Working with Armstrong Watson on our annual audit has been a genuinely positive experience. The club owners and I came away feeling that we have gained more than an auditor, instead it feels like we have established a true partnership. The Armstrong Watson team took the time to understand the unique nature of our football club and demonstrated a commitment to working alongside us to support our ambitions for improvement and growth. The AW teams’ proactive approach and willingness to collaborate give us confidence that Armstrong Watson will continue to add real value to our business in the long-term. We look forward to building on this relationship as we explore new opportunities together.

Working with Armstrong Watson has been a truly positive experience for our business. From the outset, their team demonstrated exceptional professionalism, flexibility and transparency throughout the audit process. What stood out most was their ability to make a complex and often challenging process feel straightforward and collaborative.

The quality of communication and responsiveness gave us confidence at every stage, and their proactive approach ensured that any issues were addressed quickly and effectively. This level of service is a significant improvement compared to our previous audit experience and has reinforced that choosing Armstrong Watson was the right decision.

Beyond the audit itself, we value Armstrong Watson as trusted advisors who understand our business and provide insights that help us plan for the future. Their commitment to building strong client relationships and delivering real value sets them apart and we look forward to continuing this partnership.

I just wanted to reiterate my sincere thanks again for your excellent presentation of the annual accounts at our AGM last night. You have a real gift for making complex information accessible and meaningful for everyone in the room, and that skill is genuinely appreciated.

I’m also extremely grateful for the collaborative and supportive way you and your team have worked with both myself and our CFO throughout the process. Your approach makes a significant difference, and we truly value the partnership.

Whilst new to my role, Armstrong Watson were contracted to undertake a first time audit. This could have made for a difficult start with all of us being new to company. Armstrong Watson's team, lead on site by Chris Gunn, made the whole process smooth and much easier than it otherwise could have been. They communicated well and worked closely with us to hit required deadlines without unnecessarily encroaching on the day to day work.

After setting up good foundations the following years audits have flowed seamlessly.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend their services.

We reached out to Armstrong Watson to do a first-year audit following a large investment in our business. They got to work straight away and quickly made themselves indispensable to the business. The audit team have been excellent to work with and highly responsive to the needs of a fast-growing business in an emerging market. We see Armstrong Watson as key partners on the growth journey of our business.

Armstrong & Watson are a valued and trusted partner to Trafford & Stockport college Group. Their expertise in the FE sector is reassuring when it comes to their audit work for us. Karen, Lucy and their teams deliver a high standard of assurance for our governors and leadership team.

The professional manner in which they plan and conduct our year-end audit during what is already a very busy time for the college and our finance department, helps us enormously. They are efficient and clear in what they ask our internal teams to deliver which lets us balance the needs of the audit and the start of term. Their staff are always approachable and fast to respond with any queries. They go above and beyond to ensure we have a smooth close of year.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to any organisation.

After 30 years our audit accountants withdrew from audit work, requiring Parmley Graham to search for a new partner.

We wanted a practice that reflected our values, that we could work with across a number of areas as our business. Armstrong Watson was selected because it specialises in owner managed businesses and provides a wide range of tax expertise.

During our first year with Armstrong Watson we have worked with a number of excellent professionals and completed our first year end and audit together.

AW are a forward thinking organisation where personal relationships are important.

We are definitely looking forward to expanding our involvement with them in the future.

I just wanted to reiterate my sincere thanks again for your excellent presentation of the annual accounts at our AGM last night. You have a real gift for making complex information accessible and meaningful for everyone in the room, and that skill is genuinely appreciated.

I’m also extremely grateful for the collaborative and supportive way you and your team have worked with both myself and our CFO throughout the process. Your approach makes a significant difference, and we truly value the partnership.

The service provided by Armstrong Watson, and in particular the support and advice from Karen, Lauren and their colleagues to support us through this process has been immensely helpful.

Their knowledge of charity sector financial regulations and reporting requirements, and the professional way in which they approached this important work made the whole process much less challenging for us than we anticipated. I would, without reservation, endorse and recommend your services.

We find Simon and his team very approachable and open to conversation on any accounting issues that arise during the year. This means when we come to year end we do not see lots of swings in our numbers but also ensures we know what we need to do to make the audit run smoothly and to plan ahead of time.

