DPC Accountants Stoke-on-Trent
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DPC Business & Tax Advisers Stoke-on-Trent
Creating Relationships – Driving Success
Looking for an Accountants in Stoke-on-Trent? Wherever you are in your business journey, just starting out, established and running a successfully business, looking to retire to grow your business, or just need some help with meeting your tax obligations, DPC Accountants Stoke-on-Trent have all the skills to help you achieve your financial goals and keep you compliant.
Our aim is to build lasting relationships to understand your business and personal financial goals and help you achieve them.
We can provide you a professional, honest, and personal service from day-to-day business accounting and compliance, through to specialist tax or business advice, and auditing.
Our team have a wealth of experience to help individuals, entrepreneurs, and businesses to reach their full potential and grow and develop.
We help a wide range of businesses from corporate groups, owner managed businesses, sole traders and partnerships working across multiple business sectors and industries.
We use and embrace technology to enable us to deliver accurate and efficient information to you which enables us to provide advice that adds value to your business.
Our staff are trained to a high standard and our work is regulated by the ICAEW accountancy body, ensuring we deliver a high standard of service to all our clients.
Working with you to ensure the success of your business relies on strong relationships, trust and integrity.
As a well-known Staffordshire firm of chartered accountants and business advisers, DPC Chartered Accountants Stoke-on-Trent use intelligent accounting solutions and expert advice to guide business and private clients.
Continual staff training and in-house skills are invested in to deliver the most up-to-date services compliant with HMRC, digital technology and data protection.
Whether you run a start-up company, a growing business, are looking to exit a business or require taxation advice, you can be assured of the highest quality guidance and tax solutions.
DPC Chartered Accountants are part of The Sumer Group Limited.
The heritage of DPC Group Limited originated with Edwin Downward on February 9, 1943 who set up shop as a sole practitioner in Wellesley Street, Stoke-on-Trent.
Welcoming John Plumb in 1962 and Mike Colclough in 1963, the firm became known as Downward, Plumb and Colclough – later adopting the acronym DPC.
Over the course of its rich history as a firm of accountants in Stoke-on-Trent (80-years celebrated in July 2023) DPC has gone from strength to strength embracing many changes and a commitment to constant innovation.
When computers were a fledgling industry, DPC took a chance by investing into new technology by spending £3,500 on a revolutionary Logabax accounting machine in June 1967.
The investment enabled advanced accounting (at the time) for some of Staffordshire’s most prominent businesses. The efficiency in financial affairs resulted in many of these organisations achieving international success.
Looking to work as an accountant in Stoke-on-Trent? We welcome people at all stages in their careers, from school leavers and recent graduates to experienced professionals.
We’re focused on attracting the best talent, putting people into the right roles and offering the best professional training and personal development to deliver a first class client service.
We offer fully funded and supported professional training at each stage of an accountancy/ audit/ tax career i.e. AAT, ACCA, ACA (ICAEW), ATT, or CTA. This is supplemented with an in-house mentor and Personal Development Plan.
We offer structured career paths across a range of roles within the practice
Experienced hires
Develop personally and professionally with DPC
Weekly Business News

March 31st Business News
Welcome to the DPC round up of some of important business news for our clients. Please contact us if you want to talk about how these updates affect your business. We are here to support you!
To view previous business newsletters, click here
Monthly Tax News

Spring Statement 2025
Despite a backdrop of low economic growth and increasing government borrowing costs, the Chancellor remains committed to her ‘non-negotiable’ fiscal rules that aim to bring stability to the economy and security for working people. With further borrowing ruled out and a determination not to announce further tax changes, her focus has been on government spending.
To view previous tax newsletters, click here
Practice News

National Apprenticeship Week 2025
We have now concluded a week of apprenticeship celebrations as part of National Apprenticeship Week 2025 and what a positive and inspirational week we had! Our People and Culture Manager Rachel Hughes attended the Apprenticeship and Skills Panel Breakfast hosted by Keele Gateway.

NSCG welcome DPC staff to address their students
Sharing their experiences of working for the Stoke-on-Trent business who were recently awarded ‘SME Employer of the Year Regional Finalist’ in the National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards, Rachel and Nathan helped the group to focus on the progression opportunities available to them within this in-demand profession.

DPC are part of the fastest growing accountancy firm in the UK!
Sumer has been recognised in this year’s Top 50+50 Accountancy Firms, by Accountancy Age! It’s official, we’re now the fastest growing accountancy firm in the UK! It’s not just about numbers or rankings; it’s about the incredible team that made it happen and the trust of the clients who believe in us.
Business News from DPC Accountants Stoke-on-Trent

Spring Statement: How is your business affected?
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, delivered her Spring Statement last week in which she outlined the government’s economic plans, including spending decisions, tax policies and efforts to boost growth while managing public finances. The Statement came on the back of the latest forecasts prepared by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax regime extended to smaller businesses
The Spring Statement announced that Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD for IT) regime will be further extended to smaller businesses. Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD for IT) is a government initiative that requires self-employed individuals and landlords with income over a certain limit to keep digital records and submit quarterly tax updates to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) using compatible software.

