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Whitings Chartered Accountants LLP
Book a free first meeting 03333 446556

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Chartered accountants and tax advisers in East Anglia since 1928 Every stage.
Every generation.

From your first set of accounts to selling the business or passing on the farm, Whitings has looked after East Anglia's businesses and families for 98 years. Ten local offices, partners who know your name, and a free first meeting to see where you stand.

Book a free first meeting Find your local office

Where are you right now?

Pick a stage to meet the people who handle it every day.

Not sure where you fit? Call 03333 446556 and we'll put you through to the right person.

  • ICAEW Chartered Accountants
  • Chartered Tax Advisers
  • ICAEW licensed for probate
  • Registered auditors
  • Xero Platinum Champion Partner
  • QuickBooks Platinum Partner
  • Sage Platinum Accountant
  • Corporate Finance Network member

01Every stage

Tell us where you are. We'll introduce the right people.

Most firms list services. We'd rather start with you. Choose a stage to see the questions clients bring us, how we help, and who you'd actually be talking to.

Starting a business

Start on the right footing.

The choices you make in the first few months, from your structure to your software, shape your tax bill for years. We'll help you get them right first time.

Questions we hear every week

  • Sole trader, partnership or limited company?
  • What can I claim, including working from home?
  • When do I need to register for VAT?
  • Where can I find funding or grants?

How we help

  • Business plans and cashflow forecasts
  • A trading structure that suits your profits and protects your wealth
  • Company formation, including group structures and alphabet shares
  • HMRC registrations and first-year tax planning
  • Help finding funding and grants
  • Bookkeeping, VAT and payroll set up on Xero, QuickBooks or Sage
More about start-ups

Who you'll talk to

Amanda Newman
Amanda NewmanPartner, Ely and St Ives(01353) 662595
Richard Alecock
Richard AlecockAssociate, Mildenhall(01638) 712267
Book a free start-up meeting

Running a business

The yearly essentials, done properly and on time.

Accounts, tax returns, payroll and VAT, handled by people who know your business, so you can get on with running it. Hand us the bookkeeping too and we'll spot problems, and savings, as they happen.

Questions we hear every week

  • Can you take bookkeeping, VAT and payroll off my hands?
  • How do I keep this year's tax bill down?
  • Am I ready for Making Tax Digital?
  • What happens if HMRC opens an enquiry?

How we help

  • Annual accounts and Companies House filings
  • Business and personal tax returns
  • Bookkeeping, VAT returns and management accounts
  • A payroll bureau for 1 to 250 employees, including CIS and auto-enrolment
  • An outsourced finance function through Anglian Cloud Accounting
  • Tax Fee Protection: our fees covered, generally up to £100,000, if HMRC opens an enquiry
More about accounts and tax

Who you'll talk to

Trina Nunn
Trina NunnPartner, Bury St Edmunds(01284) 752313
Stephen Malkin
Stephen MalkinPartner, King's Lynn(01553) 774745
Book a free accounts meeting

Growing or buying

Grow with your eyes open.

Before you hire, borrow or buy, know what the numbers say. We model the cashflow, find the finance and, when you need one, deliver an audit that adds value instead of disruption.

Questions we hear every week

  • Can we afford to expand?
  • How do we raise finance, and from whom?
  • Should we buy a competitor?
  • Do we need an audit, and can it help us?

How we help

  • Cashflow modelling and raising finance
  • Acquisitions and buy-and-build strategies
  • Corporate tax advice on deals and reorganisations
  • Audit and assurance with the same familiar team each year
  • Management accounts and benchmarking
  • IT and cyber security through Whitings IT Solutions
More about corporate finance

Who you'll talk to

Jonathan Moore
Jonathan MoorePartner, Bury St Edmunds(01284) 752313
Ben Beech
Ben BeechPartner, March(01354) 652304
Book a free growth meeting

Selling or stepping back

Get the best price. Keep more of it.

Whether you sell to a trade buyer, your management team or the next generation, the work that lifts your price starts years before the sale. We value, prepare, find buyers and plan the tax.

Questions we hear every week

  • What is my business worth?
  • How do I find a buyer without everyone knowing?
  • How do I hand over to my children or my team?
  • How much tax will I pay on the sale?

