Accountants & Accountancy Practices
Accountancy Practice Loans & Fee Block Finance
Growth by acquisition.
Funded properly.
The fastest-growing practices often buy their growth, one fee block at a time. We help structure the finance so you can acquire without weakening the firm before its busiest season.
The pressures we see
What makes accountants different.
- Fee blocks and whole practices that come up for sale quickly.
- Retiring partners and sole practitioners looking for a successor.
- A year of work concentrated before 31 January, with fees landing after it.
- Constant investment in software, automation and people.
What we can finance
Funding for accountants.
- 01 Fee Block Purchases Acquire recurring fees without draining working capital.
- 02 Practice Acquisitions Buy the whole practice, team and client base.
- 03 Goodwill & Deferred Consideration Fund the goodwill, or the vendor's later instalments.
- 04 Partner Buy-ins, Exits & Succession Bring in the next generation; fund retiring partners out.
- 05 Seasonal Working Capital The October to January squeeze, funded.
- 06 Tax & VAT Funding The practice's own tax bills, not just your clients'.
- 07 PI Premiums & Practising Certificates Spread the renewals your professional body requires.
We aren't tied to one lender or product. For every need above, we search the market for lenders who understand accountants.
The cash calendar
When the pressure usually lands.
Acquisitions & ownership
Buying a fee block?
Talk it through before you agree heads of terms. The funding structure can shape what you offer the vendor, from the completion payment to deferred consideration and retention terms.
Success stories
Funding arranged in this profession.
£133,000 completed for an established accountancy practice.
Read the story → £40k Completed transactionPractice acquisition AccountancyFunding an accountancy practice acquisition.
Read the story → £33k Completed transactionFlexible credit Accountancy£33,000 flexible credit facility for an accountancy practice.
Read the story →Accountancy Practice Loans & Fee Block Finance
Accountancy practice loans are most often about acquisition: fee block finance for a client list, buying a retiring sole practitioner's practice, or funding a partner succession. Finance for accountants can also smooth the January cycle, when the self-assessment work is done but the fees are still to come and partners' tax is due. Lenders assess recurring fee income, client retention and any deferred consideration agreed with the vendor. As a whole-of-market broker we search the market for lenders who understand recurring-fee businesses, help structure the completion payment and later instalments, and approach the lenders most likely to suit your practice and its plans.
Questions
What accountants usually ask.
Can I get a loan to buy an accountancy fee block?
Yes. Fee block purchases are one of the most common reasons accountancy practices borrow. Lenders generally look at the recurring fee income being acquired, client retention, your existing practice's performance and how the deal is structured, including any retention clawback. We search the market for lenders familiar with recurring-fee businesses and help you present the case.
How do lenders value an accountancy practice or client list?
Lenders tend to focus on the quality and reliability of recurring fees rather than a headline multiple. Retention history, the mix of compliance and advisory work, client concentration and whether key staff are staying all matter. The price agreed with the vendor and the amount a lender will support are not always the same, so it helps to talk before heads of terms.
Can finance cover deferred consideration on a practice purchase?
Often, yes. Many accountancy deals are paid partly at completion and partly over time, sometimes linked to client retention. Finance can fund the completion payment, and some lenders will refinance future instalments into a single facility. We look at the terms you have agreed, or are negotiating, and search for a structure that fits. Vendors often take advice on Business Asset Disposal Relief when agreeing how the price is paid.
How can an accountancy practice manage cash flow around January?
Much of the self-assessment work is done before the January deadline, while fees are billed and collected afterwards, and partners' own tax falls due at the same time. Seasonal working capital or a short-term facility can bridge that gap. We look at your billing cycle and search the market for lenders comfortable with the seasonal pattern.
Can a sole practitioner accountant get a business loan?
Yes, sole practitioners can borrow for acquisitions, working capital and equipment. Borrowing of £25,000 or less by sole traders and small partnerships can be regulated consumer credit, and we will say at the outset if that applies. Lenders will look at your fee income, accounts and personal credit history as well as the purpose of the loan.
Let's talk
Talk it through
with a specialist.
Before you approach a lender, speak to someone who understands the transaction. Confidential, no-obligation initial discussion.