Since appointing Armstrong Watson in 2020 we have always felt that we matter to them as a client. We are impressed by the way they manage the audit process so that they always hit deadlines, and with the close involvement of the partner in the planning each year and dealing with technical issues as they arise during the audit process. The whole team clearly understanding our audit issues. This means we never have any surprises or unexpected challenges.

Enkev Group is a producer of natural filling materials and our companies are spread through out Europe. The head-office is based in Volendam, the Netherlands where the Group management and owners are based. The consequences of that is that the group management highly depend on the support, accuracy and performance of the local auditors. In this case Armstrong Watson. Their work is the basis for the consolidating reporting of the Enkev Group. The groups auditors could always rely on their information, through auditing and excellent work.

Since the start of our activities in England, Armstrong Watson has supported us and never let us down. They gave us backup and advice, also in difficult times. The short lines and direct communication makes it efficient and pleasant to work with them.

We have found Armstrong Watson to be extremely rigorous and robust in their approach and they have conducted a thorough yet efficient audit process. They took time to understand our business and build relationships with the people within our teams and as a result have got to grips with the complexities of our business quickly. They worked well to our reporting deadlines and engaged cordially and professionally with our audit committee.

Ever since we were introduced to Matt and his team at Armstrong Watson, the process has been seamless from the outset. The initial handover was swift and was dealt with promptly and efficiently by Matt, while the audit itself has been an efficient, well planned and hassle-free process. The team have been a delight to deal with – thorough and robust, yet still pragmatic and helpful.

For our 2020 audit we made a conscious decision to move away from the Big 4 and engaged AW as auditors. What we experienced with AW was a fresh, streamlined approach to the audit process underpinned by frequent communication. We were particularly impressed with their pragmatism in regard to disclosures within the statutory financial statements and most importantly, they exceeded the deadlines we agreed at the outset.

Following our move to Armstrong Watson in 2019, the Armstrong Watson team have given us the proof that we needed that having a Top 10 firm is not always the best option. I have been particularly impressed by their responsiveness and proactivity as well as their breadth of knowledge and expertise. They always respond quickly and expertly with technical queries. I found the audit process to be well structured and efficient and the team were a pleasure to work with.

We made the move to AW from a Big 4 in the summer of 2019, we were essentially looking for a local business who could provide an efficient audit and professional advisory service but on a more personal level. Matt, Oliver and the team did not disappoint. The transition across was very straightforward, they assigned plenty of time and resources to get to know our business, systems and key colleagues making the year end audit very successful.

Completing the audit against a COVID 19 backdrop, the Armstrong Watson team showed a pragmatic approach to auditing both going concern and impairment, giving clear communication on what information they needed and why. This was done in a way that supported the management team and wider Board to have everything signed and delivered on time and within our governance structure.

Jim Lockhart has been working with Cricket Scotland Limited for over a decade. We have worked closely not only on the audit and tax services, but also when hosting major events such as the World T20 qualification competition in 2015. Jim and the team have consistently delivered and have provided valuable insight when needed.

When we set out to find a new audit provider in 2017, we were looking for a company that would not only get to know our organisation well but become a true partner in the process. Throughout the discussion and tender process, the team at Armstrong Watson really sought to understand our needs and to look at how our Trust operated. At all stages the quality of communication was first class. It made it a very simple choice to select them for a 3-year contract.

Armstrong Watson delivered a comprehensive audit service with dedicated and consistent staff. They worked closely to design audit schedules that didn’t disturb the day-to-day operation of the Trust and were able to provide additional service for DfE grant audits and VAT work. Each audit cycle was completed on schedule and had very clear outcomes. There was always a detailed report that the Trust Board could easily review and constructive actions that the Trust executive could lead on.

Our partnership with Armstrong Watson allowed us to have confidence in the audit process, clarity in what we needed to do next to further improve and a strong collegiate working relationship built on consistency and professionalism.

The Armstrong Watson team took time to understand the business, our background, sectors of operation, aims and objectives as part of their engagement with us. As a result, the audit was conducted with understanding in an extremely efficient and professional manner.

Asite are a technology business with a global structure and in 2020 appointed Armstrong Watson as auditor and advisor to our group of companies.

We were initially looking for a responsive and experienced partner to support us through the statutory audit process but we have found Armstrong Watson very proactive to support us on a much wider basis. From an audit perspective the team were very knowledgeable and great to work with, delivering the audit on time, in budget and completely remotely. However Armstrong Watson are really adding value with their strategic tax advice around areas such as company valuations, share options and R&D tax credits.