How we help

  • Valuations backed by our own database of earnings multiples from past deals
  • Exit preparation to raise what your business is worth
  • Confidential approaches to trade and private equity buyers
  • Tax-efficient exit and succession planning
  • Specialists in businesses valued at £0.5m to £10m
  • East Anglia member of The Corporate Finance Network since 2010
More about selling a business

Who you'll talk to

Ian Piper
Ian PiperPartner, Ely(01353) 662595
Mike Blackledge
Mike BlackledgeAssociate, March and Ramsey(01354) 652304
Book a free exit-planning meeting

Farming and land

Farming families are our biggest client group.

Succession, reliefs, diversification and the new inheritance tax rules: we know the questions because we hear them every week, from the Fens to the Brecks.

Questions we hear every week

  • How do the April 2026 relief changes affect our farm?
  • How do we pass the farm to the next generation?
  • Should we farm as a partnership or a company?
  • What tax is due if we sell development land?

How we help

  • Succession and inheritance tax planning
  • Farmers' averaging, pensions and capital allowances
  • VAT on property, diversification and options to tax
  • Capital gains planning on land and development sales
  • Structuring land ownership and tenancies
  • Grant applications and benchmarking
See our farming work

Who you'll talk to

Andrew Band
Andrew BandPartner, March(01354) 652304
Louise Bassett
Louise BassettAgriculture specialist, Mildenhall(01638) 712267
Book a farm succession review

You and your family

Personal tax, inheritance and probate, under one roof.

From your first self assessment to settling a parent's estate, our private client team, which includes chartered tax advisers and a former HMRC tax inspector, keeps it clear and keeps it calm.

Questions we hear every week

  • Do I need to file a tax return?
  • I've sold a property. What do I owe, and by when?
  • How can we reduce inheritance tax?
  • I'm an executor. Where do I start?

How we help

  • Self assessment tax returns
  • Capital gains tax, including 60-day property returns
  • Inheritance tax planning and trusts
  • Probate and estate administration, licensed by the ICAEW
  • HMRC enquiries and disclosures
  • Financial planning through Whitings Wealth Management
More about probate

Who you'll talk to

Rob Dedman
Rob DedmanAssociate, Bury St Edmunds(01284) 752313
Nick Edgley
Nick EdgleyPartner, Ely(01353) 662595
Book a free private client meeting

All services

Sectors we know well

Also in the Whitings Group

02Making Tax Digital for Income Tax

Does Making Tax Digital apply to you, and from when?

If you're self-employed or let property, HMRC now wants quarterly updates sent from digital records. The next group joins on 6 April 2027. Answer two questions to see where you stand.

1Where does your income come from?
2Your yearly income from these, before expenses

Platinum partners for Xero, QuickBooks and Sage: we can set up your software and send the quarterly updates for you.

The timetable

Three start dates, set by your income

  1. 6 April 2026Over £50,000 in 2024/25
  2. 6 April 2027Over £30,000 in 2025/26
  3. 6 April 2028Over £20,000 in 2026/27

Pick your answers to see your own start date, your first deadline and what to do next.

Get MTD-ready with us Read our MTD guide and FAQs

Based on HMRC's published thresholds. Qualifying income is your total income from self-employment and property before expenses, from the tax return two years earlier. Joint landlords count their share. Partnership, employment, pension and dividend income don't count. A guide, not tax advice.

03Farming and land

Farming families are our biggest client group. We speak the language.

From the Fens to the Brecks, our Farming Group looks after family farms, estates and agricultural businesses. We've run an annual farming seminar since 2012, and our Farming Group newsletter has reached issue 28.

Two changes every farming family should plan for

6 April 2026 Now in force

Full relief on farm and business property is capped

100% inheritance tax relief now covers the first £2.5 million of qualifying agricultural and business property per person, and unused allowance can pass between spouses. Above that, relief drops to 50%: an effective 20% tax rate.

6 April 2027 Coming next

Unused pensions come into inheritance tax

Most unused pension funds will count towards your estate. Succession plans that relied on pensions passing outside inheritance tax need a fresh look.

Rules as announced. Talk to us before acting: the right answer depends on how your farm is owned and run.

What we do for farms and estates

  • Succession planning for the next generation
  • Inheritance tax exposure reviews
  • Farmers' averaging and pension planning
  • Capital allowances on machinery and buildings
  • VAT recovery and options to tax
  • Development land and capital gains
  • Partnership, company or SPV structures
  • Grants and benchmarking
Andrew Band
Andrew BandPartner, March. Raised in March, trained in our March office.
Louise Bassett
Louise BassettAgriculture specialist, Mildenhall
Book a farm succession review Read the latest Farming Group newsletter

04In our clients' words

Rated 4.9 out of 5 from 111 Google reviews.

