Investigation
The Investigation tag features reporting on regulatory probes, disciplinary actions, audit failures, and financial misconduct relevant to the UK accountancy profession. Accountancy Today covers investigations by the FRC, HMRC, ICAEW, and other authorities involving firms, partners, and clients. Our editorial also includes in-depth analysis of high-profile cases, enforcement trends, and governance issues that impact accountants, audit teams, and firm leadership. This section is essential reading for professionals concerned with compliance, ethics, risk, and reputation in accountancy practice.
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Jul- 2025 -10 JulyAudit
FRC opens investigations into Stenn audits by Azets and Deloitte
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has launched investigations into the statutory audits of Stenn Assets UK Limited and Stenn International Limited by Azets Audit Services and Deloitte. Stenn, a UK invoice-financing company, entered administration in December 2024 after one of its lenders flagged suspicious transactions. The FRC is examining Azets’…
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Jun- 2025 -16 JunePeople Moves
SFO accountant awarded OBE in King’s Birthday Honours
Nick Stroud, a long-serving forensic accountant at the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), has been awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list for his work tackling economic crime and mentoring future investigators. Stroud, who joined the SFO in 1992, was praised for his “exceptional expertise and collaborative approach”, according…
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13 JuneAudit
FRC fines KPMG £690k over auditor independence breach
The FRC has fined KPMG £690,625 for breaching auditor independence rules in its 2021 audit of Carr’s Group by relying on work carried out by a non-network component auditor. The UK accounting regulator also imposed a £38,675 fine on KPMG’s audit engagement partner Nick Plumb, who was the statutory auditor…
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May- 2025 -7 MayPeople Moves
BTG Advisory appoints partner to forensics team
BTG Advisory, part of the Begbies Traynor Group, has expanded its growing forensics team with the appointment of Kate Beckett as partner. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Beckett joins BTG Advisory from a top 10 accounting firm and brings almost two decades of…
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7 MayComment
Cybersecurity in accountancy – a growing risk firms can’t afford to ignore
Cybercrime is no longer just a concern for tech companies or multinationals, it’s a growing and pressing threat for accountancy firms of all sizes. From ransomware attacks to phishing schemes, cybercriminals are increasingly targeting professional services firms, and accountants sit firmly in their sights. Mark Lowther, head of technology, UK…
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Apr- 2025 -30 AprilCrime
Fraud losses hit £2.3bn in 2024, RSM finds
The total reported amount lost to fraud reached £2.3bn in 2024, according to figures from a freedom of information request by RSM UK to Action Fraud. Total reported fraud losses rose by 6% to £2,255,491,192 in 2024, up from £2,115,281,935 the previous year, as fraudsters have become “increasingly sophisticated” at…
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24 AprilPeople Moves
Begbies Traynor appoints new partner for Shropshire and Mid-Wales
Begbies Traynor Group has announced the appointment of Nick West as partner to advise businesses across Shropshire and Mid-Wales, as the firm looks to enhance its insolvency services in the Midlands. West brings almost two decades of experience as a licensed insolvency practitioner, having supported businesses across the region in…
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17 AprilBig Four
FRC sanctions EY over SWSF 2019 audit
The FRC has sanctioned EY and its audit engagement partner Christopher Voogd over Stirling Water Seafield Finance’s (SWSF) 2019 financial statement. Following an investigation, the FRC found out that EY by undertaking the audit exceeded the maximum ten year engagement period for audits of a Public Interest Entity (PIE) without…
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16 AprilNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief – 16/4/2025
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has launched an investigation into EY’s audits of Post Office Limited for the years 2015 to 2018. The decision was made in March 2025 following the conclusion of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry public hearings. Although the Horizon scandal itself is not the subject…
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16 AprilRegulators
FRC to investigate EY’s Post Office audits from 2015 to 2018
The FRC has announced the opening of an investigation into the EY statutory audits of Post Office Limited for the financial years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The investigation will be focused specifically on the role of statutory auditors in meeting the auditing standards that pertained at the time, and…
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