I would have no hesitation in recommending the team at Armstrong Watson

Having worked with Armstrong Watson for two years now one of the key things they have delivered upon is communicating in a way that suits our PE backers. In particular their Audit Committee reporting and communication, including highlighting issues that may impact a future event so that we can address them now has been invaluable

The relationship we have with Armstrong Watson is incredibly important to us. We’re fully confident that all compliance obligations are met and that our best interests are always front of
mind. They truly are our trusted advisers and their input and guidance has proven invaluable.

Armstrong Watson have been the appointed external auditors for Cumbria CVS for the past 4 years. Throughout this time, we have always found them to be professional, knowledgeable and reasonable.

We have been able to meet all of our filing deadlines whilst they have been appointed.

Both the auditing staff and managers are friendly but professional and very understanding of organisational need. The staff possess good communication skills and have been very helpful and approachable giving advice, especially through times of transitions within our organisation.

Armstrong Watson are also very knowledgeable of charity accounts which makes the audit process much smoother and discussions around organisational need and improvements much easier and applicable.

We have been very satisfied with the service from Armstrong Watson.

When changing independence rules in the Big 4 meant I had to outsource my consolidation I was nervous about using an independent firm. I needn’t have been. Simon has the experience of my audit lead in the Big 4 but the time to meet me face to face and work through it – he wasn’t just there at the end but with me on the journey.

We have been working with the team at Armstrong Watson for a number of years. They are proactive and responsive, blended with the appropriate level of sector specific knowledge and skills, resulting in a smooth and efficient audit process

I have always found them to be helpful, friendly and approachable and would have no hesitation in recommending them to any business

It was a pleasure to work with the Corporate Finance, Tax and Audit teams at Armstrong Watson during our acquisition of Finlaysons Contracts. A proactive, pragmatic and collaborative approach ensured that the opportunity was presented in the best way for all parties and the skills of the Armstrong Watson team, along with their strict attention to detail, instilled great confidence in the process. While I don’t plan on buying another business for a while, I would certainly have no problem doing it all again with this team.

A high level of technical ability and a proactive, friendly approach has formed a firm basis for the trusted relationship we’ve developed with the Armstrong Watson team over the past 30 years. We continue to be impressed with the standards of the services we receive, including audit, corporate and personal tax, advisory and planning, and look forward to working together further as we grow.

Andrew and Becky leading the audit and tax teams at AW have both provided excellent support to us over a number of years. Tax positions change regularly, so we always hold regular face-to-face meetings with Becky and the tax team to ensure we stay ahead of these changes, and the support is always up to date and proactive. Our audits are delivered flexibly, utilising technology to ensure the audit is completed in an efficient way as possible, and Andrew and the AW team have always flexed their approach as our capabilities have evolved. Importantly, we have continuity of relationship in both audit and tax, so the service always retains relevancy and we can stay focused on key issues.

“Since taking over from a Big 4 firm, Armstrong Watson have been a breath of fresh air. We have been with a Big 4 firm for 34 years and we have had a lot better and closer working relationship with Andrew Kennon and Armstrong Watson. They impressed us from the outset with their sector knowledge and this has shown through in all the advice we’ve received. Helping make our ideas and goals reality. I would have no hesitation in recommending Armstrong Watson as anyone’s auditors and advisers.”

Having been with a Big 4 audit firm for many years, we anticipated a drawn out audit handover in the first year as we transitioned to a new audit firm. However, Armstrong Watson (AW) have been great throughout the transition period by being clear on what we needed to do to manage the audit process. That way, the audit met our needs but with AW also being on time and transparent with what they deliver through the audit, it provided access to some new ideas and opportunities that we hadn’t considered before.

Armstrong Watson have been the appointed external auditors for Cumbria CVS for the past 4 years. Throughout this time, we have always found them to be professional, knowledgeable and reasonable.

We have been able to meet all of our filing deadlines whilst they have been appointed.

Both the auditing staff and managers are friendly but professional and very understanding of organisational need. The staff possess good communication skills and have been very helpful and approachable giving advice, especially through times of transitions within our organisation.

Armstrong Watson are also very knowledgeable of charity accounts which makes the audit process much smoother and discussions around organisational need and improvements much easier and applicable.

We have been very satisfied with the service from Armstrong Watson.