The same things come up again and again: plain English, quick replies, and people who take the time.

  • They actually take the time to get to know you and understand your requirements…

    Richard C. Business and personal tax

  • We have been clients of Whitings LLP for 50 years…

    Peter E. Business and personal tax

  • …they saved me thousands of pounds by a suggestion of something I could claim…

    Pam E. Capital gains tax

  • Costs were clear and there were no “hidden extras” later in the process.

    Elysia A. Personal tax

  • I never felt that they were money driven or trying to upsell unnecessary services.

    Saara M. Capital gains tax

  • …allowing us to receive the Grant of Probate in record time.

    Simon R. Probate

Read all 111 reviews

05A familiar face, year after year

The person who knows your business this year will still know it in ten.

37 of our 150 or so people have been with us for more than 20 years. So have seven of our 16 partners and associates. Many of them trained here, in the same towns as the clients they look after.

  • Chris Ridgeon

    1979

    Joined the firm in 1979. Chairman of Whitings today.

    Chris Ridgeon Chairman, Bury St Edmunds

  • Trina Nunn

    1990

    Joined our Bury St Edmunds office as a trainee. Partner since 2005.

    Trina Nunn Partner, Bury St Edmunds

  • Keith Day

    1997

    Joined our Wisbech office straight from sixth form. Now its resident partner.

    Keith Day Partner, Wisbech

  • Scott Bishop

    2001

    Did his school work experience with us, then joined as office junior.

    Scott Bishop Partner, Wisbech

  • Plain English

    If something matters, we'll explain it until it makes sense. No jargon, no lectures.

  • Ideas all year

    We look for tax savings and opportunities all year round, not just at deadline time.

  • Fees agreed first

    Your first meeting is free. After it, you get a fee quote before any work starts.

  • Modern, and local

    Cloud software, secure portals and e-signing, with an office nearby when you'd rather talk face to face.

Our partners and associates

Full profiles
  • Chris RidgeonChairman · Bury St Edmunds
  • Andrew BandPartner · March
  • Ben BeechPartner · March
  • Scott BishopPartner · Wisbech
  • Keith DayPartner · Wisbech
  • Nick EdgleyPartner · Ely
  • Paul JeffersonPartner · St Neots
  • Jaimie KingPartner · Bury St Edmunds
  • Stephen MalkinPartner · King's Lynn
  • Jonathan MoorePartner · Bury St Edmunds
  • Amanda NewmanPartner · Ely and St Ives
  • Trina NunnPartner · Bury St Edmunds
  • Ian PiperPartner · Ely
  • Richard AlecockAssociate · Mildenhall
  • Mike BlackledgeAssociate · March and Ramsey
  • Rob DedmanAssociate · Bury St Edmunds

06Ten local offices

Ten offices across East Anglia. One near you.

Call in, ring your local team or meet us online. We look after clients far beyond East Anglia too.

    Our Wisbech office on The Crescent

    In Wisbech since 1928, one of our three founding offices

    Wisbech

    12 & 13 The Crescent, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE13 1EH

    (01945) 584113

    Book a meeting here Directions

    Boundaries: Office for National Statistics (OGL). Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2023.

    • Accountants in

      Bury St Edmunds

      Greenwood House, Greenwood Court, Skyliner Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP32 7GY
      (01284) 752313
    • Accountants in

      Ely

      George Court, Bartholemews Walk, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4JW
      (01353) 662595
    • Accountants in

      King's Lynn

      Norfolk House, Hamlin Way, Hardwick Narrows, King's Lynn, Norfolk PE30 4NG
      (01553) 774745
    • Accountants in

      March

      Fenland House, 15B Hostmoor Avenue, March, Cambridgeshire PE15 0AX
      (01354) 652304
    • Accountants in

      Mildenhall

      Willow House, 46 St Andrews Street, Mildenhall, Suffolk IP28 7HB
      (01638) 712267
    • Accountants in

      Peterborough

      Eco Innovation Centre, Peterscourt, City Road, Peterborough PE1 1SA
      (01733) 564082
    • Accountants in

      Ramsey

      108 High Street, Ramsey, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE26 1BS
      (01487) 812441
    • Accountants in

      St Ives

      Raleigh House, 14C Compass Point Business Park, Stocks Bridge Way, St Ives PE27 5JL
      (01480) 468931
    • Accountants in

      St Neots

      First Floor, Phoenix House, 2 Phoenix Park, Eaton Socon, St Neots PE19 8EP
      (01480) 470755
    • Accountants in

      Wisbech

      12 & 13 The Crescent, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE13 1EH
      (01945) 584113

    07Since 1 October 1928

    Nearly a hundred years of East Anglian business.

