video
- 30 Oct 2024
Jenny Blewett FCA, Head of Finance at Costello Medical talks about how she used generative AI to help check her firm’s banking controls when she was new in post.
Private equity: is it here to stay?
- Video
- 22 May 2024
Matt Meadows, Managing Partner, Moore Kingston Smith, and Caroline Monk, Executive Partner, Beever and Struthers, on their views of private equity on the accountancy sector.
The opinions expressed by external guest speakers in interviews or other publications included on this website are, by their nature, those of the speaker. They are not necessarily fully endorsed by the ICAEW or purport to reflect the official policies and views of the ICAEW or its members.
Trump, tariffs and EU turmoil: 2025 predictions
- Podcast
- 03 Jan 2025
In this special episode of Accountancy Insights, we look ahead to the most significant events and trends anticipated in 2025.
The financial case for sustainability
- Podcast
- 12 Dec 2024
In this episode of Behind the Numbers, we discuss the progress of sustainability reporting.
Regulating tax advice, plus new professional behaviour wording
- Podcast
- 02 Dec 2024
In this episode, we speak to Ray McCann, fresh from delivering this year’s Hardman Lecture on Monday 25 November, about regulating the provision of tax advice.
Chart of the week: Defence spending battle lines
- Article
- 10 Jan 2025
Our chart this week takes a dive into the £53.9bn Ministry of Defence expenditure in 2023/24 ahead of what is likely to be a charged debate about defence spending in the coming year.
Chart of the week: Commonwealth of Australia balance sheet
- Article
- 20 Dec 2024
Our chart this week heads down under for some warmer weather and to take a look at the Australian federal government balance sheet in its recently published consolidated financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2024.
Chart of the week: UK public sector pension liabilities
- Article
- 13 Dec 2024
Our chart this week looks at how public sector net pension obligations reduced by £1.2tn from £2.6tn to £1.4tn during the financial year ended 31 March 2023 as a consequence of a sharply rising discount rate.
Insights by topic
Climate hub
- Hub page
Climate change is a crucial issue for the accounting profession. Are you professionally ready to mitigate the risk and maximise the opportunity of climate change? Find inspiration, information and practical resources to support the goals set out in the Paris Agreement and in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
CEO and President's insights
- Listing
View an archive of blogs from ICAEW CEO, Michael Izza, and from past ICAEW presidents.
Diversity and Inclusion
- Hub page
ICAEW is committed to Diversity and Inclusion. In this hub we bring together timely D&I resources on the protected characteristics of the Equality Act, along with our latest insights into diversity in the profession.
Sponsored content
- Listing
Hear what our partners are saying on topical issues impacting the accountancy profession.