Gates are a global group with companies in various countries worldwide. In 2016 Armstrong Watson were awarded the audits of some of the UK entities in the group.

As Armstrong Watson have a local team they are flexible and can pop in and out as required enabling an efficient audit process. They have been friendly and professional in their approach and accommodating working with our timelines and requirements, and have delivered on their promises each year as well as being good value for money.

Our family business has been supported by Armstrong Watson over the past 40 years, this alone is testament to the quality service and invaluable advice they provide us. They are only a phone call away, whether it be about tax, pensions, payroll, accounts or personnel queries.

We know that we can pick up the phone and our queries will be promptly dealt with in a professional but friendly manner. To be quite frank we would be lost without them.

We have been working with Rohan and his team at Armstrong Watson for approximately three years and this has been an extremely refreshing and positive experience since we made the decision to change accountants. I find Rohan to be very approachable, proactive and also responsive when we need advice from him or a member of his wider team of specialists. Rohan’s knowledge of the intricacies and complexities of the construction industry mean that we can always get the right advice in a very timely manner. The audit team are friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. I would have no hesitation in recommending Rohan to any business that wants a trusted advisor who adds real value and he has been a pleasure to work with.

Armstrong Watson have been our accountants and tax advisers for many years. We have an exceptionally good working relationship, so much so that we see them as another arm of our team here at The Lakes. They not only deal with our accounts and tax affairs, they understand our business and the way we run it, which is so important when we talk through problems or opportunities. They have supported us throughout a period of significant growth and it goes without saying that their pro-active approach to business and tax planning has been invaluable. We would not hesitate to recommend them.

Armstrong Watson are lead sponsors for the IFDA providing invaluable advice to our members and the wider sector. Recently supporting the IFDA Forum series which delivered expert advice on prominent themes affecting the sector. They have been on hand to talk to all our members, no matter what stage of their journey, advising on accounting, planning and auditing. Their work with IFDA member Bundobust and the accounting software Xero has proven hugely helpful to our members, setting a benchmark for accounting with Independent food and drink establishments in the city.

Armstrong Watson have been extremely helpful in assisting Eureka secure a Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief claim. At the outset, Olivia came to visit the museum to see the exhibition space and to talk us through the claim, showing knowledge and enthusiasm. Throughout the process, Will kept me updated on the progress of the claim, advising us on the qualifying costs and accompanying narrative, to ensure all eligible expenses were included in the claim and our filing position was robust. Thanks to Armstrong Watson’s proactive advice, we have been able to make a substantial claim this year and have gained valuable insights which will allow us to maximise the available relief for future exhibitions.

Following our move to Armstrong Watson in 2017, we have been delighted by the proactivity and service delivered by Rohan and the team. Their approach is collaborative and friendly and they have provided clear practical advice to our business. We look forward to working even more closely with AW going forwards as they assist us with our strategic plans.

More than accountants, a genuine trusted adviser and they’ve proven over the years they can deliver.

Following a recommendation made to us, we have engaged the specialist Legal Sector team at Armstrong Watson for our accounts, audit and SRA Accounts Rules compliance requirement. We have been impressed by the breadth of their specific knowledge of the sector and how that helps them to proactively advise us. We greatly appreciate the consistent use of staff, and their interaction with our accounts team works very well indeed. Their advance planning makes everything work seamlessly and they have already spotted and enacted improvements that have helped to simplify our accounts and save us money.

As a manufacturing business a critical element of our MI is our stock, too much stock and we have cash tied up unnecessarily, too little and we run the risk of disappointing customers. After a number of strategic business acquisitions and attempting to integrate different types of stock into our system we realised that there was a danger that our stock recording system could be producing inaccurate results.

As a result we asked the team at Armstrong Watson to review the stock system. Their review highlighted the areas of weakness and also the areas that were performing to expectations. With their assistance we addressed the areas of concern and amended procedures and practices accordingly. Their pragmatic common sense approach backed by their experience and knowledge enabled us to achieve the right result in a reasonable timescale.

We now have full confidence that our MI is accurate and reliable.

As a family owned and managed manufacturing business we have the skills and experience to know what to do, when to do it and how to do it.

We have the day to day running and management of the business in hand. That said, what we have never challenged ourselves on is the bigger picture, we all know our roles and responsibilities.

What the team at Armstrong Watson have done is to challenge how we work not in the business, but on the business. Their input and knowledge has allowed us to stand back from the day to day operations and work on the business, looking at the bigger, more strategic plan, rather than the day to day operational issues.

