Brexit may be casting a shadow over business and the political landscape but early signs are that the mid-year referendum vote did not dent confidence at the top firms as revenue soared. The largest accountancy firms in the country are growing with fee income up to £13.96bn, a 9% increase on the last year, in this year’s Top 75 firms survey. In fact, since the crash in 2008, the trend has been consistent growth with fee income up by £4.06bn, a 40% rise over the period.

While firms may be upbeat, the wider political picture is tainted by uncertainty, accentuated by the prospect that the UK will take the hard Brexit option, effectively withdrawing from the single market and the customs union. Such instability gives accountants and tax advisers the opportunity to demonstrate their value to clients, focusing on advisory services, risk management and contingency planning, rather than increasingly commoditised tax and audit.