DPC Accountants Stoke-on-Trent
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DPC Business & Tax Advisers
Creating Relationships – Driving Success
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 DPC Group Limited, built on over 80 years’ experience.
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
October 30th Budget 2024
The Budget and what it means for you
Click to see our guide to the implications of the 2024 Budget for your finances.
We are hiring
Accountants in Stoke-on-Trent
Increase in warmth standards for rented homes
The government has announced new measures designed to improve the warmth of homes for renters and lower heating costs. As things currently stand, a private rented home can be rented out if it meets Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) E. Social rented homes have no minimum standard at all. A consultation will shortly be launched on proposals for both private and social rented homes to have to meet EPC C or its equivalent by 2030.
Amazon ends hybrid work policy: Is it time to reconsider remote working?
Amazon has announced the end of its hybrid work policy, with corporate staff expected to be back in the office five days a week starting in January. Previously, staff had the flexibility to work from home two days a week. The decision has apparently been made to help staff work together more effectively and help reduce bureaucracy. Last year, Amazon tightened the full remote work allowance that had been put in place during the pandemic and this resulted in staff staging a protest. The new decision is unlikely to be popular with many.
Inflation holds steady in August
The latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics last week show that inflation for the year to August 2024 remained steady at 2.2%. Increases in air fares compared to last year made the biggest upward contribution to the rate. However, falls in the price of motor fuels and restaurants and hotels offset this. The Bank of England met last Thursday to review the base rate and decided to hold the rate at 5%.
Procurement Act 2023: Implementation delayed to February 2025
The government has announced a delay to the start of the Procurement Act 2023, moving the commencement date to February 2025. The Procurement Act aims to simplify and improve transparency in public sector procurement and open opportunities for small businesses. While the Act’s goals remain unchanged, the government has decided to develop a new National Procurement Policy Statement before the Act comes into force. In short, Labour don’t like the Policy Statement that the Conservatives previously wrote and want to write their own.
Check your National Insurance record: Are you missing out on your full State Pension?
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has recently reminded people to check and make sure they are not missing out on valuable State Pension entitlements due to gaps in their National Insurance (NI) record. The issue mainly affects parents, particularly women, who claimed Child Benefit before 2000. During that time, Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) was designed to reduce the number of NI qualifying years needed to receive the full basic State Pension.
Chancellor backs new taskforce to support female entrepreneurs
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has pledged her support to the Invest in Women Taskforce, a new initiative aimed at increasing funding for female-founded businesses. The Taskforce aims to create a £250 million investment pool, making it one of the largest of its kind worldwide. This move follows the Rose Review, which highlighted a £250 billion economic boost if women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men. Despite women making up over half the UK’s population, they currently own only 21% of businesses.
Government to unveil new plans to tackle youth unemployment and long-term sickness
The government has announced plans to address the rising number of young people out of work due to long-term sickness. There has been a 29% increase in sickness amongst 16-24 year olds since the pandemic. Government statistics indicate that nearly 900,000 young people are now not in education, employment, or training (NEET). This raises concerns, not just for their well-being, but also about the future workforce.
British Chamber of Commerce launches in Uganda
The British Chamber of Commerce has officially launched in Uganda, offering UK businesses new opportunities to expand into the region. The Chamber aims to strengthen trade links between the UK and Uganda by providing a range of services, including networking events, trade delegations, and business advocacy. For UK businesses, this could be a valuable opportunity to explore new markets in Uganda, particularly in sectors like energy, agriculture, and infrastructure.
Could UK Export Finance help your business to grow?
Kiverco, a family-owned business from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, has secured multi-million-pound contracts to export recycling machinery to Saudi Arabia with the support of UK Export Finance (UKEF). UKEF has provided a £350,000 export insurance package that will help Kiverco to install new plants in Saudi Arabia. Kiverco designs and installs recycling plants that process and recover waste across various sectors, including construction, municipal waste, and dry mixed recyclables.
UK economy flatlines again
Figures released by the Office of National Statistics last week show that the UK economy showed no growth in July 2024. This is the second month in a row as there was also no growth in June. However, looking at the three months ending in July, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – a measure used to assess the economy – has grown by 0.5% when compared to the quarter ended in April.
Are you National Minimum Wage compliant?
As HMRC intensifies its crackdown on National Minimum Wage (NMW) noncompliance, it’s vital to make sure you don’t fall foul of NMW laws. Compliance can have more complexities to it than many assume, and the risks of getting it wrong are significant.
Risk Reduction Through Design Awards 2024/25: Celebrating workplace safety innovations
The Risk Reduction Through Design Awards 2024/25, sponsored by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF), are open for nominations. These awards aim to highlight employers in the UK who have successfully reduced workplace risks, particularly those related to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
Business Finance Week 2024: Free national and regional events available
Business Finance Week 2024 will run from 24 September to 2 October and includes a variety of national and regional in-person events and webinars. Business Finance Week is hosted by British Business Bank along with their various partners and can help smaller businesses learn about the various finance options that are available to help them.
New Labour Market Advisory Board: What it means for your business
On Monday, 9th September, the newly formed Labour Market Advisory Board, appointed by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall MP, had its first meeting. This board is no ordinary group—it’s a collective of experts drawn from business, industrial relations, and academia, all focused on tackling what’s being called the “greatest employment challenge for a generation.”
SIA Changes: New requirements for door supervisor and security guard licences
Businesses providing security services and holding SIA licences need to be aware of changes affecting door supervisor and security guard licences. Starting from 1st April 2025, anyone renewing these licences must complete a mandatory ‘refresher’ qualification. The refresher training will be available from 1st October 2024.
New cooperation announced to tackle cyber crime
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that details how the two organisations will cooperate to improve the UK’s cyber resilience. The aim is that their working more closely together will help organisations and businesses across the country to have better protection from the activity of criminals who steal data and hold it to ransom.
Launch of United Growth Briefing Paper
On Wednesday 11 September we attended The House of Lords for the launch of the United Growth Briefing Paper prepared by The Entrepreneurs Network and supported by Sumer. The paper highlights to the policy makers the 5 key areas that are important to SMEs to allow them to grow and therefore help our economy grow.
Public sector procurement: Missed targets and opportunities for SMEs
A recent report by the British Chambers of Commerce and Tussell has highlighted the ongoing challenges the public sector faces in meeting its procurement targets for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Despite the UK government’s commitment to increasing the procurement of goods and services from SMEs, the numbers reveal a persistent shortfall.