Following the drought and bushfires in Australia and COVID-19, 2020 has certainly been a challenging year for accounting firms.
Accounting firms around the country have been working long hours to understand and then help their clients obtain a broad range of state and federal government measures introduced as the country went into lockdown.
Accountants have also had to navigate ever-changing rules around programs, such as JobKeeper, to ensure their clients are best positioned to weather the pandemic crisis.
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Awarded in The Australian Financial Review Top 100 Accounting Firms list for 2020 for 3 years in a row
Despite this challenging landscape, on Wednesday 25 November 2020, Australian-based accounting firm, Addison Partners, was listed as one of the Top 100 Accounting Firms in Australia by The Australian Financial Review.
Addison Partners is a full-service professional accounting firm based in the Newcastle and Hunter Valley regions of New South Wales. They help business owners to understand, grow, and protect their business without the stress.
The Australian Financial Review Top 100 Accounting Firms list is based on range of metrics, including revenue, diversity, service offerings, technology use, team skills, and completion of pro-bono work.
This is the third consecutive year that Addison Partners has been part of the Top 100, and this year they reached their highest-ever ranking of 86th. They were also proud to receive a special mention for having the 4th highest percentage of female partners in their firm when compared to all other firms on the list.
Accountants who were able to quickly communicate the implications of evolving government policies were especially well-placed, said Magnus Yoshikawa, the director of Jadeja Partners and a specialist in accounting merger and acquisitions
‘‘Lots of firms quietly had a very good COVID after the initial anxiety. They were busy. Clients desperately and constantly needed them and still do. Government legislative implementations were a boon for the industry. Government legislative changes always are,’’ Mr Yoshikawa said.
Brisbane managing director of recruitment giant Robert Walters, Sinead Hourigan, said that clients want to talk to people they know and who have personal experience on the ground. This means that the increasingly anonymous nature of global firms made them nervous.
She expected this would be exacerbated by the pandemic: ‘‘2020 has seen almost a reverse of globalisation; people want to buy local, touch and feel their service, and know what’s going on, and that applies to [professional] services too’’.
Recognised as a Xero Platinum Partner
Addison Partners have also been a partner with the accounting software company, Xero, for close to 10 years now and they have now been recognised as a Xero Platinum Partner.
Xero provides online accounting software from small to medium sized businesses. Xero’s software is easy to use, reliable, and will help you get your books done faster.
Addison Partners’ accounting team have completed additional Xero Certification courses. This means they are also recognised as champions in accounting, payroll (including single touch payroll), and migration from other software providers. They are also recognised as industry specialists in Trade & Construction and Professional Services.
The Addison Partners team are also well versed in many of the popular Xero add-on apps like Receipt Bank, Hubdoc, Tradify and Deputy.
To help businesses get back on track during COVID-19, Addison Partners is offering a limited number of Free Business Health Checks each month.
The Free Business Health Check includes a detailed review of a business’ financial position, industry benchmarking, and actionable recommendations. It is 100% free, no-obligation, worth over $1,000, and completed by a qualified accountant.