We have found, and are still finding, their input challenging, insightful and of great value. They have a wealth of knowledge and whilst we believe the issues in our family owned and managed business are unique to us, it becomes more apparent that the issues are common throughout many similar businesses.

We used Armstrong Watson for the first time this year to conduct our SRA Audit. I was impressed; not only with their thoroughness and professionalism, but also with the efficiency of the whole process. The audit is an essential element of our compliance processes, but it also has the potential to be a major distraction for the business. The Armstrong Watson team gave us very clear guidance from the outset and used technology well to deliver a highly effective audit with no unnecessary work for us. We will be returning to them next year.

Grant Smith from Armstrong Watson took over our Accounts last year and has been like a breath of fresh air. It’s easy as a business owner to get bogged down by the daily grind of running the business and sometimes you need to look to the bigger picture. I’ve found Grant to be invaluable in this sense. He is both insightful and practical and is a great asset to our continued growth.

The specialist legal sector team at Armstrong Watson has been instructed by Burnetts Solicitors to prepare the firm’s financial statements, tax returns and SRA Accounts Rules reports as well as the partners’ personal tax returns since 2011. I have been in a joint managing partner position since 1 January 2014 and have worked particularly closely with them since becoming sole managing partner on 1 January 2015. In that time, I have been impressed with their speed of response. When we need something actioned, it is always done within the agreed timetable. That is in part due to their attention to ensure that we provide them with everything that they need in order to help us. Initiatives have been established to ensure that timetables are adhered to and all costs are agreed in advance.

We benefit from their pro-active advice and suggestions; particularly recently regarding our trading structure, law firm alliances and ways to reduce our costs. In addition, they have presented to our people on cross-selling initiatives and improving their understanding of their impact on the success of the firm. They have also offered one to one tax surgeries with each of our partners in order for them to plan their personal affairs, which we will benefit from this year. Their benchmarking analysis of the firm allows us to have strategic conversations with them, and also with my partners internally.

All in all, they help us to improve our business.

Armstrong Watson has been providing IBISWorld with audit services since we began operations in the UK in 2010. More recently we have also engaged them to assist with our tax services. Our experience throughout the relationship has been that of a very professional organization that provides a high level of expertise and comfort to ensure confidence in the end product. Matthew, Helen and Zoe are responsive and personable, further making Armstrong Watson a pleasure to work with

The most important qualities I value in my relationship with Armstrong Watson are trust, efficiency and knowing that when necessary. I am satisfied they can help with any personal financial matter, or business matter if required.

I am always very pleased with the manner in which my tax return is completed, on time and without any fuss, but knowing that they are always available for further help and advice if necessary. I would recommend Armstrong Watson to my friends.

The biggest thing I value in my relationship with Ross Campbell at Armstrong Watson is the ease of contact, either in person, by e-mail, phone or letter. The staff at the Dumfries office are very helpful, friendly and welcoming. I feel that Armstrong Watson are very professional, and give good advice when I require it.

The team at Armstrong Watson combine technical ability, years of experience and a deep understanding of the business to add real value. The level of personal but professional service we get from Rohan Day has led to a strong partnership developing.

Rohan has acted for us for approximately 15 years and I consider him to be a key business partner and trusted advisor.

The team at Armstrong Watson are a valued business partner and a continued part of our growth and development at KMF.

They have offered constructive and commercial solutions when needed and are extremely approachable.

Their fee levels are extremely competitive across the key products and in my opinion their service levels exceed that of their peer group and that of the Big 4.

When the company was sold to a private equity firm, Armstrong Watson was instrumental in assisting the purchase; formulating the financial models, cash flow analysis and pro forma profit and loss. The team produced high quality results and provided an invaluable contribution in the post transaction.

The effective sale of the business was made so by having the right people with the right skills who really understood the business and our requirements, in particluar David Richmond. David has an excellent understanding of business finance reporting, his knowledge and the ability to understand different situations provided invaluable in developing the strategic direction of our business. Armstrong Watson are a very professional outfit and without doubt their contribution has made the transaction exceedingly cost effective and we would highly recommend them.

We have no doubt that many accounting firms could provide us with an audit service but I am certain that very few take the care and interest in the company and the people behind it. Armstrong Watson has been our auditors and tax advisers for 10 years and has provided us with support when it was most needed.