    Whiting & Partners became Whitings LLP in 2021, the name most clients already called us. The people, the offices and the principles stayed the same.

    1. 1928

      Larking Larking & Whiting opens in Wisbech, March and Bury St Edmunds to act for East Anglian businesses. Its roots go back to 1888.

    2. 1936

      Mildenhall and Ramsey open, followed by Peterborough in 1937, King's Lynn in 1943 and Ely in 1949.

    3. 1939

      46 members of the firm serve in the Second World War.

    4. 1968

      The partnership is renamed Whiting & Partners.

    5. 2012

      The first Whitings farming seminar brings local farmers and advisers together.

    6. 2016

      Licensed by the ICAEW to handle probate. St Ives joins the firm.

    7. 2021

      Whiting & Partners becomes Whitings LLP, the name most people already used.

    8. 2028

      Our centenary. Here's to the next generation.

    08Insights

    Twenty years of real numbers from local businesses.

    Because we prepare the accounts, we see how East Anglian businesses are really doing. Our SME Growth Index tracks it every year.

    Whitings SME Growth Index Median annual turnover growth of our SME clients
    Whitings SME Growth Index, 2007 to 2026 Median annual turnover growth of Whitings SME clients. Highest +12% in 2022; lowest -5% in 2021; 2026 so far -1%. −5% 0 +5% +10% 2007: +6% +6% 2007 2008: +3% 2009: −2% 2010: −1% 2011: +4% 2012: +4% 2012 2013: +1% 2014: +1% 2015: +3% 2016: 0% 2017: +3% 2017 2018: +1% 2019: +1% 2020: −2% 2021: −5% −5% 2022: +12% +12% 2022 2023: +4% 2024: 0% 2025: +3% 2026: −1% −1% 2026

    Financial years ended 2007 to 2026, all sectors, rounded. 2026 is based on accounts prepared so far. Read Ian Piper's analysis

    09Questions

    Good questions to ask any accountant.

    Here are our answers. Anything else, ask us at your free first meeting.

    Book a free first meeting
    Is the first meeting really free?

    Yes. New clients get a free first meeting. Once we understand your circumstances and plans, we'll give you a fee quote before any work starts.

    How do you work out your fees?

    Fees reflect the time, skill and responsibility involved, and we publish our typical hourly rates on our fees page. For many services we can quote a fixed fee for the year ahead. Either way, you'll know the cost before we begin.

    Can you take over from my current accountant?

    Yes. We'll contact your current accountant for the information we need and pick up where they left off, so nothing falls through the gap.

    Do I have to come into an office?

    No. Plenty of clients meet us at one of our ten offices, but we also work by phone, video and secure online portals, with clients far beyond East Anglia.

    Which accounting software do you work with?

    We're Platinum partners for Xero, QuickBooks and Sage. We can set up your software, move your records across and keep them ready for Making Tax Digital.

    Can an accountant deal with probate?

    Yes. Whitings LLP is licensed by the ICAEW to carry out the reserved legal activity of non-contentious probate in England and Wales, so we can handle the whole process, from the grant of probate to the estate accounts.

    What is Tax Fee Protection?

    An optional service for clients whose tax returns we prepare. If HMRC opens an enquiry, our professional fees for dealing with it are covered, generally up to £100,000, with no excess to pay.

    Are you the same firm as Whiting & Partners?

    Yes. On 1 October 2021 the practices of Whiting & Partners and Whiting & Partners Ltd transferred to Whitings LLP: the same people and offices, under the name most clients already used.

    10Free first meeting

    Book your free first meeting.

    Tell us a little about what you need. The right partner or specialist at your local office will be in touch to arrange a time.

    1. 1
      We call you

      A short chat to understand what you need and who should help.

    2. 2
      You meet a specialist

      In person at your local office, or online. The first meeting is free.

    3. 3
      You get a clear quote

      We tell you what it will cost before any work starts.

    Rather talk now? Call 03333 446556

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    We'll only use your details to arrange your meeting. See our privacy policy.

    Build your career where your clients live.

    Apprenticeships towards AAT, ACA, ACCA and CTA, hybrid working, and a firm where 37 people have stayed for more than 20 years.

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