Financial Services

Accounting, Auditing & Tax

A calculator and financial paperwork.

In Edinburgh, 3,500 people work in accounting, auditing, and tax consultancy. Each of the "big four" accounting firms - Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC - has a presence in Edinburgh, as do many other international and homegrown firms. Edinburgh is also home to Audit Scotland, the auditor for over 200 public bodies across Scotland. Specialist companies based in the city include the R&D tax credit adviser ABGI UK and ClearTaxation, which provides advice to expatriate American citizens living in the UK. 

ICAS, the world's oldest professional body for Chartered Accountants (founded 1854), is headquartered in Edinburgh, with over 20,000 members worldwide.

The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University, Heriot-Watt University, and Queen Margaret University Edinburgh all offer degree qualifications in accounting, while Edinburgh College offers diplomas.

Edinburgh is home to the fintech company FreeAgent, voted the UK's leading supplier of accounting software for small businesses. Other fintech companies originating from Edinburgh active in the accounting, auditing and tax sphere include digital payments solutions provider Modulr, cash forecasting app developer Float, and R&D tax credit specialist Whisperclaims.

A graphic of a calculator.