Brookson buys Intouch Accounting

Brookson has acquired Intouch Accounting for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition brings together a ContractorUK Readers’ Award ‘commendee’ and winner -- each from the accountancy category, in 2009 and 2016 respectively.

But both of the firms, which have a strong focus on assisting limited company contractors with financial and tax matters, will continue as independent, stand-alone brands.

So no disruption is foreseen for Bournemouth-based Intouch’s 2,000 odd contractors, or for those with Brookson -- now positioning itself as an accountant for all “flexible” workers.

In practical terms, it means IR35 reviews and other bespoke tax services will continue to be offered by Intouch, with ‘no change in the prices charged’, the firm promised yesterday.

This ‘business-as-usual’ approach is echoed by Brookson, which says Intouch will allow it to expand its customer base. However Paul Gough, Intouch’s managing director has resigned.

His equivalent at Brookson, Martin Hesketh, spoke of growing his Warrington firm’s clientele in March 2017, when it boosted its contractor clientele to 13,000 by acquiring 1st Option.

On top of acquiring this tax company, a digital agency – Results Through Digitial -- has partnered with Brookson to offer SEO services to its contractor clients.

Brookson’s acquisitive stance can be traced back to July 2016, when it snapped up Boomerang Funding, a provider of financing solutions to the temporary recruitment market.

The fourth “add-on” to its firm -- as Brookson described acquiring Intouch -- was facilitated by the Riverside Company, a private equity group invested in Brookson since 2014.