Wbg, a full-service accountancy group, is gearing up for a major tax-fee boost driven by a new VAT advisory arm and an expanding footprint across the UK and Ireland. The firm expects tax fee income to jump roughly 30% as it broadens services and strengthens senior tax leadership. That lift follows steady revenue growth of 10 to 15% a year and a deliberate push into specialist indirect tax work. The changes aim to give clients more targeted VAT help and broader regional coverage at a time tax complexity is rising.
The push starts with a dedicated indirect tax offering built around VAT expertise, and it’s paired with an enlarged leadership team. The tax line has gone from one partner to three, which gives the practice more hands-on senior experience across corporate, personal and indirect tax. That extra senior capacity is meant to keep pace with clients who operate regionally, nationally and across borders. Wbg is positioning itself to be a one-stop shop for owners, groups and private clients facing tricky tax choices.
Senior leaders are already stepping into new roles to deliver that plan, and internal promotions underline continuity and experience. Wbg Tax head Catherine McManus now works alongside corporate tax partner Shehzad Ashaq, recently promoted internally, and indirect tax head Keith Miller, who leads the new VAT-focused offering. “Thanks to the private equity investment by N4 Partners, the majority shareholder of Wbg, we have been able to expand into new markets through tapping into N4’s broader ecosystem and secure significant growth for our tax offering geographically and through the addition of specialist expertise.
The firm is also making a clear play on geography, adding location markers that bring it closer to clients across several cities and regions. “The continued development of the tax team showcases our extended geographical reach with location markers now in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, Manchester and Dublin. That footprint lets Wbg offer local presence with national coordination so businesses get the same advice whether they’re in a city center or a regional market.
Clients who trade across borders or sectors will feel the impact in day-to-day VAT and compliance work, where mistakes can be expensive and time-consuming. “As clients operate across regional, national and international markets, this development and expansion is vital in providing seamless support to clients navigating complex commercial regimes.” The message is clear: practical, commercially minded tax advice is now being backed by scale and specialist know-how to reduce friction for multi-jurisdictional operations.
Keith Miller’s remit covers a range of tricky VAT areas that often trip up businesses and advisors alike. He brings experience on land and property, parking, online deals, financial services, mergers and acquisitions VAT and cross-border matters, and that breadth is being touted as setting a new benchmark internally. With Miller leading VAT and indirect tax, Wbg expects to pick up advisory work that demands deep technical skill combined with commercial judgement.
Shehzad Ashaq’s promotion signals an emphasis on marrying corporate tax planning with personal tax advice for owners and SMEs. The firm markets that combined capability as a way to help entrepreneurs and smaller groups make smarter decisions on growth, exits and restructuring. That integrated approach is practical because many business decisions have linked corporate and personal tax consequences that are best handled together rather than in isolation.
The partners and their teams now advise across a wider slate of specialist tax issues for business owners, larger corporates, groups and private clients. Management says further investment in specialist services is planned to support the foundation already in place so Wbg can back ambition and growth wherever clients are based. The plan is to let businesses concentrate on growth while Wbg handles the tax complexity that comes with operating in competitive, multi-jurisdictional markets.