Could Embracing the Great Outdoors Add to Your Business Success?
Recent initiative organised by Natural England aligns with growing research showing that time spent in nature can have profound effects on mental and physical health. But while these workshops are targeted at children and their families, the benefits of nature are just as relevant for business owners.

Lessons for Business Owners from Ant Middleton’s Director Ban
The recent disqualification of television personality Ant Middleton and his wife, Emilie Middleton, as company directors provides valuable lessons for business owners. Their company, Sway and Starting Limited, failed to pay over £1 million in taxes, despite receiving more than £4.5 million in income. The company eventually went into liquidation, with a significant overdrawn director’s loan account.

£2 billion Grant Funding for 18,000 New Social and Affordable Homes
Construction sector businesses welcomed the announcement made by the Chancellor and Deputy Prime Minister that the government will be making a £2 billion investment for the building of 18,000 new social and affordable homes. Sites available for development in Manchester and Liverpool may be the first to benefit from the funding, the majority of which will be spent in 2026/27.

£20 million Investment in Community Housing
The government has announced a £20 million package that will help community land trusts, housing cooperatives and other community groups to build over 2,500 new homes in the next 10 years. Some advantages of community-led housing projects include having local people locate and design new homes that meet the specific needs of their local area.

UK Export Finance Hosts Event to Boost Women-Led Businesses in International Trade
Over 100 female entrepreneurs, banking representatives, and government officials gathered in Leeds last week for an event focused on breaking down financial barriers for women-led businesses. Hosted by UK Export Finance (UKEF) and with speakers from Female Founder Finance and the Invest in Women Taskforce, the event celebrated the success of British businesswomen while exploring ways to increase access to finance and international trade opportunities.

Changes Coming to GB-NI B2B Parcel Movements in May
From 1 May 2025, all B2B (business to business) parcels travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will need to have information submitted onto the Customs Declaration Service. This is something your parcel carrier will typically handle; however, you will need to provide them with additional information so that they can do this. In some cases, you may also need to pay duty.

Cutting wasteful spending: What your business can learn from the government’s crackdown
The government has just announced that thousands of government credit cards will be cancelled as part of a crackdown on wasteful spending. With spending on these cards reportedly increasing fourfold in the last four years, it’s a reminder that keeping an eye on expenses is crucial.

No change to Bank of England base rate
The Bank of England held its regular meeting to discuss interest rates last Thursday. They voted to hold interest rates at 4.5% as had been widely expected prior to the meeting. The Bank targets an inflation rate of 2% and has already predicted that inflation will rise this year before dropping at the end of the year. However, inflation for the 12 months to January 2025 increased to 3.0% from 2.5% in December, a much higher and faster increase in inflation than had been expected.

Could online restaurant reviews be used by AI to detect illness outbreaks?
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is exploring Artificial Intelligence’s (AI) ability to help them detect and investigate foodborne illness outbreaks. UKHSA experts have conducted a study where they have assessed different types of AI on their ability to analyse online restaurant reviews and pick out indications of foodborne gastrointestinal illnesses.

A week left to submit 2024 packaging data
For affected businesses there is now just a week left to submit their 2024 packaging data under the new extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) scheme. The new legislation came into force on 1st January 2025 and requires data to be submitted by 1 April 2025. Large businesses are expected to submit their July-December 2024 data, whereas small businesses must submit their January-December 2024 data in one annual submission by that date.

Identity verification coming to Companies House
As part of the changes being gradually introduced by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCT), identity verification is set to become a Companies House requirement. This is one of a number of changes that the Act is making to better protect the data held at Companies House.

Are you ready for April 2025?
The new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates will come into force from 1 April 2025. There are also changes to the National Insurance employers pay that take effect from 6 April. For many businesses, the April payroll will represent a sizeable step up in labour costs.

The Growth Agenda: Small businesses putting forward ideas for growth
Goldman Sachs published their “The Growth Agenda” report last week. This is a report that puts forwards the ideas of small business owners that could help to boost the UK economy. The report looks at issues around several areas that affect small businesses and include ideas that may help to drive growth.

Poultry feed deal has been cleared by CMA
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced that it has cleared Boporan’s proposed purchase of two feed mill sites. These are located at Burston and Radstock and currently owned by For Farmers. The inquiry made by CMA had two phases. After the phase 1 investigation the CMA concluded that the purchase of the Radstock did not raise competition concerns and the sale of this mill has already completed.

Chancellor announces Fintech reforms to boost UK capital markets
Chancellor Rachel Reeves met with senior Fintech representatives at No. 11 Downing Street last week to discuss growth opportunities as well as new draft legislation aimed at streamlining financial regulations. The proposed reforms focus on updating the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) rules inherited from the EU. These changes will empower the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to eliminate redundant regulations.

Higher tax threshold for side hustles: What could it mean for you?
Last week, the tax minister responsible for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), James Murray, delivered a speech marking the 20th anniversary of HMRC. Previously, the UK’s tax authority was known as Inland Revenue. During the speech he highlighted some simplifications that are planned. Of particular interest was the announcement of plans to increase the Income Tax Self Assessment (ITSA) reporting threshold for gross income from £1,000 to £3,000.

The Spring Statement and what it means for you
Click to see our guide to the implications of the 2025 Spring Statement for your finances.